[press release]
Postal Service Board of Governors Selects Megan Brennan as 74th Postmaster General and CEO of the United States Postal Service

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors today announced the appointment of Megan J. Brennan, the current chief operating officer of the Postal Service, as the 74th Postmaster General and CEO.

Speaking at a public meeting of the Board this morning, Mickey D. Barnett, chairman of the Postal Service Board of Governors, praised Brennan – who will become the first woman to be Postmaster General – as the ideal choice to replace the current Postmaster General, Patrick R. Donahoe, who will be retiring in early 2015.

“Megan has demonstrated outstanding vision, leadership and executive ability in her role as chief operating officer, and has been extraordinarily successful in managing the operations of the Postal Service,” said Barnett.” She is highly regarded throughout the Postal Service and among the broader community of our major customers and business partners – and rightly so.”

As chief operation officer, Brennan is responsible for the day-to-day activities of 491,000 career employees working in more than 31,000 facilities supported by a fleet of more than 200,000 vehicles. She is responsible for all Postal Service operations, including mail processing, transportation, delivery and retail operations.

“As the head of operations, Megan has led important initiatives to provide Sunday delivery services, improved tracking, and greater predictability and reliability,” said Barnett. “She has also been highly successful in rationalizing our mail processing, delivery and retail operations.”

Barnett also commended Brennan’s role in maintaining a high delivery performances in the face of a significant and continued reduction in workforce and resources.  “Megan has managed some very large, complex organizational changes and the Postal Service never missed a beat in terms meeting customer expectations,” said Barnett. “She instills great confidence in the ability of the organization to succeed and achieve its business goals.”

“I am deeply honored and humbled to take on this role at such an exciting time for the organization,” said Brennan. “The Postal Service plays a vital role in America’s society and economy and I’m looking forward to strengthening that role and meeting the demands of a rapidly evolving marketplace in the years ahead.”

Megan J. Brennan was named Chief Operating Officer and executive vice president in December 2010. Reporting directly to the Postmaster General, Brennan has led the continuous improvement of the postal network operation as well as the allocations of people and resources.

Previously she was vice president of Eastern Area Operations. As the senior postal official she oversaw an area that encompassed Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Delaware, Kentucky, Central and South Jersey, Western New York and parts of Virginia and Indiana.  A 28-year veteran of the Postal Service, Brennan served as vice president of Northeast Area Operations from May 2005 until being named vice president of Eastern Area Operations.

Brennan joined the Postal Service in 1986 as a letter carrier in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and began her management career as a delivery and collection supervisor.   Brennan is a graduate of Immaculata College in Pennsylvania. She is a Sloan Fellow and holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

[press release]
Postmaster General Donahoe to Retire February 2015
Praised highly by Postal Governors for leading organization through financial crisis

WASHINGTON — The United States Postal Service Board of Governors announced [November 14th] that Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer Patrick R. Donahoe has decided to retire February 1, 2015, after 39 years with the Postal Service.

At a public meeting of the Board of Governors this morning, Mickey D. Barnett, Chairman of the Board, called Donahoe a visionary leader who worked tirelessly to move the organization forward during one of its most difficult periods.

“Pat was the calm in the financial storm. He ignored the naysayers and went forward with his team and built a comprehensive plan for the future of the organization, made tough decisions, and executed against those decisions,” said Barnett. “That’s a testament to the great team he built and his own personal leadership.”

Donahoe became Postmaster General during a severe financial crisis, the result of an inflexible business model that limited the organization’s ability to respond to declining First-Class Mail volumes. Donahoe created an integrated financial plan and took aggressive measures to control costs – including the rationalization of mail processing, delivery and Post Office operations. These changes have significantly lowered the cost base of the Postal Service.

Commenting on the fact that the Postal Service has roughly 220,000 fewer employees today than it did in 2004, Barnett noted that “no other organization has restructured itself so dramatically and on such a large scale, and continued functioning at such a high level.  And it did so without relying upon employee lay-offs.”

“That’s the result of Pat taking responsible steps to ensure that changes don’t come at the expense of those who have made their career at the Postal Service,” said Barnett.  “There were plenty who argued for layoffs and other dramatic steps and Pat was always the voice that argued for doing the right thing for the organization and the employees – and that’s a tremendous legacy.”

“Pat’s leadership and advocacy for the organization has been remarkable,” said Barnett. “He has been an excellent strategist for the organization and the mailing industry it serves.”

