Jacksonville Postmaster celebrates Historical Oath of Office

On May 30th, Southern Area Vice President (AVP) Jo Ann Feindt administered the Oath of Office to Jacksonville Postmaster Debra A. Gornik.   This historical event not only recognizes Gornik as the 35th Postmaster of Jacksonville FL, but she is the first female Postmaster since the appointment of a Jacksonville Postmaster in 1824.  Gornik also served as Jacksonville’s first female Officer-in-Charge in 2013.  She joined the Jacksonville Postal family after serving nearly 26 years in the Suncoast District.

In addition to AVP Feindt, program participants included Southern Area Manager Operations Support Eric Chavez, Gulf Atlantic District Manager (A) Mary Sullivan, Postal Customer Council Industry Co-Chair Dan Lawlor, NAPS Southeast Area Vice President Jerry Sebastian, Jacksonville Mayor’s Deputy Chief of Staff Michelle Barth, Manager Post Office Operations (A) Paul Birge, Melbourne Postmaster Diane Tindle, and Manager Customer Services Cynthia Myers. The Jacksonville Naval Air Station Honor Color Guard Team performed the Presentation of Colors with the National Anthem performed by Priscilla Upperman of Davidsonville, MD, Ms. Gornik’s niece.

In the presence of many dignitaries from the Duval County community and over 150 attendees that included postal executives from around the nation, Deputy Chief of Staff Michelle Barth presented Gornik with a City of Jacksonville Proclamation on behalf of Mayor Alvin Brown which proclaimed May 30th as American Postmistress Day in Honor of Debra Gornik.  The proclamation also acknowledged the accomplishments of female postal employees nationwide.

Debbie Gornik began her postal career 27 years ago as a Clerk/City Letter Carrier in Pinellas Park, FL. During the span of her career, she has held numerous positions including Supervisor Mails; Supervisor of City Delivery and Collections, Manager Customer Services; Manager Post Office Operations; Officer-in-Charge and a detail assignment to the Southern Area as Manager of Delivery Programs.

As Jacksonville Postmaster, Gornik oversees 33 stations, branches, associate offices and 1,449 employees.  She is responsible for mail delivery to 549, 342 residential and business delivery point and 40,185 post office boxes.

In 2011, she was awarded the Postal Customer Council (PCC) Postal Leadership Award for the Southwest Area and is also the Northeast Florida PCC Co-Chair.

Debbie is the proud mother of two wonderful men, Vince and Mikey.

L-R:  Melbourne Postmaster Diane Tindle, Jacksonville’s Mayor Chief of Staff Michelle Barth, Jacksonville Manager Customer Services Cynthia Myers, NAPS Southeast Area Vice President Jerry Sebastian, Northeast FL Postal Customer Council Industry Co-Chair Dan Lawlor, Jacksonville Postmaster Debra Gornik, Southern Area Vice President Jo Ann Feindt, Gulf Atlantic District Manager (A) Mary Sullivan, Southern Area Manager Operations Support Eric Chavez.

Southern Area Vice President Jo Ann Feindt (left) administering the Oath of Office to Jacksonville Postmaster Debra Gornik with hersons Vince (left) and Mikey (right) assisting.