Gulf Atlantic District Retirements

Jacksonville FL -- Jill Beechly

Seventeen years ago, Jill Beechly answered a newspaper ad for someone with management experience.  That was beginning of her career with the Postal Service as an Associate Supervisor in Jacksonville FL. 

Since that time, Beechly has held numerous positions including Supervisor, Distribution Operations, TACS Ambassador, Attendance Control Supervisor, and more. 

Recently, the entire staff of Human Resources joined Human Resources Manager Sylvia Morris and Manager, Health & Resource Management Carolyn Ballou to bid a happy but reluctant farewell to Jill Beechly, HRM Specialist, as she embarked on the next phase of life in retirement. 

“Now it’s my time to ‘early bird’, so – look out!  I’m pulling my case down”, stated Jill as said her good-byes.

Townsend GA -- Patty Chambers

Celebration of Patty Chambers retirement included left to right 1st row:   Rural Carrier Associate Brandy Hawthorne,  Rural Carrier Annette Belt, Postmaster Carla Cheek,  Rural Carrier Patty Chambers  (retiring with 26 years),  Sales & Service Distribution Associate Nikki Campbell,  RCA Cathy Bailey, and back row,  RCA  Pamela King.

Georgia communication ambassadors certified

The Gulf Atlantic District has recently certified seven Georgia Communication Ambassadors in Phase Four of the district's peer-to-peer communication program.

They include (left to right)  Lead Communication Ambassador and Acting Customer Relations Coordinator Dee Carter, Brunswick GA City Carrier Terry Hennecke, Waycross GA City Carrier Rachel Gilbert , Hinesville/Fort Stewart Sales and Service Distribution Associate Antoinette Chappell, St. Simons/Jekyll, Sea Island Laborer Custodian Ann Simms, Valdosta GA Lead Sales & Service Association Deidre Stacks, Valdosta GA Mail Processing Clerk Wayne Chism, Douglas GA Building Maintenance Custodian Jack Chaney of Douglas and CRC/Lead Communication Ambassador Amy Escobar.

The ambassadors engage their co-workers through standup talks and dialogue to share information about the Postal Service and customer service issues.

They also establish communication boards at their work locations and solicit feedback from their peers.

Thanks for your help keeping communication lines open within our organization.

Columbus GA, Gainesville FL carriers top one million safe miles

Six letter carriers from the Columbus GA and Gainesville FL Main Offices have racked up one million safe driving miles over their Postal careers.

The U.S. Postal Service and the National Safety Council have teamed up to promote and ensure the safety and health of the USPS workforce nationwide.

As one of the members stated when presented with this milestone, "It's been a long haul but I did it."
As a long-standing member of the National Safety Council, USPS has established an agreement with the Council that entitles all facilities to take advantage of member benefits to prevent unintentional injury and illness.

Eligible Postal employee participants of the Safe Driver Award Program include those who have a normal daily assignment that involves the driving of a motor vehicle for official business use, and who have not had their driving privilege revoked or suspended.

Columbus GA

Georgia Acting Manager Post Office Operations Roberto Farias presented each new member of the Million Mile Club with a plaque to commemorate their accomplishments.

Pictured L to R: are carriers Leonard Valero, Robert Dasinger, Linda Morris,
Gary Wilbourn and (A) MPOO 4 Roberto Farias.

Gainesville FL

In Gainesville pictured are (left to right):  Manager Post Office Opeations Ronald Farnsworth, City Carrier Carl Hillman City, Rural Carrier Diane Matchett, Gainesville Officer In Charge Matt Connelly OIC (behind Diane), and Blair Beaty (A) Manager Customer Service.

Vienna GA Postmaster reaches 30 years service

 
Vienna, GA Postmaster Tim Rutherford recently reached 30 years of Postal service.
Rutherford began his Postal career as a PTF carrier in Cordele GA. 

He was promoted to Superintendent of Postal Operations in 1990 and Postmaster of Vienna, GA in 1994 where he remains to this day.

Rutherford also served as the OIC of Adel, Cordele, Cochran and Hawkinsville and acting MPOO for the North Florida District as well as serving on many Function 4, City Route Examiner and DPS implementation teams. 

He is actively involved in his community and has been married for 31 years to wife Jean. They have 2 daughters; Kasi and Taylor,  and 2 grandchildren; Bo and Tucker.

Augusta Post Office and P&DC celebrate successful CFC campaign

The Augusta Post Offices/Processing and Distribution Facility completed their campaign with a grand total of $12,433 for this year’s campaign.  