Donahoe served as a constant cheerleader for mail as a marketing channel and pushed for more integration between mail and digital communications in the mailing industry. Under his leadership, the Postal Service launched several new mailing products and enhancements including Every Door Direct Mail which has generated more than $1 billion in new revenue. Donahoe also guided the organization’s shipping and package strategies to capitalize on the rapid increase of e-commerce.  In the last few years, the Postal Service has seen double digit growth each year in its package business.

Speaking this morning, Donahoe said he believes the organization is headed in the right direction, but still has a long way to go. “The organization has a lot of momentum right now, and we’re doing a lot to innovate and improve the way we serve the public and our customers,” stated Donahoe. “The nature of delivery is changing dramatically and the Postal Service will continue to be an important part of those changes.”

Appointed Postmaster General by the Postal Service Board of Governors in October, 2010, Mr. Donahoe began his 39-year USPS career as a clerk in Pittsburgh, PA while attending college at the University of Pittsburgh.  Prior to his appointment as the organization’s top officer, he served as Deputy Postmaster General and Chief Operating Officer.

“Working for a brand that touches every citizen of this great country every day has been a tremendous honor,” stated Donahoe.  “It’s always difficult to walk away from something you love and have a lot of passion for, but knowing that the organization is moving forward with a strong plan and lot of momentum makes it easier.”

A native of Pittsburgh, Mr. Donahoe and his wife have two children and two grandchildren.”

[Donahoe will be succeeded by Megan Brennan, the first woman to hold the post. The press release is here.]

[press release]
Postal Service Statement on Cyber Intrusion Incident

The Postal Service has recently learned of a cyber security intrusion into some of our information systems. We began investigating this incident as soon as we learned of it, and we are cooperating with the investigation, which is ongoing. The investigation is being led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and joined by other federal and postal investigatory agencies. The intrusion is limited in scope and all operations of the Postal Service are functioning normally.

Information potentially compromised in the incident may include personally identifiable information about employees, including names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, addresses, beginning and end dates of employment, emergency contact information and other information.

Postal Service transactional revenue systems in Post Offices as well as on usps.com where customers pay for services with credit and debit cards have not been affected by this incident. There is no evidence that any customer credit card information from retail or online purchases such as Click-N-Ship, the Postal Store, PostalOne!, change of address or other services was compromised.

The intrusion also compromised call center data for customers who contacted the Postal Service Customer Care Center with an inquiry via telephone or e-mail between Jan. 1, 2014, and Aug. 16, 2014. This compromised data consists of names, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses and other information for those customers who may have provided this information. At this time, we do not believe that potentially affected customers need to take any action as a result of this incident.

The privacy and security of data entrusted to us is of the utmost importance. We have recently implemented additional security measures designed to improve the security of our information systems, including certain actions this past weekend that caused certain systems to be off-line. We know this caused inconvenience to some of our customers and partners, and we apologize for any disruption.

We began communicating this morning with our employees about this incident, apologized to them for it, and have let them know that we will be providing them with credit monitoring services for one year at no charge to them. Employees also have the personalized assistance available to them provided by the Human Resources Shared Services Center. We are committed to helping our employees deal with this situation.

Added: A source tells ABC News the attack originated in China.

Statement by Mark Dimondstein, President, American Postal Workers Union:

The American Postal Workers Union is outraged by revelations that employee information has been compromised by a “cyber intrusion” of the U.S. Postal Service data systems.

Postal management is responsible for protecting employee privacy. We intend to make sure the USPS takes steps to prevent such a breach from happening again and that employees are protected from any negative consequences resulting from the breach.

Although we are deeply distressed by the exposure of confidential employee information, we are pleased that the cyber attack does not seem to have involved postal customers. Our members are committed to providing excellent service to the people of our country.

[press release]
Postal Service to Deliver Packages Seven Days a Week During Holidays
Double-digit package growth predicted during the busy holiday shipping season

WASHINGTON — The Postal Service kicked off the holiday shipping season today by announcing that it will be delivering packages seven days a week in major cities and high volume areas starting Nov. 17 through Christmas Day in response to expected double-digit package volume growth.¹

“The Postal Service will be out making deliveries every single day during the holiday season, including Christmas Day,” said Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe (right). “During the holidays, no carrier makes more deliveries to more places than the Postal Service, and this year, we’re raising the bar with enhanced tracking and Sunday delivery.”

The demand for package service has grown as online retailers ship more products to their customers.  The Postal Service is adding package delivery on Sundays during the holidays to prepare for the heavy shipping season.

