They Drove 2 Million Miles in 60 Years

L to R: Fort Lauderdale Main Office Carrier Annex Safety Captain George Hardy; Manager, Customer Service Operations Alex Sepulveda; Letter Carrier Jerry Fuller; Officer In Charge David Guiney and Letter Carrier Anthony Johnson. Photo: Kelly Worthman

Fort Lauderdale Officer In Charge David Guiney presented the National Safety Council's Million Mile Safe Driver Award to Letter Carriers Jerry Fuller and Anthony Johnson of the Fort Lauderdale Main Office Carrier Annex. Both Fuller and Johnson have over 30 years of driving without having a preventable accident. 

Multiple Sclerosis Can't Slow Down New York City Triathlon Competitor

Dalton, PA, Postmaster Tim Burke

Dalton, PA, Postmaster Tim Burke recently completed the New York City Triathlon —demonstrating again that multiple sclerosis can’t slow him down.

Burke, who was diagnosed with MS in 1998, regularly participates in races and endurance competitions.
In New York City, he finished the 1-mile swim, 26-mile bike race and 6.2-mile foot race in 3 hours, 22 minutes — burning almost 2,900 calories along the way.
“Pretty respectable for an old guy with MS,” he said.
Burke, who participated in the triathlon as a member of the National MS Society Team, hopes next to compete in a half-Ironman and eventually, a full Ironman competition.

Self Plus One: New FEHB Option

You’ll have a new option when choosing your health coverage during this year’s open season: Self Plus One.

If you’re currently enrolled in a Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) coverage plan, you’ve always had the option of choosing Self Only or Self and Family for your coverage.
Self Plus One offers coverage for you and one eligible family member that you designate, which can be your spouse or a child.
Self Plus One also may be a lower cost option when compared to Self and Family, if you have only one family member to put on your insurance.
Employees interested in switching to Self Plus One can do so during this year’s open season, which will be from November 9 - December 14. 
For more information, visit the LiteBlue Self Plus One site.

Hollywood 'Superstars' are Shining

L to R: Sales and Services Associates Jeraldine Schenck, Ronald Walsh, Julia Puerta and Hoi Chow of the University Postal Store were recognized for outstanding performance. Photo: Jean Auguste

The University Postal Store achieved failed Wait-Time-In-Line (WTIL) for Quarters 1 and 2 thanks to Sales and Services Associates (SSAs) Hoi Chow, Julia Puerta, Jeraldine Schenck, and Ronald Walsh. 

"I am so happy and proud to see the dedication and commitment from my Sales and Services Associates," said Hollywood Officer-In-Charge Phyllis Reed. "The University Postal Store is a very challenging office because it's a small retail unit with very heavy customer traffic." 

At the end of Quarter 2, Reed issued a challenge to all Hollywood offices: Earn 100% WTIL for Quarter 3 to earn recognition.

University Postal Store SSAs were quick to relay a message through Manager, Customer Services Shaqueta Blake that they were up for the challenge. This postal quarter, the team performed as promised. In Quarter 3, SSAs achieved two 100% Retail Customer Experience (RCE) scores. Currently, the team has scored 97% and 100% on two RCEs.

"These employees truly are my superstars," said Reed.

District Promotes Joe Gennaro to Safety Specialist Team Lead

Joe Gennaro

Plant Safety Specialist Joe Gennaro has been promoted to Safety Specialist Team Lead in the South Florida District.

Gennaro began his career as a casual mail handler in the Bethpage, NY, Priority Mail Processing Center (PMPC) in 2001. Later that year, he transferred to the letter carrier craft and also served as On-the-Job Instructor, Driver Instructor Examiner, and Letter Carrier Academy Instructor.

After graduating from the Associate Supervisor Program (ASP) in July 2005, Gennaro was promoted to Supervisor, Customer Services at the Associate Offices throughout the Long Island District. He also was certified as a Route Examiner, and later, served as a Customer Service Analyst and District Safety Specialist. After his Safety Specialist position was abolished in 2011, Gennaro and his family moved to South Florida where he became a Safety Specialist. He was promoted to Plant Safety Specialist in 2012. As Safety Specialist Team Lead, Gennaro will share his knowledge of various functional departments to streamline safety processes. 

