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United States Postmaster General

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The United States postmaster general ( PMG ) is the chief executive officer of the United States Postal Service (USPS). The PMG is responsible for managing and directing the day-to-day operations of the agency.

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28-571: The PMG is selected and appointed by the Board of Governors of the Postal Service , which is appointed by the president. The postmaster general then also sits on the board. The PMG does not serve at the president's pleasure and can only be dismissed by the Board of Governors. The appointment of the postmaster general does not require Senate confirmation. The governors and the postmaster general elect

56-453: A board of directors typically serves as the governing body of a corporation or other company larger or more complex than a partnership. Many professional sports have a sports governing body that serves as their regulating authority. Governing bodies can vary widely in size, which is "important not only for acquiring the necessary range of skills to oversee the entity, but also in promoting cohesion, flexibility, and effective participation of

84-424: A corporation recognized as a legal entity by a government), a socio-political group (chiefdom, tribe, family, religious denomination, etc.), or another, informal group of people. In business and outsourcing relationships, governance frameworks are built into relational contracts that foster long-term collaboration and innovation. A board of governors is often the governing body of a public institution, while

112-743: A sinecure . Poet and literary scholar Charles Olson , who served as a Democratic National Committee official during the 1944 U.S. presidential election , declined the position in January 1945. In 1971, the Post Office Department was re-organized into the United States Postal Service , an independent agency of the executive branch, and the postmaster general was no longer a member of the Cabinet nor in line of presidential succession . The postmaster general

140-410: A month. Each January, the governors elect a chairman and a vice-chairman. Each governor receives $ 300 per day for not more than 42 days of meetings each year and travel expenses, in addition to an annual salary of $ 30,000. The governors employ a full-time corporate secretary who serves as the primary staff assistant to the board. Members may serve for one year beyond the expiration of their term or until

168-564: A successor is confirmed. President Joe Biden nominated former general counsel of the American Postal Workers Union Anton Hajjar and voting rights activist Amber McReynolds on February 25, 2021. On March 15, 2021, the nomination of former Deputy Postmaster General Ron Stroman was sent to the Senate. President Biden nominated Stroman to the seat vacated by Ellen Williams. On May 12, 2021, Stroman

196-619: Is now appointed by the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service, not appointed by the president with the advice and consent of the U.S. Senate.     Independent     Federalist     Democratic-Republican     Democratic     Whig     Republican Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service The Board of Governors of

224-577: The American Postal Workers Union also noted the lack of diversity on the current board: all members are men, there are no African Americans, and there is no one from a rural area. Philip F. Rubio , a history professor at North Carolina A&T State University, notes that the board is accountable to no one and the postmaster general is accountable only to the Board. Rubio has described Louis DeJoy's changes as "sabotage", and Congressman Bill Pascrell , (D-NJ) said, "Fire everybody at

252-613: The Thirteen Colonies since 1753. The formal office of the United States postmaster general was established by act of government on September 22, 1789. From 1829 to 1971, the postmaster general was the head of the Post Office Department (or simply "Post Office" until the 1820s.) and was a member of the president's Cabinet . During that era, the postmaster general was appointed by the president of

280-475: The spoils system was reformed, the position remained a Cabinet post, and it was often given to a new president's campaign manager or other key political supporters, including Arthur Summerfield , W. Marvin Watson , and Larry O'Brien , each who played important roles organizing the campaigns of presidents Dwight Eisenhower , John F. Kennedy , and Lyndon B. Johnson , respectively, and was considered something of

308-468: The 11 board members, 9 are the presidentially appointed governors , 1 is the postmaster general, and 1 is the deputy postmaster general. The 9 governors elect the postmaster general, the chairman of the board as well as the USPS inspector general ; the governors and the postmaster general elect the deputy postmaster general. No more than five governors may belong to the same political party. The board also has

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336-557: The Office of Management and Budget) through December 2028. They replace members Ron Bloom and John Barger. The board directs the exercise of the powers of the Postal Service, directs and controls its expenditures, reviews its practices, conducts long-range planning, and sets policies on all postal matters. The board takes up matters such as service standards, capital investments, and facilities projects exceeding $ 25 million. It also approves officer compensation. The board generally meets once

364-664: The United States , with the advice and consent of the United States Senate . After passage of the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act in 1883 and prior to the passage of the Hatch Act of 1939 , the postmaster general was in charge of the governing party's patronage and was a powerful position which held much influence within the party, as exemplified by James Farley 's tenure from 1933 to 1940 under Franklin D. Roosevelt . After

392-453: The United States Postal Service is the governing body of the United States Postal Service (USPS). The board oversees the activities of the Postal Service, while the postmaster general actively manages its day-to-day operations. The board directs "the exercise of the power" of the Postal Service, controls its expenditures, and reviews its practices and policies. It consists of 11 members; 6 are requisite to achieve an ordinary quorum. Of

420-408: The board delegated its authority to a “Temporary Emergency Committee“ (TEC) comprising the board members for the time being, with the same authority as the board had with 9 appointed members, but without the quorum requirement. After December 2014, there were three appointed board members ( James Bilbray , Ellen Williams and Louis J. Giuliano) as well as the postmaster general, Patrick R. Donahoe , and

