Friday, December 26, 2025
Off the Clock
Downtime? Not for these folks
How some USPS employees followed their off-hour passions this year
No one would blame Postal Service employees if they kicked back and put their feet up after a hard day’s work, but as this year’s “Off the Clock” profiles show, “downtime” is just not in many employees’ DNA.
The showbiz contingent includes Konstantin Stoyanov-Casey, an operations specialist in Philadelphia who makes films here and in his native Bulgaria; Donna Graham-DiLacqua, a customer relations manager for Delaware-Pennsylvania 2 District and former Broadway performer who teaches voice to aspiring entertainers; and Dean Davis, a Washington, DC, business project leader who plays starring roles in community theater.
A love of music runs deep, and we profiled three folks who perform in bands: Mike Porter, a Washington, DC, communications specialist and lead vocalist for ’80s tribute band BoomBox; Tim Luce, a rural carrier in Rockford, MI, and bass guitarist for metal band Tombstunner; and Ron Lantz, a now-retired Warrendale, PA, mail processing clerk who performs with the country-western band Honky Tonk Heroes.
Then there’s Brandy Freeman, a Washington, DC, graphic designer whose love of singing spurred her to join a karaoke team, District Karaoke; David Plybon, an equal employment opportunity program manager in Washington who sang at the White House with his choir, the Spotsylvanians Community Chorus; and Thomas and Jonah Alexander, a father-son bell-ringing duo who perform in the Erie Canal Ringers when they’re not working as retail associates in New York.
And Abby Martin stays very busy when she’s not on the job as an integration and support manager at USPS headquarters in Washington, DC. She performs with a local folk trio and also plays ice hockey with the all-female Washington Wolves.
Other athlete-employees include Dillon Holiday, a Manasota, FL, mail handler and mixed martial artist, and Elizabeth Matthews, a general clerk in Minneapolis and a Deaflympian curler who is training for the 2027 Winter Deaflympics in Austria.
And we featured two employees — Robert Rivera, a customer service support supervisor in Ocala, FL, and Dennis Ford Jr., a complaints and inquiry clerk in Los Angeles — who exemplify sports’ power to inspire: Rivera realized a dream when he became an umpire for the Savannah Bananas barnstorming exhibition baseball team, and Ford helps shape the character of boys as an inspirational coach for the Jaguars, a youth football program in Compton, CA.
Speaking of inspiration, the column also featured two headquarters employees who overcame deep personal challenges to help others. Tarsem Dayal, an IT client support specialist, went from being tongue-tied to being silver-tongued thanks to Toastmasters, the public speaking and leadership group, and Tonia Lott, a strategic integration and communications adviser, took the pain from her son’s death by suicide to create Healing Out Loud, a suicide prevention and mental health support effort.
Finally, we profiled three employees who follow the call of the wild in their off hours. Star, NC, Postmaster Kirk Kern is a beekeeper with 80 hives to look after; Lincoln, NE, Retail Associate Carri Honz helps care for birds of prey, including the world-famous Halsey; and Mary Hulshouser, a retention operations specialist based in Fort Worth, TX, takes award-winning photographs of nature.
“My dream is to have my photos on postage stamps one day,” Hulshouser said.
Check out the “Off the Clock” archive for more stories about Postal Service employees and their after-hours pursuits.
People
Their postal pride is showing
A look back at USPS employees who made unique contributions this year
Throughout 2025, Link’s “People” column focused on employees who are making their mark in the Postal Service.
To help commemorate the organization’s 250th anniversary, Kalani Han, a Chicago letter carrier, created a historical exhibit for the lobby at the Post Office where he works.
Han said it is “a way to connect people — past to present, neighbors to neighborhood, and national history to the everyday work we do as carriers.” Han is known on his route for dressing in old-school postal uniforms.
Another employee, Chandler Vance, an Ashville, OH, retail associate, also appreciates the past: He collects vintage postal paraphernalia of all sorts, including old uniforms that he wears on special occasions.
“It seems to bring customers a bit of nostalgia and a sense of happier times and fond memories and the smiles on their faces when they see me is the best thing I could ask for,” Vance said.
Other employees found ways to delight their customers, too: Dan Potwora, a Buffalo, NY, letter carrier known as “Mailman Dan,” appeared on the cover of a local magazine, while Sinarda Tyler, a rural carrier in Groton, CT, became the subject of an Instagram account devoted to the colorful costumes he wears during Christmas, Easter and other holidays.
“I love my job, I really do,” Tyler said.