Aug 12: Elvis is Back in the Building

Music fans attending the official First-Day-of-Issue ceremony for the Music Icons: Elvis Presley Forever stamp will hear a new version of Elvis’ inspiring song “If I Can Dream” as they’ve never heard it before.
Priscilla Presley will join Postmaster General Megan Brennan in the official First-Day-of-Issue stamp dedication ceremony at 8 a.m. CDT Wed., Aug. 12 at Graceland in Memphis as part of this year’s Elvis Week celebration. Customers can buy the stamps beginning at 12 a.m. Aug. 12 at a mobile Post Office that will be located outside the gate at Graceland. The public is encouraged to tweet about this news using #ElvisForever. The stamps will be available in Post Offices nationwide that day.
The U.S. Postal Service in conjunction with Sony Music’s RCA/Legacy Recordings will release an exclusive CD of 18 Presley hits titled ELVIS PRESLEY FOREVER which includes a new performance of “If I Can Dream” and an additional previously unreleased song. Fans can get ELVIS PRESLEY FOREVER for $9.99 at select Post Offices beginning August 12. Both the CD and the stamps can be pre-ordered here for delivery shortly after Aug. 12.
In early June, Postmaster General Megan Brennan announced that the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll™ will be immortalized on a stamp. The stamp image was previewed in early July. The stamps are part of the Postal Service’s “Music Icons” series, which feature 16 stamps in panes designed to suggest a classic 45 RPM record sleeve.

Caution: It's Back-to-School Season

By Charisse Nadal, Manager, Safety

As summer comes to end, the back-to-school season will be in full effect.  What does this mean for us? It means that traffic during the morning and afternoon hours will be much heavier. In addition, this means our postal vehicles will be sharing the roadways with school buses, child bicyclists, and child pedestrians. It is our job to be diligent and aware of our surroundings.

Most of the children that lose their lives in bus-related accidents are pedestrians, struck by a bus or a motorist attempting to pass a stopped bus. All 50 states have a law making it illegal to pass a school bus that is stopped to load or unload children. All 50 states require that traffic in both directions stop on undivided roadways when students are entering or exiting a school bus. Never pass a school bus on the right. It is illegal and could have tragic consequences.

Watch out for bikes coming out of driveways or from behind parked cars or other obstructions. Take extra precautions in school zones. When passing a bicyclist proceeding in the same direction, do so slowly and leave at least a distance between you and the bicycle of no less than three feet. If your vehicle is turning right and a bicyclist is approaching on the right, let the bicyclist go through the intersection first before making a right turn.

In most cases pedestrians have the right-of-way at all intersections. However, regardless of the rules, we as drivers are responsible to be attentive and avoid striking a pedestrian.

Drivers should not block the crosswalk when stopped at a red light or waiting to make a turn. In a school zone when a warning flasher or flashers are blinking, you must stop to yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within a marked crosswalk or at an intersection with no marked crosswalk.

Remember that children are unpredictable, making them more likely to take chances and ignore potential hazards.

USPS Honors Coast Guard 'Forever'

The U.S. Postal Service commemorated the U.S. Coast Guard on its 225th anniversary by dedicating a Forever stamp to honor its role in protecting the security of the nation and advancing vital maritime interests. 

The stamp dedication ceremony took place at the Coast Guard’s Douglas A. Munro Headquarters building, named after a World War II Medal of Honor recipient, in Washington, DC. Joining Postmaster General Megan Brennan were Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson and Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Paul Zukunft.

“The Coast Guard is truly a symbol of safety to all Americans. Those who live in a coastal community, or spend time on our waterways and shores, know that the Coast Guard does whatever it takes to ensure that they are safe and protected,” said Brennan.

The stamp shows two icons of the Coast Guard: the cutter Eagle, a three-masted sailing ship known as “America’s Tall Ship,” and an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter, the standard rescue aircraft of the Coast Guard. 

During an average day, Coast Guard personnel assist more than 300 people in distress, save more than $2 million in property, board 90 large vessels for port safety checks, conduct 120 law enforcement boardings, and investigate more than a dozen marine accidents.