448-587: The board had six appointed members plus the postmaster general, sufficient to constitute a quorum on the board. Five of the board members are Republicans. There were calls in January 2021 for President Joe Biden to quickly fill the vacant seats on the USPS Board of Governors. Critics including union members note the politicization of the USPS, the mishandling of absentee ballots during the 2020 elections , and ongoing delivery delays. Mark Dimondstein , president of

476-674: The board, and the PMG (Megan Brennan) and deputy PMG (Ron Stroman) made up the TEC. In October 2017, then-president Donald Trump nominated three individuals to the board: Robert (Mike) Duncan , a former White House official during the George W. Bush administration, Calvin Tucker, and David Williams , former USPS inspector general . On August 28, 2018, the Senate confirmed Mike Duncan as chairman, and David Williams, as vice-chairman. On November 29, 2018,

504-693: The country's largest pension fund. In March 2020, Trump nominated Donald L. Moak to replace Alan C. Kessler (who had resigned in July 2011) and nominated William D. Zollars to replace James Bilbray (who had ceased being a member in December 2016). David C. Williams resigned from the board on April 30, 2020, and Ron Stroman resigned on June 1, 2020, as deputy PMG. On June 15, 2020, the TEC, comprising five members, selected Louis DeJoy to succeed Megan Brennan as Postmaster General (PMG). The Senate confirmed both nominations on June 18, 2020. As of January 2021 ,

532-474: The deputy PMG, Ron Stroman, a total of five of the 11 members, and not enough to constitute a quorum. Megan Brennan became an ex officio member of the board on February 1, 2015. The extended terms of Ellen Williams and Louis J. Giuliano both expired in December 2015, and James Bilbray became the sole remaining appointed member. His nine-year term was extended by one year and he ceased to be a member in December 2016. At that point there were no appointed members on

560-564: The deputy postmaster general. The current officeholder is Louis DeJoy , who was appointed on June 16, 2020. The office of U.S. postmaster general dates back to country's founding. The first position, during the colonial-era British America , was that of Postmaster General . Benjamin Franklin was appointed by the Continental Congress as the first postmaster general in 1775; he had previously served as deputy postmaster for

588-480: The following to fill seats on the board. They await Senate confirmation. Governing body A governing body is a group of people that has the authority to exercise governance over an organization or political entity . The most formal is a government , a body whose sole responsibility and authority is to make binding decisions in a taken geopolitical system (such as a state ) by establishing laws . Other types of governing include an organization (such as

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616-598: The governors appointed Tammy L. Whitcomb the USPS inspector general. On August 1, 2019, the Senate confirmed three more nominations, allowing the board to reach a quorum for the first time since 2014. The new members are Ron Bloom and Roman Martinez IV, both former investment bankers, and John Barger, former director of the Investment and Retirement Boards of the Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association,

644-401: The power to remove all of these officers. The Board of Governors is comparable with the board of directors of most private corporations . Until 2007, each governor was appointed to a nine-year term or to the remainder of the unexpired term of a vacant seat. The terms of the nine appointed governors are staggered, commence after Senate confirmation and expire on December 8 of the year that

672-504: The term would have ended had the terms been properly synchronized. The board can extend the term of a governor whose term is to expire by one year or until a successor has been confirmed, without Senate confirmation. Governors may be appointed for a second term, with Senate confirmation. No more than five of the nine governors may be of the same political party. The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act , signed by President George W. Bush on December 20, 2006, besides other things, changed

700-420: The terms of governors appointed after that date from nine to seven years. On November 14, 2014 (with effect on February 1, 2015), the board appointed Megan Brennan postmaster general , to succeed Patrick R. Donahoe. In December 2014, the extended term of Mickey D. Barnett was to expire, while the Senate had still not confirmed five nominees submitted by then-president Obama. Just before the loss of its quorum,

728-561: The top. They've done a lousy job." Dimondstein has suggested improving services by including financial services such as paycheck cashing, installing ATMs, and handling bill paying and overseas remittances. On May 12, 2022, the United States Senate confirmed Dan Tangherlini (former head of the General Services Administration) to serve through December 2027 and Derek Kan (former deputy director of

756-603: Was confirmed to a term as governor expiring December 8, 2021 in a 69–30 vote. The Senate later confirmed a separate nomination for him to serve a term as governor expiring December 8, 2028. The U.S. Senate invoked cloture for McReynolds May 12, 2021 and confirmed her on May 13, 2021. Hajjar was confirmed on May 28, 2021. On November 19, 2021, President Biden announced his intention to nominate Derek Kan and Dan Tangherlini to replace John M. Barger and Ron A. Bloom, respectively. Both Bloom and Barger were key allies of Louis DeJoy and had their terms expire on December 8, 2021. Bloom

784-444: Was replaced as chairman of the board by Roman Martinez IV on January 12, 2022. Biden's nominees Kan and Tangherlini received Senate confirmation on May 12, 2022, and took office shortly thereafter. President Biden has announced nominations of Marty Walsh , Val Demings , and Gordon Hartogensis and the reappointment of William D. Zollars. The current board members as of September 24, 2024: President Biden has nominated

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