Monday, March 9, 2015

Megan Brennan Becomes 74th PMG

The U.S. Postal Service will embrace change and aggressively pursue new business opportunities, Postmaster General Manager Megan Brennan said during her installation ceremony March 6.
“The story of the Postal Service is really about change. It’s about an organization that is continually changing and improving to better serve the American public,” Brennan said.
To achieve its goals, USPS will provide employees with more flexibility and better tools to serve customers. The PMG also called for new investment in infrastructure and improved operational efficiencies through better use of data and technology.
USPS also will repurpose facilities and improve processes, and it will invest in new vehicles and package sorting equipment, Brennan said.
Other priorities include using analytics to help grow the package business and developing strategies to improve customer service.
Brennan, the first woman to serve as PMG, said she’s witnessed “tremendous improvement” in the USPS over the years and cited employees as the source of the organization’s resilience.
“When I visit our facilities and meet with employees, I see it everywhere and at every level, and it’s the strength of our organization. We have an incredibly talented and dedicated workforce, and this should give us all confidence in our future.”


PMG Megan J. Brennan
Installation Ceremony Remarks 3/6/15

Thank you, Governor Giuliano.  I appreciate your kind words.

Good afternoon everyone.  Thank you for being here, and thanks to those of you who are watching from afar.

Today is a very special day for me.  It’s the culmination of a career working for a treasured institution that continues to connect every American. 

As employees, we take pride in the mission of the Postal Service.  We all feel a sense of ownership about the mission of the organization, and we are all invested in its future. 
This shared pride in our mission is one of the things that makes taking the oath today so special. 

I would like to take a few minutes to recognize and thank some of the people attending today––including my family, friends, and many of my colleagues who have supported me over the years.

As my sister Erin mentioned, I have a number of family members who are here today….and we definitely qualify as a postal family. 

In fact, my family has worked for a combined 125 years for the Postal Service.

Let me tell you how I arrived at that number.

I’m in my 29th year of service.

My Dad––who encouraged me to take the Postal exam––devoted 43 years to the Postal Service.  He claims it took him 11 years to become a regular… My Dad worked night shift while his 6 kids were young.  He always impressed upon us the importance of hard work, showing up and showing up on time. He and my mom made countless sacrifices for our family--Thank you Dad.

My oldest brother Kevin, who taught me more about rural delivery than anyone, served his customers on RD2, in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, for more than 36 years.   We miss him to this day. My younger brother Brian walks a city route in Ashland, Pennsylvania, and has nearly 17 years of service. And my sister Erin insisted that I mention her days as a casual when she was a student at Penn State University. 

My Mom never worked for the Postal Service; however, she did work for a number of years in the mailroom at the Schuylkill County Courthouse ...

So we talk a lot about mail in my family…

I am grateful that my LARGE family could be here today.  My brothers and sisters, my brothers & sisters-in-law, my nieces, my nephew, my cousins, and lifelong friends––
All have been there for me throughout my career––both literally and figuratively.  I say “literally” because they’ve physically helped me move seven times during my career––and I know a couple of them secretly hoped I would just stay put. Thank you all….for all of your help and support.

I want to acknowledge and thank my two immediate predecessors––former Postmasters General Pat Donahoe and Jack Potter. At every point in my career, I’ve had great mentors and learning experiences.  Both Pat and Jack epitomize that role of mentor and leader.  Thank you for your support and guidance over the years.

I also want to thank Governor Louis Giuliano for his wise counsel and for always challenging the team to improve process. I’ve also had the pleasure of working closely with our other Board members.  Our Board is committed to our organization, our employees, and our  long-term success. I appreciate their confidence in me, and I look forward to working with them in the coming years.

I am also pleased to recognize our Union and Management Association Presidents in attendance today including Mark Dimondstein, President of the American Postal Workers Union; Jeanette Dwyer, President of the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association; John Hegarty, National President of the National Postal Mail Handlers Union; Fred Rolando, President of the National Association Letter Carriers; Louis Atkins, President, National Association of Postal Supervisors; and Sean Accord, President of the National League of Postmasters of the United States. I appreciate the work you do representing postal employees.   I look forward to working closely with you to shape a stronger future for the Postal Service.