The Coast Guard today has more than 49,000 active-duty men and women; 7,300 reservists; 8,300 civilian employees and 30,000 volunteer auxiliary personnel. In addition to saving lives at sea, members of the Coast Guard enforce maritime law, oversee aids to navigation, conduct icebreaking operations, protect the marine environment, respond to oil spills and water pollution, ensure port security, support scientific research at sea, combat terrorism and aid in the nation’s defense.

October 3: CBS to Air 'The Inspectors'

                      A video monitor shows Jessica Lundy of “The Inspectors.”

The Postal Inspection Service, one of the nation’s oldest law enforcement agencies, is getting its own television show.
CBS will air “The Inspectors” Saturdays at 10:30 a.m., beginning Oct. 3. The half-hour scripted drama is geared toward a general audience.
“‘The Inspectors’ is a story that allows us to have a vessel to teach the American public about … what an Inspector does day in and day out,” said Dave Morgan, the show’s creator.
The series stars Jessica Lundy as Postal Inspector Amanda Wainwright, who leads a team that focuses on consumer fraud and other postal crimes. Wainwright’s teenage son, Preston (Brett Green), works as an intern at the forensic crime lab.
“It’s so important for us to be accurate and to … educate the public on what it is they’re doing, which is a vital service to all of us,” said Lundy.
Each episode will conclude with a crime-prevention message from Chief Postal Inspector Guy Cottrell, delivered in the style of Efrem Zimbalist Jr. during the 1960s series “The F.B.I.”
“The Inspectors” grew out of the Consumer Alert News Network, a series of Postal Inspection Service consumer-awareness TV spots that began in 2012.

Presenting the 2015 Graduating Class

Employees will see some new faces on the district management team.

Graduates who completed the Postal Service’s 52-week training in the New Supervisory Program (NSP) include Tina Blount, Palms Central Annex; Carlisa Brannon, Margate Branch; Victor Collado, Flagler Station; Pedro Gonzalez, Deerfield Beach Post Office; Steve Maiorino, Haverhill Branch; Esteban Martinez, Tamarac Branch; Elizabeth Muniz, Coral Springs Branch; John Neal, Flamingo Branch; Neil Ricketts, Coconut Creek Postal Store; and Elouise Robinson, Carol City Branch.

A recent graduation ceremony included a luncheon in their honor. District Manager Jeffery Taylor, Pompano Beach Postmaster Ed Coppola, Joseph Croce, Manager, Post Office Operations, Fort Lauderdale Officer In Charge David Guiney, Manager, Human Resources Jann Miller, Hollywood Officer In Charge Phyllis Reed, Miami Postmaster Enrique Suarez, and West Palm Beach Officer In Charge Robert Weiser. All praised and thanked the graduates for their dedication to the program and their commitment to the district and the organization. Class Representative Steve Maiorino also gave encouraging words to his former classmates.

Father Marquess-Barry Says 'My Life is an Open Book' at PO Dedication

Father Richard Marquess-Barry thanks guests, including young men from the “5000 Role Model of Excellence Project,” for participating in this special occasion.

Story & Photos: Mirtha Uriarte, Miami Customer Relations Coordinator

“My life is an open book,” said Father Richard Marquess-Barry at a Post Office building dedication in his honor. “I have told my wife that when I die, I do not want a eulogy as I want all to know everything about me now while  I am still living. I’m hoping that I’ve left some footprints that my two grandsons can step in.”

On July 31, more than 150 family members, friends, government officials and community members gathered for the dedication ceremony at the Norland Post Office in Miami Gardens, FL. Miami Postmaster Enrique Suarez officiated with the Honorable Frederica S. Wilson, Member of Congress, 24th District of Florida, who introduced legislation to dedicate the facility and to Father Marquess-Barry, who was an ordained priest in the Episcopalian church for 39 years.

Eldest grandson, Richard Marquess-Barry II, spoke of his grandfather with esteem, being his mentor in life. He shared how his grandfather taught him love for his family and those in the community. He also encouraged him to cook and help others.

“I hope to make my grandfather proud of my journey in life as much as I am proud of his,” said Marquess-Barry II.   