Four employees gave at the Super Hero level like the do every year.   

Each and every donation whether it is $2 or $25 per  pay period is appreciated .  

Each dollar helps feed the hungry, helps our wounded warriors, helps with cancer research or even the Postal Relief Fund helps our fellow employees.

Way to go, Augusta!!!

Three Florida Post Offices achieve 10th straight RCE perfect score

Congratulations to the Homosassa Springs, Lecanto and Ocala Maricamp Post Offices for recently achieving their "10 in a Row Award" in Retail Customer Experience (RCE).
 

In Homosassa Springs FL employees were congratulated by Marketing Manager Lucious Sumlar along with Postmaster Richard Moody, Supervisor Lawrence Ogle, and MPOO Ron Farnsworth.

In Lecanto, FL employees were congratulated by Marketing Manager Lucious Sumlar along with MPOO Ron Farnsworth and Postmaster Mark Latocki.

At Ocala FL Maricamp Station,  employees were congratulated by Marketing Manager Lucious Sumlar along with MPOO Ron Farnsworth, Station Manager Douglas Clark Station Manager and Ocala OIC Noah Escobar.


RCE gives the Postal Service an objective view of our retail locations.

It can be used as a real-time snapshot of a customer interaction. It is not just about the score.
It is even more important that the results drive changes in behavior that will result in improved customer satisfaction and increased retail revenue.

The attributes measured in the Mystery Shopper program should become so commonplace to our everyday performance that if the program were to end tomorrow, it would not change the customer's retail experience in any way.

Mystery shoppers record how long they spent in line, how the retail unit looked, how courteous the retail associates were, and other details about their visit.

District opens three Georgia Village Post Offices--Manor, Millwood and Rebecca

As part of a commitment to rural America, the Postal Service is recruiting businesses across the country to open a Village Post Office.  Recently, three Village Post Offices were opening in Manor, Millwood and Rebecca all in Georgia.

Established within communities in rural America, Village Post Offices (VPOs) are operated by small business owners and provide essential postal services including stamp purchase, mail and delivery pickup, P.O. Box rentals and flat rate shipping options.

Currently, there are more than 500 VPOs established nationwide since the program's inception in July 2011.

Ideal locations for Village Post Offices include convenient stores, banks, hardware stores, gas stations, libraries, town halls or government centers.

"Establishing a Village Post office is a win-win situation for customers and small business owners in rural communities," said Gulf Atlantic District Manager Charley Miller at ribbon-cutting ceremonies.

"Customers can benefit from the additional access to postal products and services at convenient locations with expanded hours and weekend service."

According to Miller, small businesses can benefit from the potential for greater sales with added foot traffic, annual monetary compensation from Postal Service and community appreciation.

The Postal Service has made it easy for small businesses to open a Village Post Office within 60 days

After a quick approval process, the Postal Service will order supplies and signage.

USPS will cover the cost of the signage and supplies that include P.O. Boxes, display stands, and mailing packages.

A Postal Service representative will then train business owners and store clerks about how to run a Village Post Office.

Rural communities with an existing Post Office can benefit from the establishment of a Village Post Office .

The Postal Service is conducting thousands of public meetings in rural communities across the country, presenting a new way to preserve local Post Offices by modifying window service hours.

Those communities can also benefit from a Village Post Office with extended service hours at convenient locations where they can purchase other household products or services.

Manor GA VPO

Millwood GA VPO

Employees honored for longtime service to USPS

Sandersonville GA
Postmaster Judy Miller--30 years

Judy Miller started as a PTF clerk/carrier in Sparta GA in October 1983.  She was promoted to Postmaster position in 1986 in Oconee GA, followed by Postmaster of Haddock GA, Irwinton GA, Tennille GA (for 16 plus years) and came to Sandersville in 2010. She also OIC'ed in Hawkinsville, Louisville and Perry GA during these years. 

According to Judy, the only thing she's been at longer than the Post Office is being married to her husband, Ricky, of almost 36 years.


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Lizella GA
Postmaster Dion Corbin--25 years

Lizella Postmaster Dion Corbin started in 1988  as a PTF clerk in mail processing  and was quickly selected for management positions.

He has been a supervisor mail processing, superintendent of stations and branches in Macon, Supervisor Customer Services Macon Main Post Office, retail analyst for retail operations, an Officer-in-Charge in  Gordon GA and Hardwick GA, a station manager at the Zebulon Post Office and set down roots as the Postmaster of Lizella, GA. 

