Tuesday, February 11, 2025
USPS names new chief retail and delivery officer
Elvin Mercado will serve on an acting basis
Elvin Mercado has been named the Postal Service’s acting chief retail and delivery officer.
He succeeds Dr. Joshua Colin, who is now the Postal Service’s chief performance officer.
Mercado will oversee 430,000 employees in more than 30,000 retail and delivery sites.
He most recently was acting delivery operations vice president.
Prior to that, Mercado was retail and Post Office operations vice president.
He also previously served as Central Area’s vice president, Atlantic Area’s acting vice president, manager of the former Westchester and Triboro districts, retail and delivery transformation director, and postmaster for Manhattan and the Bronx, NY.
Mercado joined USPS in 1988 as a letter carrier in the Bronx.
On the Job
She finds answers
This congressional liaison answers questions from lawmakers on Capitol Hill
My name is Ashley Motta and I’m a congressional liaison for the Postal Service in Washington, DC. I serve as one of the points of contact for members of Congress and their staffs to communicate with our organization.
Together with my colleagues in Government Relations and Public Policy, we build relationships with members and their staffs to keep them informed about what’s happening at all levels of the Postal Service. If they want more information about USPS finances, network modernization, real estate and facility issues, or our next-generation delivery vehicles, they can reach out to me to discuss.
Members of Congress ask all types of questions. We get simple queries such as, “My constituent is looking for this package. Can you help us find it?” Or sometimes they want to know, “Is this Post Office in my district eligible to be named after someone?” We also get policy questions about fiscal stability and customer service.
One common thing people wonder about is how we do our job without getting into partisanship. Members of Congress from all sides of the aisle care about getting the mail to the American public. We educate and advocate for the Postal Service’s priorities on a bipartisan basis and are accessible to any office that wants to work with us. We even have an office on Capitol Hill where congressional staff can stop by to speak with us anytime.
We rely on every department within USPS and employees across the nation when congressional offices come to us with questions. If a member of Congress asks about a Post Office in Pennsylvania, for example, I get on the phone with the consumer affairs manager in that state.
I worked for a representative and then a senator before coming to USPS. I interacted with their constituents about concerns with various agencies, and sometimes I contacted liaisons at the Postal Service if they had concerns about their mail or Post Office. That experience gave me a unique appreciation for the Postal Service, which made me interested in working here. USPS is one of the most visible and tangible parts of our government for citizens.
I was also attracted to the Postal Service because we are such a unique agency. The fact that we must operate like a business as well as a public service presents so many fascinating challenges.
Because I enjoy my job so much, my dad started looking for positions within USPS. He’s now a retail associate in Norton, MA, but will occasionally fill in in other parts of Massachusetts or Rhode Island.
It makes me proud to know my family is now a postal family.
“On the Job,” a column on individual employees and their contributions to the Postal Service, appears regularly in Link.
A new TV ad touts USPS Ground Advantage
‘Stay in the Know’ highlights the product’s tracking capabilities
A new 30-second TV ad promoting USPS Ground Advantage began airing Feb. 10.
The commercial, titled “Stay in the Know,” shows a warehouse worker placing a package on a letter carrier’s dolly piled high with similar packages.
The action suggests the worker is “there” at each step of the package’s journey, from initial truck ride to final destination, thanks to the USPS Ground Advantage tracking capabilities.
A narrator ends the ad with “Stay in the know … from your dock to their door.”
Are you seeking a second job?
Make sure to follow USPS ethics rules
USPS wants employees to be mindful of federal ethics rules when seeking supplemental employment.
A second job cannot conflict with an employee’s Postal Service duties. Employees must adhere to USPS regulations and maintain regular, on-time attendance in their postal positions.
Employees must give their USPS position priority in scheduling conflicts, and they cannot let their outside work interfere with their Postal Service job performance.
Employees cannot perform work for their supplemental employment while on USPS duty, and they cannot use Postal Service resources for their secondary jobs.
Additionally, USPS employees cannot:
• Work for commercial mail-receiving agencies or any entity that delivers “mailable matter” such as UPS, DHL, FedEx or Amazon;
• Consult on Postal Service operations, programs or procedures with any person who has competed or will compete for a USPS contract;
• Engage in any sales, fundraising or outside business activity while on duty, in uniform or at USPS facilities; and
• Have any interest in a mail-carrying contract.
There are also certain secondary jobs that require employees to get the Postal Service’s approval by completing the supplemental employment approval form and emailing it to the USPS Ethics Office.
Positions requiring prior approval include those in which the employee works for:
• A highway contract route holder or subcontractor;
• Anyone with whom an employee deals in their USPS capacity;
• A business that contracts with the Postal Service, including a manufacturer of USPS uniforms or products;
• A business largely dependent upon postal rates and classifications; and
• A subsidiary such as Whole Foods, Amazon Fresh or Twitch that is not involved in its parent company’s business of delivering mailable matter.
The updated Supplemental Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the United States Postal Service address outside employment and business activities.
Employees should call the USPS Ethics Office at 202-268-6346 or email it with questions.
February 18, 2025
Datebook
‘Healthy Hearts’
Postal Service employees may participate in an upcoming webinar that will provide an overview of heart health topics such as atherosclerosis and show how to make heart-healthy choices.
The session, “Healthy Hearts,” will be held Tuesday, Feb. 18, from noon to 1 p.m. Eastern.
Representatives from CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, a provider of health plans for federal employees, will lead the discussion.
Participants must register before the event on the webinar website.
Participation is voluntary. Nonexempt employees must be off the clock or on authorized breaks.
Employees who have questions can email the USPS Benefits and Wellness team.
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What's included
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USPS names new chief retail and delivery officer
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On the Job
She finds answers
This congressional liaison answers questions from lawmakers on Capitol Hill
-
A new TV ad touts USPS Ground Advantage
‘Stay in the Know’ highlights the product’s tracking capabilities
-
Are you seeking a second job?
Make sure to follow USPS ethics rules
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February18Datebook
‘Healthy Hearts’