In addition to family and friends were the Mayor, City of Miami Gardens Oliver G. Gilbert III who presented Father Marquess-Barry with a key to the city and a proclamation, Mayor Miami –Dade County Carlos Gimenez who also presented him with a proclamation, City of Opa Locka Mayor Myra Taylor, County Commissioner, District 1 Miami-Dade County Barbara Jordan, Senator Oscar Braynon II, Miami-Dade County School Board,  Dr. Wilbert Holloway, City Miami Gardens Councilwoman Lisa Davis and Councilwoman Lillie Odom.

More than 150 people attended the dedication of the Norland Post Office building to Father Richard Marquess-Barry.

 L to R: Miami, FL, Postmaster Enrique (Rick) Suarez poses with Father Richard Marquess-Barry in front of young men from the “5000 Role Model of Excellence Project” founded by Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson over 25 years ago.

City of Miami Gardens Mayor Oliver G. Gilbert III (left) presents the key to the city to Father Richard Marquess-Barry (right).

Father Richard Marquess-Barry smiles in admiration of his grandson’s speech on life’s lessons from his grandfather.

Father Richard Marquess-Barry (right) embraced by his grandson, Richard Marquess-Barry II, after his speech.

WSVN Channel 7 FOX interviews Father Richard Marquess-Barry.

Father Richard L. Marquess-Barry and City of Miami Gardens Mayor Oliver G. Gilbert III smile for a selfie to be updated to social media.

2 Miami GMF SSAs are Good as Gold

L-R: Marketing Manager Juan Nadal, Miami GMF SSA Briggett Glinton, Miami Postmaster Enrique (Rick) Suarez, Miami GMF SSA Wang Shu Lee, Manager, Customer Services Joel Marc, Manager, Customer Service Operations Rosalyn Bell-Mosley, Miami GMF SSA Irma Knighton, and Retail Manager Sue Walker.

By Sue Walker, Retail Manager

The South Florida Retail Office is rolling out the Retail Customer Experience (RCE) Gold Star Program, recognizing Sales and Service Associates (SSAs) who are performing outstanding customer service. SSAs who score 100% on an RCE shop will receive a lanyard with a Gold Star and a Certificate of Appreciation. 

The RCE Program is scored on how long the customer waits in line, HAZMAT, Product Offering, Product Explanation, Promo & Merchandising, Image and Overall Experience. Additionally, the SSA must also circle the POS Survey on the customer's receipt for a PERFECT score. A lot of emphasis is given to the overall customer experience, which is very important if we want to keep our customers coming back to the retail counter and conducting business with the USPS.  

SSA Bridgett Clinton and Wang Shu Lee of the Miami General Mail Facility Retail Unit both have earned two Gold Star Awards in FY15 and are the first to be recognized. This is a great accomplishment to have two SSAs at the same facility earning 100% PERFECT shops.  Congratulations to Briggett Glinton and Wang Shu Lee!  

In the upcoming weeks, the Retail Office is planning more station visits across the District to award SSAs who are providing excellent customer service.

October 24-25: Career Symposium

Feel stagnant at work?  Want to broaden your horizons? Plan now for a successful retirement?  Find the answers for these questions and much more by attending this year’s Career Symposium!  This year’s symposium promises to be our best one yet!  This event will be open to all South Florida employees from Fort Pierce to Key West and all locations in between! 

So, mark your calendars, and come and join us the evening of Saturday, October 24, for dinner, dancing and so much more!  And then get ready for an action-filled agenda on Sunday, October 25. The symposium will offer motivating and uplifting classes, networking opportunities, and career growth benefits.

So mark October 24-25 on your calendar and plan to attend! 

More information, including hotel location, to follow in the near future! See you at the symposium!

(Note: This is an off-the-clock activity.)

October 17: 'Race for the Cure'

                                                    2014 USPS Dream Team

This year marks the 20^th anniversary of the Susan G. Komen Miami/Fort Lauderdale Race for the Cure. Millions of dollars to fund the fight against breast cancer have been raised. You can join the USPS Dream Team on Saturday, October 17, 2015 at Bayfront Park in Miami. To register, visit http://www.komenmiamiftl.org/komen-race-for-the-cure. (Note: Participation is an off-the-clock activity.)