At Tuesday morning’s business session, NAPUS Secretary-Treasurer Mike Quinn told convention attendees he had the opportunity to meet many Postmasters in his travels during the recent convention season. “I’ve learned what Postmasters are going through, what their problems are,” he said. “I’ve seen post offices in small towns—you realize how much the Postal Service binds the nation together.”

He commended the Executive Board for working together for a common goal: the best interests of NAPUS. He feels confident the board has helped put together a good strategy for 2014. And he stressed to NAPUS members that, more than ever before, membership is key.

“The future of NAPUS is bright,” he averred. “It is within our control to determine our future. I’ve never been so sure of that statement as I am today because of the people in this room.”

Postmaster General Pat Donahoe thanked Postmasters for keeping their chins up during these very trying times. He said the agency is going through a lot of change and everyone has to continue to move with it.

“You know what’s going on out there,” he said. “We’re on the precipice of getting things resolved legislatively. If it does not get resolved, it will continue to be a major problem for us going forward. We need to get the changes made and behind us so we can focus on growing a great, great, organization.”

The package business has been a bright spot for the USPS. “We will do everything we can to secure that revenue in terms of technology and providing service.”

Donahoe assured NAPUS members no one will lose their jobs as a result of downsizing and consolidations. “We will find a job for you somewhere in the organization,” he pledged. “We’ve never had to lay anyone off and we won’t do that. Are there bugs? Yes, there are, as we make these changes; there is a safety net down there.”

He said the Postal Service needs the authority to expand new products and services and get into areas of new opportunity, especially in the digital environment.“We need to continue to move along the way we’re going,” he stressed. “These things have to be addressed and resolved: get the legislation behind us, get the debt down to a reasonable amount and focus on the future going forward. We think there are big opportunities.”

Also during Tuesday morning’s business session, the NAPUS membership voted in sweeping changes to help the organization prepare for the future. Among the changes to the NAPUS Constitution approved by the convention body:

* Postmaster relief/replacements hired to operate a remotely managed post office are now designated active members, with the right to vote.

* State chapters have the ability to merge with other state chapters.

* The number of national vice presidents will be reduced from 22 to 12. National vice presidents will serve a three-year term; there will be three vice presidents from each of the newly designated four areas:

Area 1—Alaska, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Area 2—Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont.

Area 3—Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

Area 4—Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah.

This change will be phased in, with the newly constituted board fully operational in 2016.

* Bylaws were established, which include the NAPUS Fiscal Policy, Official Family Policy and Fiscal Policy on National Conventions. The Bylaws and the Constitution are the governing documents of the organization.

* The following articles in the Constitution have been moved to the Bylaws—Article 5, National Conventions; Article 6, Representation and Voting at National Conventions; and Article 14, Committees. (The September/October issue of the Postmasters Gazette will include the entirety of the constitutional changes.)

Tony Leonardi, Postmaster of Rocky Hill, CT, was elected NAPUS national president for 2014-2016.