I’m also pleased to recognize our Postal Regulatory Commissioners: (Acting) Chairman Robert Taub; and Commissioners Mark Acton, Ruth Goldway, Tony Hammond, and Nancy Langley. Our Inspector General, David Williams and our Industry partners. I look forward to working with all of you.  Thank you for being here.

I also want to acknowledge my postal colleagues.  I am fortunate to work with such a capable and committed Officer Corps lead by our Executive Leadership Team––Ron Stroman, Jim Cochrane, Joe Corbett, Nagisa Manabe, Tom Marshall, Dave Williams, and Jeff Williamson.   Thank you for being such a great team.

A special thank you to our Operations team––our Area Vice Presidents, our Area and District Leadership teams, and the HQ Operations Vice Presidents and team. 

Finally, I‘d like to thank some people who couldn't be here in the room with us today––and there are more than 600,000 of them–our employees. Our employees do great work every day.  They serve every community in America, visiting every business and residence, and they do so with pride in our mission. They make the Postal Service such a resilient, reliable, and trusted organization. When I visit our facilities and meet with employees, I see it everywhere and at every level, and it’s the strength of our organization. We have an incredibly talented and dedicated workforce, and this should give us all confidence in our future. 

The Postal Service is part of the fabric of our shared history and culture.  We’re an indispensable part of the American economy and the everyday lives of the public. There is a permanence to our mission and the enduring role we play in serving the nation. 

However, the story of the Postal Service is really about change.  It’s about an organization that is continually changing and improving to better serve the American public. 

As the first woman Postmaster General, I’m representative of the many changes in the composition of our workforce. Over a twenty-nine year career, I’ve seen tremendous improvement with regard to opportunity and removing barriers for advancement.

The Postal Service is a very different organization in so many ways:  the way we leverage the talents and skills of our workforce, the way we use technology, the way we develop products and services, and how we compete for customers.

People communicate in ways today that no one could have anticipated 30 years ago, and the pace of change in our economy, our marketplace, and our society will only accelerate in the future. The challenge for the Postal Service is to embrace a faster pace of change, to aggressively pursue opportunities, and to constantly improve our competitiveness. 

The market for delivery services is changing dramatically. Technology and geo-spatial information are driving new business models and compelling innovations in delivery services. These changes in technology and in the marketplace are good for the Postal Service.  

New technology platforms will do more than create business opportunities; they will enable the Postal Service to revitalize how we engage the American public and fulfill our public service mission. This is especially true as we create more compelling ways of integrating mail and package delivery into the digital lives of our customers. As we pursue integration of the physical and digital, we will enable the business partners that use our delivery platform to be far more effective in achieving their business goals. 

It’s an exciting time to be in the mail and package delivery business; we are well- positioned to shape growth opportunities for our industry and American commerce. The key to improving our competitiveness and our prospects for growth is to continually invest in our future. We will invest in the development of our people to fully leverage their talents. 
We will provide them with greater flexibility and better tools to best serve our customers. We will invest in our infrastructure.  We are going to improve the efficiency of our operations by investing in better use of data and technology. We will invest in our network by repurposing facilities and improving processes to better align with customer needs.  We are also going to invest in new package sorting equipment and a new vehicle fleet. 

We are investing in the future of the Postal Service.  We will encourage a similar commitment among the industries we serve, and among policymakers and other stakeholders.
 
One of the most important steps we can take to invest in our future is a focus on speed-to-value through innovation and use of data, particularly in our core business of delivery. 
Going forward, it is critical that in an increasingly digital world, our products stay relevant.
Given the rapid changes in the world, we know that the way we serve today’s customer is not going to be adequate to meet the needs of tomorrow’s consumer. 

To shape the best possible future for the Postal Service:

We will continue to improve service and customer satisfaction at every point of contact.

We will work closely with our customers to develop technology and growth strategies collaboratively.

We will create the most efficient and technology-centric delivery platform in the world.

We will use best in class technologies to drive product and process improvements, and to speed innovation.

We will aggressively pursue marketplace opportunities.

And, we will invest in our future by investing in our employees, our processes, and infrastructure.

And, with your help, I am confident that we will remain valued at every American residence…….and a trusted resource to every American business far into the future.

Let me conclude by thanking all of the men and women who choose to work for the Postal Service.

There are few organizations that provide as much service to the public and are so well regarded in every community. That’s a testament to our employees and their constant commitment and dedication to our customers.  

I look forward to serving as your Postmaster General.

Thank you very much for your support.

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