To replace Benjamin Bailar and fill other vacancies, the USPS is appointing the following four people to the Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee: Carolyn Gallagher, former USPS Governor; Katherine Tobin, past member of CSAC; Peter Argentine, documentary film producer, works closely with museums; and Justin Bua, artist, author, speaker and entrepreneur, “Distorted Urban Realism,” host, producer of “Street Art Throwdown” which debuts in January on the Oxygen Network.

Their terms are three years, and run from October 2014 to January 2017 (?).

The USPS press release:

Postmaster General Appoints New Members to Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee

WASHINGTON — Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe appointed noteworthy individuals to his committee that evaluates 40,000 stamp proposals annually before submitting approximately 25 to 30 stamp recommendations for his review and approval. The new members are Peter Argentine, Justin Bua, Carolyn Lewis and Katherine Tobin.

The Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee (CSAC), created in 1957, evaluates all stamp proposals received by the Postal Service. Committee members, appointed by the Postmaster General, provide expertise on history, science and technology, art, education, sports and other subjects of public interest.

“We are truly grateful and honored to have these accomplished individuals serve on the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee,” said Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe. “Their diverse backgrounds, perspectives and extraordinary talents support our goal to broaden interest in stamp collecting to more audiences and enhance our world-class stamp program that remains second to none,” said Donahoe.

“Every time a new member joins CSAC the energy level goes up a notch and the stamp program benefits,” said CSAC Chairwoman Janet Klug who also serves as immediate past president of the American Philatelic Society Board of Directors and serves as chair of the New Initiatives Committee on the Smithsonian National Postal Museum’s Council of Philatelists. Klug is an author and columnist for several stamp collecting publications. “I am delighted to welcome these outstanding individuals to the committee and look forward to the creative energy they will bring,” she said.

Peter Argentine is founder of Argentine Productions, Inc., a company specializing in media design and production for museums, national parks, visitor centers, science centers and television. His television work has taken him to remote corners of the world, and includes national productions at WGBH Boston and WQED Pittsburgh for PBS, as well as for Discovery Channel and Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. His projects in American history, natural history, and science have involved collaborating with partners at the White House Historical Association, National Park Service, World Wildlife Fund, and the National Academy of Sciences. He began his career in the education department of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History and has earned numerous awards for his work, including a Special Jury Award for Best Exhibit Program from CINE. He earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology, magna cum laude, from Cornell University and a master’s degree in international relations as a Benton Fellow in Broadcast Journalism at the University of Chicago.

Justin Bua is an award-winning artist, author, speaker and entrepreneur. Born in 1968 in New York City’s Upper West Side and raised between Manhattan and East Flatbush, Brooklyn, he attended the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and Performing Arts and complemented his education on the streets by writing graffiti and performing as a breakdancer on worldwide tours. Bua earned a B.F.A. at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA, and taught figure drawing at the University of Southern California for 10 years. Bua created the artistic genre known as “distorted urban realism”, and his works have been shown in museums and galleries around the world. Beyond art, Bua has authored two books, and he has created, produced and performed in several television series, and directed the Ovation TV documentary, “Walk This Way: the DMC Story.” In 2012, Bua received an NAACP Image Award and a Telly Award for his art direction in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s documentary film “On the Shoulders of Giants.” Bua is host, executive producer and co-creator of the upcoming Oxygen television series “Street Art Throwdown.”

Carolyn Lewis was a member of the Postal Service’s Board of Governors from 2004 to 2010, and also served as chairman. She is the former CEO of Texwood Furniture, Inc., and has served on numerous private and public sector boards. In 2003, Lewis served on the President’s Commission on the United States Postal Service, which submitted the report “Embracing The Future.” In 1976, Lewis earned her undergraduate degree from Duke University and in 1982, a master’s degree from the Harvard Business School. She has been a community leader in Austin, TX, for many years, chairing numerous non-profit boards.

Katherine C. Tobin joined the committee in 2013, is a commissioner of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, and was a member of the Postal Service’s Board of Governors from 2006-2009. There, she helped set policies on all postal matters. Tobin brings 15 years of experience as a business manager, market researcher and consultant to CSAC, having worked in corporate America at Hewlett-Packard and IBM. In 2009, she was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary for Performance Improvement at the Department of Education. Tobin earned doctoral and master’s degrees from Stanford University’s School of Education. She earned a Master of Arts in teaching from the University of Massachusetts’ School of Education, and a bachelor’s in English with honors from Skidmore College.

Former Postmaster General Benjamin Bailar, who joined CSAC in 2007, is leaving the committee. Bailar served as Postmaster General from 1975 to 1978.

