Women's History in Royal Palm Beach

Story & Photos By Gale  Jackson, West Palm Beach Customer Relations Coordinator

In celebration of Women’s History Month, an off-the-clock luncheon attended by management and craft employees in 334/349 areas was held at the Golden Corral in Royal Palm Beach, FL.

Karen Alleyne Means, Editor in Chief and Publisher of “Her Life” magazine was the guest speaker.   Means delivered a powerful expression of her life’s struggles with cancer which resulted in a double mastectomy, losing her corporate job, and dealing with her husband losing his corporate position soon after.   Means told the group “I was self-taught. I didn’t know the business but learned it along the way.  “My message to all of you is, if I accomplished all of this through adversity, you can do it, too!” 

“I was so inspired by her message,” said Gayle Jones, Training Technician, West Palm Beach.  “We all have our problems and hearing her story lets me know I can move forward and accomplish big things despite what I may be going through.”

Attendees included Procurement Clerk Mary Ayers, Palm Beach Postmaster Patricia Copeland, Supervisor, Customer Service Suzette James, Training Technician Gayle Jones, Labor Relations Specialist Jane Dilisio, Postmaster’s Administrative Assistant Elaine Gusse, Supervisor, Customer Support Leslie Miller, and Jupiter Postmaster Laconnia Watkins.

Postal Forum: 'Stronger Together'

Miami-Dade County Postal Customer Council Treasurer Cathy Brewer of Franklin Dodd Communications and PMG/CEO Patrick R. Donahoe take a moment to pose for the camera at the 2014 National Postal Forum.

By Mirtha Uriarte, Miami Customer Relations Coordinator

The 2014 National Postal Forum was held at the Gaylord National Hotel & Convention Center located minutes from downtown Washington DC.   The Forum, which took place on March 16-19, attracted many USPS executives and industry professionals who attended educational seminars and workshops.  They also had a great opportunity to network.

Miami-Dade County attendees included Miami Postmaster Enrique M. Suarez; Miami-Dade Postal Customer Council Treasurer Cathy Brewer, Franklin Dodd Communications LLC; Tony Issa, CEO/President of Daimner Fleet; and Steve Moreno, CEO, SKM Media Group.  

After the Forum, Miami-Dade County PCC members participated in a local telecon to hear firsthand news from Forum attendees.  Links to Forum presentations also were provided. In addition, Acting Manager, Marketing Arlene Sanchez, Business Service Network Specialist Iliana Valdes, and Sr. Sales Executive Helene Diaz answered questions.

Stamp is Jeopardy! Clue on April 2

A stamp will be featured as a Jeopardy! clue on the episode airing Wednesday, April 2. The stamp will feature a famous female tennis player who set many firsts in her sport.  Know the answer? Tune in to see if you’re right. Check local listings for time and station.

New MOPS is Janice Atherly

Janice Atherly, Manager, Delivery and Customer Service Programs, has been promoted to Manager, Operations Programs Support.  She had been detailed to this position in the South Florida District the past 10 months.

As Manager, Operations Programs Support, Janice reports directly to District Manager Jeffery A. Taylor.  She will be administratively and operationally responsible for more than 100 employees, including three managers who report to her.  Her responsibilities are managing the development and programs for address management, delivery, retail, and vehicle maintenance to ensure that 187 Post Offices from Fort Pierce to Key West are in compliance with national policies.  Atherly also monitors operational performance and recommends changes to improve overall production to senior postal leadership, as well as managers in field offices throughout the district.

 “Janice brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this position on the district leadership team,” said District Manager Jeffery A. Taylor.  “Please join me in wishing Janice continued success in her career.”

Money DOES Grow on Trees! Employee Engagement = Revenue

By Ellen Uptgrow, Business Development Specialist

The Southern Area has developed a new Employee Engagement Program (EEP) recognition campaign titled the FY 14 “Revenue Tree.” This program is designed to encourage Area-wide participation for EEPs by continuing to support current small business based customers, while expanding the reach to new business customers with the intent to achieve overall program revenue and employee participation.

Each District will receive one Money Tree Plaque. Districts will receive one magnetic dollar sign token to place on their money tree plaque for every 10 percent increase in total revenue achieved. Districts achieving the greatest revenue percent increment increase will be identified each Quarter by the Southern Area Marketing Manager and Controller. District performance will be monitored weekly using Business Connect Data Center reports.

At the end of Quarter 1, South Florida District earned five dollar sign tokens for generating estimated annualized revenue of $6,468,943 for EEPs.

