Animal Activist Nominated for FEOY

North Lauderdale Manager Rose Mesenger-Mannisto nominated Letter Carrier John Neal for recognition in the "Federal Employee of the Year" Awards Program.


John Neal is a dedicated letter carrier who works in Atlantic, Margate, and North Lauderdale Post Offices.  He is able to adjust to what sometimes can be very challenging schedule with different hours and days off.  John is capable of running every operation in the mail delivery field.  His peers respect him for his willingness to always assist when needed.  He is a true professional.


John is an animal activist who has rescued and saved 50 lost dogs and cats in  2011.  He finds their rightful owner and returned them to the individual or gets them adopted to new homes.


John and his wife are volunteers with the Girl Scouts of America.  They manage two troops for a total of 29 girls.  The City of West Hollywood had approached John about taking on the second troop through a grant for girls from low-income families.  This grant pays for the girls' dues and their activities, including camping and field trips.  


In addition to the Girl Scounts, John also has volunteered five days a week for the girls' softball team at McArthur High School in Hollywood where his 15-year old daughter is a star player.


He also takes excellent care of his father who has been struck with Alzheimer's.  He sits with his Dad every evening in an assisted living facility.  

USPS Delivers Bittersweet Memory

Thanks to the determination of postal employees, 90-year-old Yancey Garner, who once served in the U.S. Navy, was reunited with a letter written by his 7-year-old daughter.  Garner was serving at a naval base in Key West FL in the 1950s.  


South Florida MDO Albert Iglesias found the letter in a tray from Tampa.  He contacted Communications Programs Specialist Debra Fetterly who tried to put together the pieces of the puzzle.  She contacted Homeland Security Coordinator Michael Balcom, a retired U.S. Navy Master Chief, who made a few phone calls and researched the internet.   Mike learned that the Garner Family lived in Silver Spring, MD.  Debbie contacted her Communications counterpart and then mailed the letters to her to contact the customer.  


It was a bittersweet reunion.  Unknown to the Postal Service,  the letter was delivered the day prior to the one-year anniversary of the accidental death of the daughter who wrote it.  

EMI Sale to Beauty Supply Distributor Generates $109,200 in Boca Raton

Boca Raton Main Office Manager Jen Leon provided a sales lead to Business Solutions Specialist Sharon Squadrito who contacted the owner of High End Beauty (HEB), a local beauty supply distributor, seeking to expand the business internationally.  

HEB had launched new cosmetic and hair care products and needed an international shipping solution that offered value, ease of use and visibility. Maintaining their high scores for customer service was a priority for HEB. Sharon contacted A/Global Accounts Manager Robin Walls and the postal duo highlighted the features and benefits of Express Mail International.  High End Beauty expressed confidence in USPS’s ability not only to provide exceptionable value, but to also assist this business in maintaining and increasing customer satisfaction. 

High End Beauty projects shipping approximately 300 Express Mail International packages monthly which will generate $109,200 in new revenue.

'Team Pompano' Accepts Nomination

Team Pompano proudly accepts nomination to the "Federal Employee of the Year" Awards Program.  (L to R):  Andrew Perlmutter, Sharon Puhl, Jo Ann Zatorsky, Rick Veiga, Frank Mariano, Edwin Coppola (Pompano Postmaster), Rose Mesenger-Mannisto, Ed Drozdowski, Camille Moscola-Calvo and Louis Mongilia.  

Rose Mesenger-Mannisto, Manager, North Lauderdale Branch, nominated "Team Pompano" for recognition in the "Federal Employee of the Year" Awards Program.

“No Man Stand’s Alone” is the motto of “Team Pompano,” a dedicated group of managers who work together as a team to deliver outstanding postal service to more than 100,000 customers in the greater Pompano area.  Collectively, they are administratively responsible for 700 employees who primarily serve customers at the retail Post Offices and deliver mail to 171,791 possible city deliveries in Coconut Creek, Coral Springs, Lighthouse Point, Margate, North Lauderdale, and Pompano Beach.  They also supervise a custodial staff and ensure that all facilities and landscapes are well maintained.

Team Pompano has exceeded just about every goal assigned in the Customer Service function during a very challenging fiscal year (October 1, 2010 through September 30 2011). 

USPS is a self-supporting federal agency that relies of the sale of postal products and services to pay its operational expenses.  Due to the dramatic decline of First-Class Mail and the related revenue loss, USPS proposed comprehensive changes that included consolidating operations between facilities, assessing delivery operations and reassigning employees.  Team Pompano successfully managed these challenges while maintaining and exceeding goals. 

Team Pompano’s operations scored exceptionally high with our Customer Service Opinion Survey with the majority of customers rating service as “very good” or “excellent.”  Managers often greeted customers in the retail lobbies and also participated in various on site promotions to educate the public  on postal products and services to generate revenue.

On our internal Voice of the Employee Survey, Pompano offices achieved two of the highest scores in the District (137 Post Offices and Plants from Fort Pierce to Key West) due to Team Pompano treating staff with dignity and respect.  Team Pompano also is credited with communicating the many challenges, changes and opportunities with employees to foster a teamwork concept.