Two Georgia Postmasters assume new positions

Manager, Post Office Operations Angela Collier has welcomed Sandra Spoon as the new Rentz GA Postmaster.

Spoon was Remotely Managed Post Office (RMPO) Postmaster in Dublin GA.

She started her career with the Postal Service in 1998 as Postmaster Relief (PMR) in Scotland GA and was the Officer-in-Charge of that office several times until she was the successful applicant for the Rentz position.

 

Collier also welcomed new Chester GA Postmaster Brittany Malott.

Malott  began as a PMR in Chester, GA in 2012 and became OIC of the office later that month. 

While working as the OIC she was selected for a detail assignment to assist the Headquarters Retail Systems Software team by drawing informational cartoons for the Retail Digest. 

She became Postmaster of Chester last September.

She is pictured with Chester Mayor Charles Parker who witnessed her Postmaster Oath of Office. The second picture is a copy of some of her work for HQ.

Juliette GA celebrates romance on Valentine’s Day; Hundreds of customers seek special postmark

For the 21st consecutive year, the Juliette, Georgia and Romeo, Michigan Post Offices will continue their celebrated alliance which offers the country and parts of the world a unique dual Valentine’s Day pictorial cancellation that features the theme of  Romeo and Juliet.

Hopeless romantics can have their valentine cards cancelled in Juliette, Georgia with this year’s official dual pictorial cancellation postmark. The cancellation highlights a silhouette of sweethearts expressing their love for the holiday.  This same unique cancellation will be applied on letters mailed in Romeo, Michigan.

SSA Ashley Futch (left) and Officer-in-Charge Sylvia Williams in Juliette GA
work hard to help customers with special Valentine's postmarks

"We have received hundreds of letters for the special Romeo and Juliette postmark. Many include notes of how they heard about the program or how much it means to them that we are still doing it," said Sales and Service Associate Ashley Futch.

"One man in Lindsborg, KS wrote a letter saying he has been mailing away his wife’s Valentines for 20 years, this being their 20th year of his doing so.  Judson Lusher mailed a letter with the newspaper clipping from February 8, 1999, and has kept it all these years," said Futch. "He first participated in 2003 and is looking forward to surprising his wife again some 10 years later."

Futch says they are also receiving many requests from outside the United States, as far away as China.

 

To receive this special cancellation, enclose your stamped, addressed valentines in a larger envelope, and mail to:

Romeo and Juliette Valentine Cancellation
Postmaster
356 Bowdoin Rd.
Juliette GA 31046-9998

Mail-in requests must be postmarked no later than 30 days following the actual pictorial postmark date. In addition, please allow normal mailing time standards in order to guarantee timely delivery before Valentines Day.

Each year the Valentines Day cancellation receives an estimated four thousand letters for cancellation from 36 states and more than 200 cities in the United States. The cancellation also has international demand from Italy, France, and Japan. We have been interviewed live on radio stations in Seattle Washington, Sarnia Ontario, and BBC Radio in London England.

Post Office staffs bicycle station in White Springs: Historical postmarks now available

Reprinted from Suwannee Democrat

White Springs Postmaster Kim Chandler (left), visiting Postmaster Pam Pettijohn (right), and Retail Specialist Veronica Chesser volunteered Jan. 25 to staff the Suwannee Bicycle Association (SBA) Station at the Heritage Center in White Springs. The innovative marketing event was the first in the town's "White Springs Pictorial Postmark Promotion Program" for 2014.

"The purpose of the Pictorial Postmark program is to promote our regional eco-tourism and cultural heritage in Hamilton, Columbia and Suwannee counties,” said White Springs Mayor Helen Miller. “The Suwannee Bicycle Association's 20th annual IDIDARIDE was an excellent event to highlight for our first pictorial postmark. The IDIDARIDE covers a 50 mile off road course," Miller added.

"We appreciate Kim, Pam and Victoria volunteering to staff the Suwannee Bicycle Association Station at the Nature & Heritage Center for the IDIDARIDE,” Miller continued. “This special postmark will be available for the next 30 days. We invite everyone to bring their mail to the White Springs post office and ask Pam to apply the IDIDARIDE pictorial postmark. It will become a collector's item."

Although the USPS has very specific requirements for pictorial postmarks, it's a process that is readily available to all communities who wish to promote their eco-tourism and cultural heritage events and festivals. Miller went on to say that the community acknowledges and appreciates the contributions of Austin, Texas based graphic artist Manda Maloney for her excellent design of the IDIDARIDE postmark, as well as the pictorial planned for February.