Not to be outdone, TigerJoJo, an orange tabby and honorary postal employee, went viral on social media through posts that showed him wearing a USPS uniform and “driving” a toy LLV.
Several employees demonstrated their commitment to customer service this year.
Cory Johnson, a Syosset, NY, retail associate, takes pride in helping customers package their holiday shipments correctly, while Ryan Troy, an Olympia, WA, letter carrier, used his stamp collection to create a map of the United States, aiming to help teach children about philately.
The year also brought opportunities to honor employees who are no longer with us.
In April, “People” remembered Edgar Kumley, a former employee who died at age 102. Kumley served as the postmaster of Redig, SD, for 65 years — a role he was appointed to by President Harry S. Truman.
And in September, we told you how the Washington Crossing, PA, Post Office was dedicated to Susan Barnhart, a beloved retail associate who died in 2023.
“The Post Office was never just a job to her,” said Lynda Barnhart, Susan’s sister. “Her joy was helping others. She was the first person to help anyone she could, in any way she could.”
Check out the “People” archive for more stories. Got news to share? Email us.
News Quiz
Total recall
How much do you remember about this year?
This special year-end edition of “News Quiz” will test your knowledge of Link stories published in 2025. The correct answers appear at the end.
1. Fill in the blank: USPS reported total operating revenue of (blank) during the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30.
a) $89.8 billion
b) $80.5 billion
c) $89.5 billion
d) $79.5 billion
2. What is the Postal Service’s fundraising goal for the latest Combined Federal Campaign?
a) $1 million
b) $2 million
c) $3 million
d) $4 million
3. True or false: The Postal Service marked its 250th anniversary on July 25.
a) True
b) False
4. How many USPS employees were attacked by dogs last year?
a) More than 6,000
b) More than 7,000
c) More than 8,000
d) More than 9,000
5. Match the National Association of Letter Carriers honoree in Column A with the heroic act he performed in Column B.
Column A
a) Rungphet Bodnar (Flint, MI)
b) Tesfaye Deyasso (St. Louis Park, MN)
c) Gerald “Jerry” Loney (Topeka, KS)
d) Brian Meyers Sr. (Johnstown, PA)
Column B
I) Aided an injured customer whose wrists were bleeding
II) Helped pull a driver from a burning car
III) Stopped a man from being stabbed multiple times
IV) Rescued a child from a dog attack
Answers: 1) b. 2) c. 3) b. USPS marked its 250th anniversary on July 26. 4) a. 5) a. IV., b. II c. I., d. III.
Southern Area, Arizona-New Mexico District lead in scanning
A snapshot of Postal Service scanning data shows the national rating was 95.99 percent during the week ending Dec. 19, down 0.47 percent from one week earlier.
The data was collected Dec. 24.
Southern led the four areas with a rating of 96.44 percent, while Central ranked last with a 95.08 percent rating.
Among the 50 districts, Arizona-New Mexico, part of WestPac Area, ranked first with a 97.99 percent rating, while Illinois 1, part of Central Area, ranked last with a 91.09 percent rating.
Scanning data allows customers to track their mail and packages, which helps USPS deliver excellent service, boost loyalty and drive revenue.
To see the latest data, go to the Informed Visibility website and select “Customer Experience,” followed by “DES 2 Scan Performance.” Postal Service employees must request Informed Visibility access through eAccess.
Postal Bulletin outlines organization’s readiness for holiday returns
Postal Bulletin’s latest edition, published Dec. 25, shifts its attention to how USPS is prepared to handle this year’s holiday returns.
Updates to the organization’s policies, procedures and forms are also included.
Employees can go to usps.com to read and download the latest Postal Bulletin, along with past issues.
Blog post looks at Postal Inspection Service’s holiday work
The latest entry on Postal Posts, the USPS blog, looks at how the Postal Inspection Service is protecting the mail, keeping employees safe and ensuring that mail and packages are being delivered securely during the holiday season.
Andrea Avery, an assistant postal inspector in charge, wrote the post.
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What's included
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Off the Clock
Downtime? Not for these folks
How some USPS employees followed their off-hour passions this year
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People
Their postal pride is showing
A look back at USPS employees who made unique contributions this year
-
News Quiz
Total recall
How much do you remember about this year?
-
Brief
Southern Area, Arizona-New Mexico District lead in scanning
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Brief
Postal Bulletin outlines organization’s readiness for holiday returns
-
Brief
Blog post looks at Postal Inspection Service’s holiday work