Team Pompano, led by Postmaster Ed Coppola, holds its head high when it comes to the safety record.  Under his leadership, Pompano has become the first area in the country to receive three Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Voluntary Protection Program Star ratings --- the highest form of recognition that can be achieved.  Managers and craft employees worked together to ensure compliance with safety rules and regulations. Managers and union officials met monthly with Team Pompano to discuss, address, and resolve employee safety issues or concern. Team Pompano also brainstormed creative ways to improve street performance to reduce vehicle infractions and at-fault vehicle accidents. The Postmaster is the co-chairperson of the local USPS/NALC Safety Team.

Team Pompano has grown into a friendship of an effective group of professional individuals that assist one another in staffing and vehicle utilization in to ensure timely delivery to business and residential customers.  Members always help each other when needed because they do not stand alone as their performance has proven.  Team Pompano doesn’t let adversity get the better of them, they just find solutions, and that is why Team Pompano deserves recognition.

Under Team Pompano’s leadership, employees pledged more than $23,660 to the Combined Federal Campaign.  Together Team Pompano volunteered its time to assist employees at local Post Offices as they collected over 85,873 pounds of canned goods for the annual National Association of Letter Carriers’ Food Drive.  Team Pompano also supported and coordinated participation in the Bone Marrow Drive which generated over 50 bone marrow donations in seven Post Offices.  

Opa-Locka's Hinson is FEOY Nominee

Opa-Locka Postmaster Manny Ferrer nominated Curtis Hinson, Supervisor, Customer Service, at the Opa-Locka Main Office, for recognition in the Federal Employee of the Year Awards Program.  


As a Supervisor at the Opa-Locka Main Office, Curtis Hinson displays exemplary performance at all times.  Several times his office has achieved Top 20 Office Performance for Street to Base Hours in 2011.  


He is a loyal, dedicated, trustworthy employee who sets the example in superior work habits.  His organizational skills are unmatched.  His employees admire him for his leadership and while they are constantly held to a high level of performance, they follow his instructions and perform at the level expected of them.


Curtis is left alone many times in his operation, with little or no supervision from his superiors.  He works over and beyond what is expected of him.  His dedication to the Postal Service is beyond reproach.  He volunteers to do more and does whatever it takes to succeed.  He trains, mentors, and guides his postal employees in a positive direction.  His overall performance for goals in FY 11 were outstanding and the achievement is noteworthy.


He is a reservist in the U.S. Army which he works half of the year for the Postal Service and half of the year for the US Army.  He has held many numerous positions such as a NCOIC, Mobilization Operation Center, Acting Sergeant Major, Mobilization Operation Center, Acting Sergeant Major for Soldier Readiness Processing (SRP), and Protocol NCOIC for the 188th Infantry Brigade (Fort Stewart GA).


In the US Army, he has received many awards which included two Meritorious Service Awards and seven Commendation Awards.  As a Senior Leader, he has 20 soldier members under his leadership.  His team is responsible for preparing units for deployment.  He assists in mobilizing and demobilizing 30,000-plus soldiers from across the country.  He also has trained soldiers in special areas when needed.


Curtis is involved with donating to children through his Miami Jackson High School Alumni Association.  He helps students attain scholarships.

Jupiter PO to be Named for Roy Rood

The House passed legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Tequesta, designating the U.S. Postal Service building at 401 Old Dixie Highway in Jupiter as the Roy Schallern Rood Post Office Building.

The Postal Service will coordinate and schedule a dedication ceremony in the near future.

Rood died last October at the age of 92.  He was the founder of Rood Landscape and helped to establish a number of northern Palm Beach County institutions, including the Jupiter Christian School, Grace Immanuel Bible Church, the Jupiter-Tequesta Kiwanis Club, the Jupiter American Legion post and the Jupiter-Tequesta Athletic Association.

Customer Contact Concierge Program At Your Service in Miami Post Offices

At a hotel, it’s a staff member who assists guests by handling the storage of luggage, taking and delivering messages, and making reservations for tours.

In France, it’s a caretaker who lives on the premises of an apartment or a hotel and oversees people entering and leaving the building, handles the mail, and provides janitorial services.

In the U.S. Postal Service, it’s the person or persons who take(s) ownership of a customer issue, focusing on the resolution to “close the loop.”  Gone are the days of “passing the buck.”  The new Customer Contact Concierge Program focuses on telephone and walk-in customers.  It’s all about “one and done” to improve customer satisfaction.

Have you ever called a company for information and the phone just rings and rings?  Have you ever walked into a store and been ignored … or the salesperson could not answer your question?

Jo Ann Feindt, Area Vice President, Southwest Area Operations, brought the program from the Great Lakes Area where it significantly increased customer satisfaction in a relatively short period of time.  Currently in South Florida, 22 Post Offices in Miami are participating in Phase 1.  These offices were selected based on the high volume of responses to the Customer Experience Measurement (CEM) survey and the most opportunity for improvement.  One EAS and one craft employee from each location enrolled in the program.  During training sessions, instructors reviewed procedures and specific job aids to ensure that consistent and accurate information is provided to the customer.