“Every household in America relies on us to get their packages in time for the holidays, and we take great pride in taking on that responsibility,” said Donahoe. “We’re prepared to do whatever it takes to deliver for our customers.”

Double-digit Growth
Due to continued e-commerce growth and improvements to its Priority Mail product line, the Postal Service is expecting double-digit growth in its package business this holiday season, likely in the range of 450 to 470 million packages. That equates to roughly 12 percent growth over the same period last year.

“Football has its season. But the holidays? That’s our season,” said Donahoe. “That’s crunch time for us, and year after year, we step up our game. E-commerce package business continues to be a big player now more than ever, so we’ve enhanced our network to ensure America that we’ll deliver their cards, gifts and letters in time for the holidays.”

While its competitors recently announced price increases, the Postal Service lowered some of its prices for businesses and frequent shippers. The new Priority Mail pricing offers affordable shipping options along with improved tracking and reliability for business customers.

“The Postal Service is a vital business partner for small and large businesses and lowering shipping prices will save them money and improve their bottom line,” said Nagisa Manabe, chief marketing and sales officer. “With our affordable shipping options, we hope to attract new business customers and become their preferred delivery service.”

2014 Christmas Shipping Deadlines
For expected delivery of holiday mail and packages by Christmas, the Postal Service recommends keeping the following mailing and shipping deadlines in mind:

Dec. 2 – First-Class Mail International/Priority Mail International
Dec. 10 – Priority Mail Express International
Dec. 15 – Standard Post
Dec. 17 – Global Express Guaranteed²
Dec. 20 – First-Class Mail/Priority Mail (domestic)
Dec. 23 – Priority Mail Express (domestic)

Skip the lines and ship online
Consumers can avoid holiday hassles by visiting usps.com — the Postal Service’s website that will help make mailing and shipping easier. Nearly 75 million customers will skip the trip to the Post Office altogether and take advantage of convenient online shipping this holiday season. Click-N-Ship and other online services allow customers to print shipping labels, order free Priority Mail boxes, purchase postage and even request free next-day Package Pickup.

Launching holiday advertising campaign
The Postal Service is also launching its advertising campaign today with a wide range of media activities, ranging from direct mail to television and print advertisements, to social media and digital promotion.

“Our holiday marketing effort will be built around the idea that the Postal Service has been planning all year for this season and we are prepared to deliver the holidays for America,” said Manabe. “Our advertising goal is to attract new consumer and business customers and provide assurance for our customers that they can depend on our affordable and reliable service to deliver their mail and packages during this season.”

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.”

Notes:
¹ Exclusions may apply; visit usps.com for more details.
² Mail-by date does not take into account time needed for customs clearance.  Allocate extra transit day(s) for delivery outside major cities.

[press release]
Santa’s post office getting busier and busier!
Thousands of letters already received; Santa expected to answer more than 1.5 million this season from children all over the world

NORTH POLE, Canada, Nov. 5, 2014 /CNW/ – Each year, the holiday season puts a spotlight on popular toys and new exciting trends, but one timeless holiday tradition is still going strong for children all over the world. Already, Santa’s post office is reporting letters are pouring in – with the first one received in July, reminding Santa to eat well and exercise in anticipation of a very busy holiday season.

Santa’s Chief Postal Elf Holly T. Elf is reporting that already some 10,000 letters have come in, keeping postal elves busy. An increase of about 10% in letters is expected this year, meaning that Santa’s post office could answer over 1.5 million letters this season in more than 30 languages, including Braille. Santa and his 6,000 postal elves will ensure that each and every letter will get a response in time for Christmas.

“I encourage all the girls and boys to send their letter to Santa soon,” says Holly T. Elf, who started working at the North Pole post office more than 30 years ago. “And don’t forget to include your return address. While Santa knows where your house is, the postal elf team needs your address to ensure your letter will be delivered on time.”
All letters to Santa should be mailed before December 16 to give Santa enough time to send a letter back. Postage is not required for letters to Santa – but encouraging proper addressing is a good learning experience for all. Santa’s address is:

Santa Claus
North Pole
Canada HOH OHOK

About Santa’s post office
Canada Post’s national Santa Letter-writing Program officially began 33 years ago, though local programs began even earlier. For the past 13 years, the program has averaged one million letters or more a year and in total answered more than 23.2 million letters. The program could not exist without the help of current and retired employees of Canada Post who volunteer their time to ensure each letter is answered. The company extends its sincere thanks to all volunteers. To learn more about Santa’s post office please visit canadapost.ca/santa or view Santa’s video message here.