“The Postal Service is grateful to Benjamin for his service and contributions to the Committee, and before that, as Postmaster General,” said Donahoe. “His invaluable assistance in the complex process of recommending stamp subjects and stamp designs has been vital to helping the Postal Service produce a superior stamp program.”

Submitting Stamp Suggestions
Due to the time required for research and approval in the stamp selection process, ideas for stamp subjects should be received at least three years before the proposed issuance. Each submission should include pertinent historical information and important dates associated with the subject. No in-person appeals are accepted. Mail suggestions to the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee at the address below.

Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee
475 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Room 3300
Washington, DC 20260-3501

NOLA.com/Times-Picayune writer Jarvis DeBerry makes fun of stamp collectors who are unhappy with the commercialization and pop-culturization of the U.S. stamp program.

It’s a well-written piece that shows a knowledge of the subject: DeBerry notes Monday’s USPS announcement that its losses continue to mount. (That doesn’t mean I think DeBerry is correct, just that he read up on the subject before writing it.)

Make sure you take a look at the poll embedded in the article.

DeBerry’s column is an amusing read, and an insight into how outsiders view stamps, stamp collecting, and the choice of subjects for U.S. stamps.

[press release]
U.S. Postal Service Reports 2.0 Percent Revenue Increase, $2.0 Billion Loss in Quarter 3
· Shipping and Package Services Revenue Up 6.6 Percent
· January Price Increase Offsets Continued Volume Loss in First-Class Mail, Driving All Mail Revenue Up $424 Million
· Need for Comprehensive Legislation Remains Urgent

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service ended the June 30, 2014, quarter with a net loss of $2.0 billion, compared to a net loss of $740 million for the same period last year. The Postal Service has recorded a loss in 21 of the last 23 quarters, the excepted quarters being the two in which Congress rescheduled the Retiree Health Benefits prefunding payments.

Revenue continues to improve as a result of the Postal Service’s January mail price increase, successful sales and marketing initiatives, and continued success in growing the package business. Total operating revenue of $16.5 billion increased by $327 million, or 2.0 percent, compared to the same period last year.

Shipping and Package revenue was up 6.6 percent. Standard Mail revenue was up 5.1 percent, driven by a 0.9 percent increase in volume and the January 2014 price increase. First-Class Mail volume was down 1.4 percent, but the January price increase offset this decline, resulting in a 3.2 percent revenue increase.

“We’re seeing momentum in our package business and continued use of direct mail as an advertising medium,” said Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer Patrick Donahoe. “We’ve been effective in developing and marketing our products, and we’re improving how we leverage data and technology—all providing a higher return on mail for many customers and causing them to take a fresh look at the Postal Service.”

Total operating expenses for the third quarter of 2014 were $18.4 billion, an increase of $1.5 billion from the same period last year, driven mainly by the Workers’ Compensation fair value adjustment. Compensation and benefits expenses increased by $15 million, or 0.1 percent, compared to the third quarter of 2013, as contractual pay increases were offset by work-hour reductions and more efficient use of available labor flexibility.

“Due to continued losses and low levels of liquidity, we’ve been extremely conservative with our capital, spending only what is deemed essential to maintain existing infrastructure,” said Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President Joseph Corbett. “To continue to provide world-class service and remain competitive, we must invest up to $10 billion to replace our aging vehicle fleet, purchase additional package sorting equipment, and make necessary upgrades to our infrastructure.”

Corbett also said that the organization will be unable to make the required $5.7 billion retiree health benefit prefunding payment to the U.S. Treasury, due by Sept. 30, 2014. Comprehensive postal legislation is necessary to eliminate this liability and provide a basis for the Postal Service to return to long-term financial health.

This quarter’s results were improved as a result of implementing the exigent price increase, which the Postal Regulatory Commission has ruled as a surcharge to be collected only until the Postal Service recovers a total amount of $3.2 billion of incremental revenue, estimated to occur in the second half of 2015. The Postal Service has petitioned the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to review the PRC’s order on the exigent price increase. Among other things, the Postal Service’s position is that the PRC improperly and artificially limited the amount of relief to which the Postal Service was entitled as a result of the Great Recession.

Following is a summary of third quarter results of Operations compared to same period last year.
· Total mail volume of 37.7 billion pieces compared to 37.8 billion pieces

o Shipping and Package volume increased 7.7 percent.
o Standard Mail volume increased 0.9 percent.
o First-Class Mail volume declined 1.4 percent. This was the 32nd consecutive quarterly decline for First-Class Mail volume.

· Operating revenue of $16.5 billion increased $327 million or 2.0 percent.

Operating expenses before non-cash workers’ compensation and Postal Service Retiree Health Benefit Fund expenses of $16.5 billion increased from $16.3 billion, a 1 percent change.

Complete financial results are available in the Form 10-Q, available at http://about.usps.com/who-we-are/financials/welcome.htm