Megan J. Brennan, the nation’s 74th
Postmaster General, will conclude her 34-year career with USPS on June 12.
Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan will retire June 12,
concluding a five-year tenure marked by significant improvements to the quality
and range of the delivery services that USPS provides to the American public.
Brennan, the 74th Postmaster General and the first woman to
serve in the role, focused sharply on serving customers and leveraging the
talents of the Postal Service’s 633,000 employees — strategies that allowed the
organization to drive commerce, bind the nation and continue its 244-year
tradition of delivering to every address.
“As Postmaster General, Megan Brennan has been an inspiration to
her colleagues in the Postal Service. Her leadership skills helped guide the
institution through exceptionally challenging circumstances, and her vision
helped speed the pace of innovation and deliver process improvements throughout
the organization,” said Robert M. “Mike” Duncan, chairman of the USPS Board of
Governors.
With Brennan at the helm, the Postal Service’s annual revenue
grew from $68 billion in 2015 to $71 billion in 2019. Reflecting the growth in
online shopping, annual shipping and packages revenue grew 51.3 percent during
the same period, reaching $22.8 billion, while volume grew by 35.8 percent to 6
billion packages a year.
Under Brennan’s leadership, USPS
leveraged technology and data to enhance customers’ experiences, improve
service and power the business. Throughout her tenure, the organization
consistently topped public opinion polls, including a Pew Research Center
survey last fall that found more Americans trust the Postal Service than
any other government agency, and a Harris poll this month that ranked USPS
first in the nation in its response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Brennan guided the organization
through the introduction of several innovations, including Informed Delivery, a
free feature that allows almost 27 million consumers to digitally preview their
incoming mail, as well as Informed Visibility, a platform that allows
businesses to use USPS data to better manage their marketing campaigns. Several
of these innovations are highlighted in “The Eagle Always Faces Forward,” a
2018 video that Brennan described as one of her favorites.
The Postal Service also established Customer Experience, a group
within the organization that drives customer-centric strategies and
initiatives. Other achievements focused on the USPS workforce, including safety
improvements; expanded professional development offerings such as Analytics
University; and the introduction of HERO, an online portal that offers improved
access to training and career development resources.
Brennan also navigated a changing
public policy landscape as the volume of mail continually declined amid the
growth in online communications. She and her executive team testified eight times
before Congress on a variety of issues, including postal reform legislation and
combatting illegal drugs in the mail.
The Postmaster General also led
multiple informational meetings with congressional leaders to secure a broad
consensus on key postal reforms, helping to move legislation forward.
Additionally, Brennan worked with the
administration and the U.S. Department of State to negotiate fair rates for
the international shipping of mail and packages, which allowed USPS to remain
in the Universal Postal Union. Under her leadership, the Postal Service also
worked with law enforcement to improve the process to detect illicit drugs in
international inbound packages.
Other achievements included leading
the Postal Service’s response to natural disasters, including hurricanes,
tornadoes and wildfires. USPS also received an outpouring of public support
during the coronavirus pandemic, when the organization continued normal
operations, including delivering medicine and other supplies to homebound
customers.
Brennan, who announced her retirement last fall, began her
career as a letter carrier in Lancaster, PA, in 1986. She later served as vice
president of both Eastern Area and Northeast Area and chief operating officer
before becoming Postmaster General in 2015.
“Every day, in every community, the
Postal Service demonstrates its value, earns the trust of the public, enables
commerce, connects people to each other, strengthens the ties that bind the
nation together, and exhibits the spirit and mission of service, just as we
have throughout our storied history. These enduring qualities give me
confidence in the future, and great pride to have shared a career with the men
and women of the Postal Service,” Brennan wrote in her farewell message to
employees this week.
“To each of you I offer my abiding admiration and deepest
thanks.”