Thanks to the employees listed below that submitted leads that resulted in achieving our Quarter 1 revenue:

Business Connect (Postmasters, Managers/Supervisors, Customer Service)  

Boca Raton Post Office:  Richard Boyle - $34,749; Carlos Rodon - $41,600
Boynton Beach Main Office:  Jordan Beabout - $76,298
Coral Springs Branch:  Rose Mannisto - $11,699; Ricardo Veiga - $1,961,869
Dania Post Office:  Paul Lopez - $781,050
Deerfield Beach Post Office:  Wilfred Belanger - $43,680 

Doral Branch:  Jeannette Burgos - $1,455,000

Flagler Station:  Rosalyn Bell-Mosley - $150,000
Jensen Beach Post Office:  Peter Torres - $624

Lake Worth Main Office:  Floyd Pierce - $6,500 
Loxahatchee Main Office:  Edith Roundtree - $480
Midport Station:  Patrick Cowley - $42,660

Olympia Heights Branch:  Lawrence Rogers - $572

Palmetto Lakes Branch:  Gelcys Peraza - $401,024

Palms Central Station:  Cynthia Mercy - $1,600
Promenade Branch:  Virginia McGinnity - $1,473 

West Carrier Annex:  Emelinda Ortega - $652,512

West Palm Beach Main Office:  Louise Warner - $17,925
Woodlands Station:  Joann Augustin - $23,296

Customer Connect (City Carriers)

Bright Station:  Joanne Preston - $17,160
Boca Rio Branch:  Vukko Russo - $1,920; Liane Wright - $58,884
Carol City Branch:  Gloria Murray - $548

Hollywood Post Office:  Candido Perez - $320

Miami Gardens Branch:  Herbert Tomas - $960
Miramar Branch:  Teresa Evans - $1,818
Orange Avenue Station:  David R. Skinner Jr. - $5

Palms Central Branch:  Starr L. Hunter - $12,600
Plantation Branch:  Nina Mahle - $260; Cynthia Toney-Brown - $5,340; Stephanie Williams - $4,681
Stuart Post Office:  Kevin Byrne - $10

Sunrise Branch:  Mary P. Davis - $1,423

Tropical Reef Station:  Dean Robaina - $8,580
Weston Branch:  Thomas Lopresti - $25,688

Rural Reach (Rural Letter Carriers)

Coconut Creek Branch:  Orlando Blanco - $488,130
Islamorada Post Office:  Candy Brady - $2,288 
Port Saint Lucie Main Office:  Colleen Curry - $30,979

Summerland Key Post Office:  Ronald Morgan - $15 

Submit-A-Lead (Plant Operations/Support Services/Administrative Employees)

Boca Rio Branch:  Lori Cangemi - $1,872

Hialeah Main Office:  Pedro Couso - $250
Snapper Creek Branch:  Edwin Hernandez - $4,280

Clerks Care & Mail Handlers

Boynton Beach Main Office:  Rose Pierce - $728

Riviera Beach: Tennis, Anyone?

Riviera Beach Post Office employees purchased and donated three dozen tennis balls to students at John F. Kennedy Middle School, which is located next door to the Post Office. Students were losing tennis balls when hitting them over the fence and inadvertently onto postal grounds. The school expressed concerns over the lost tennis balls, which prompted the Riviera Beach Post Office to get into the game. Manager, Customer Service Pablo Estupinan received a handwritten note from Coach Clara Knight on behalf of the middle school students, thanking the following postal employees for their generous donation: Distribution Clerks Lisa Kerr, Jerry Ponce, Sharon Shufford and Kevin Young; Retail Associates Bernice Branch, Chris Medvetz, Maura Norris and Kevin Smith; Acting Supervisors, Customer Service Lavon Barnett and Tia Odum; Supervisor, and Customer Service Jackie Brady-Sager.

Lights! Camera! Action! in Hallandale

Gladys Cowan, Lead Sales and Services Associate at the Golden Isles Postal Store in Hallandale FL sells stamps to KidVision host Penny Bernath and children starring in the production.  Photo:  Bobbie Sims

Lights!  Camera!  Action!   Three Hallandale employees were cast in starring roles in a virtual online tour of the Post Office!
WPBT Channel 2’s production crew videotaped delivery and retail operations at the Hallandale Post Office and Golden Isles Postal Store to provide pre-kindergarten teachers and students nationwide an online virtual tour of the U.S. Postal Service.  The production featured Gladys Cowan, Lead Sales and Services Associate, Golden Isles Postal Store; William Johnston, Letter Carrier, Hallandale Post Office; and Bobbie Sims, Officer-In-Charge, Hallandale Post Office.
KidsVision makes learning Florida’s Early Learning and Developmental Standards for four-year-olds lively and fun for everyone. Educational and entertaining virtual field trips --- including today’s postal visits --- establish meaningful learning opportunities that are extended into the classroom through hands-on lesson plans and student assessments for pre-kindergarten teachers.
In addition to Cowan, Johnson, and Sims, those in a supporting role and/or behind-the-scene production members included Lillian Castro, Program Manager, Communications Ambassador Program; Joseph Croce, Manager, Post Office Operations; Kenneth Edwards, City Carrier Assistant, Hallandale Post Office; Debra Fetterly, Communications Programs Specialist; Ivan Mitchell, Custodian, Golden Isles Postal Store, and Arlene Sanchez, Acting Manager, Marketing.
At the end of the video, the WPBT host reminded viewers to “keep mailing those cards, letters, and packages through the U.S. Postal Service!”