The American First Day Cover Society has arranged for two seminars at Great American Stamp Show 2023 featuring top philately-related officials of the U.S. Postal Service. GASS will be held August 10-13 at the Huntington Convention Center in Cleveland, Ohio.

William Gicker (right, in 2019), director of USPS Stamp Services, which chooses and designs stamps and stationery, will speak Thursday, August 10, at 1 p.m. Top managers from USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services —Teri Basinger, its overall manager; Linda Houghtaling, Senior Operations Manager; Betty Brown, manager of stamp production; and Dave Mapel, Cancellation Services supervisor — will have a seminar on Friday, August 11, also at 1 p.m. All stamps are distributed to post offices and sold through SFS, and cancellations are applied to first day covers there.

The U.S. is issuing two sets of stamps during GASS: “Life Magnified” on Thursday and “Thinking Of You” on Friday. In addition, the United Nations, Faroe Islands and Marshall Islands will issue stamps at the show.

The seminars are free and open to the public. Admission to Great American Stamp Show is also free. More details are available here.

The AFDCS is a co-sponsor of the show, along with the American Philatelic Society and American Topical Association. Other AFDCS seminars will be held, along with the society’s annual meetings, and the results of the annual cachet contest will be announced. Further information on the show is also here.

The American First Day Cover Society is a not-for-profit educational organization. It publishes its journal First Days six times a year, as well as handbooks and catalogues, and promotes the collecting and exhibiting of both modern and “classic” issues and cachets.

For more information on the AFDCS, visit www.afdcs.org or write to the AFDCS, PO Box 246, Colonial Beach, VA 22443-0246, or via e-mail at afdcs@afdcs.org.