February's pictorial postmark will celebrate White Springs' 7th year as the first Gateway Community of the Florida Trail Association (FTA).

The SBA is a not-for-profit member association headquartered in downtown White Springs on Bridge Street next to the historic Adams Brothers County Store. The IDIDARIDE is SBA's premier event held every year in January.


"The purpose of the Pictorial Postmark program is to promote our regional eco-tourism and cultural heritage in Hamilton, Columbia and Suwannee counties,” said White Springs Mayor Helen Miller. “The Suwannee Bicycle Association's 20th annual IDIDARIDE was an excellent event to highlight for our first pictorial postmark. The IDIDARIDE covers a 50 mile off road course," Miller added.

"We appreciate Kim, Pam and Victoria volunteering to staff the Suwannee Bicycle Association Station at the Nature & Heritage Center for the IDIDARIDE,” Miller continued. “This special postmark will be available for the next 30 days. We invite everyone to bring their mail to the White Springs post office and ask Pam to apply the IDIDARIDE pictorial postmark. It will become a collector's item."

Although the USPS has very specific requirements for pictorial postmarks, it's a process that is readily available to all communities who wish to promote their eco-tourism and cultural heritage events and festivals. Miller went on to say that the community acknowledges and appreciates the contributions of Austin, Texas based graphic artist Manda Maloney for her excellent design of the IDIDARIDE postmark, as well as the pictorial planned for February.

February's pictorial postmark will celebrate White Springs' 7th year as the first Gateway Community of the Florida Trail Association (FTA).

The SBA is a not-for-profit member association headquartered in downtown White Springs on Bridge Street next to the historic Adams Brothers County Store. The IDIDARIDE is SBA's premier event held every year in January.

Three more carriers record a million miles of safe driving

Three more Gulf Atlantic District letter carriers from have been recognized for their long-standing safe driving records.

In Monticello GA, Rural Carrier Teresa Womack recently received her million mile award.

Pictured with Womack is the Officer-in-Charge Bob Jordan.She began her career in September 1983 as an Rural Carrier Associate in Monticello GA.

In 1988 she became a full time carrier in Hillsboro GA and then in 2011 she moved back to Monticello.

This is the third million mile award given in the Monticello office.


Another million mile award was presented to Bonaire GA Rural Carrier Joseph "Dan" Shellnutt who is pictured with his Postmaster Fritz Artis.

Shelnutt started his Postal career in Kathleen, GA in July 1983 as a Rural Carrier Relief.

He later transferred to Bonaire Post Office in 1985 to serve an intermediate route with the Kathleen Post Office. 

Shelnutt became a regular carrier in 1988 in Bonaire. He was hired as an emergency hire for a sub in Perry, GA in 1979 which is what sparked his interest in working in being a carrier for the USPS.


Another Million Mile Award recently was presented to Rural Carrier Betsy Gagnon at the Maricamp Branch Post Office in Ocala FL.

 

Presenting the award are Manager Post Office Operations Ron Farnsworth, and Ocala Officer in Charge Noah Escobar, Ocala OIC.
Gagnon entered into duty in December 1979 and has been serving her customers for more than 34 years with the same great smile you see today.

The United States Postal Service and the National Safety Council have teamed up to promote and ensure the safety and health of the USPS workforce nationwide.

As a long-standing member of the National Safety Council, USPS has established an agreement with the Council that entitles all facilities to take advantage of member benefits in an effort to prevent unintentional injury and illness.

Eligible Postal employee participants of the Safe Driver Award Program include those who have a normal daily assignment that involves the driving of a motor vehicle for official business use, and who have not had their driving privilege revoked or suspended.

Pine Mountain GA church embraces EDDM

Postmaster Elaine Ferguson and Rev. William D. Owen, pastor of the Landmark Baptist Church.

 Pine Mountain GA Postmaster Elaine Ferguson recently shared information about Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) with local businesses that resulted in a sale for more than $300 and a happy customer.

He was shown the EDDM website and given brochures explaining how to get started.

One of the attendees, Rev. William Owen from Landmark Baptist Church, returned to the Post Office to give the service a try.

He brought a sample mailpiece that was too small, so Owen had to make a few adjustments and then he had the mailing printed.

Postmaster Ferguson helped set up his account in less than 20 minutes and the EDDM piece was dropped in the mail the next day.

Owen said, "I found the program to be very user friendly and appreciated the Postmaster being helpful and professional. I will use the EDDM again in the future."