Postmaster Louis DeJoy was defiant as ever in his letter to the Board of Governors informing them of his decision to leave the US Postal Service and advising them to find his successor. DeJoy had battled establishment thinking and chafed against regulatory oversight during his 5-year tenure as he sought to transform the Postal Service.
“Postmaster General is a demanding role made more difficult by the devastating condition I found the Postal Service in when I arrived and the almost unceasing resistance to change — without offering any viable solutions — from stakeholders motivated by both parochial and political purposes,” he wrote in his letter to the Board.
“The simplest and most obvious ideas and solutions receive illogical and irrational scrutiny from those that have no responsibility for ensuring the financial viability of the Postal Service. This, combined with industry lobbying, has held the organization back in the past from making the necessary changes. I have fought against this, and as a result I believe that I can fairly say that my tenure has been one of high expectations and vigorous action.”
In his letter to the Board, DeJoy took credit for putting the Postal Service in a stronger position, pointing to the most recent quarter’s performance, its delivery of COVID test kits, and having served the American people through “an unprecedented pandemic and through a period of high inflation and sensationalized politics.”
He also criticized the approach to the USPS had formerly taken to the package shipping industry, which he called “ill-conceived and not compelling to the market.” He said, “Our new package shipping products are extremely popular and are overtaking the marketplace.”
While DeJoy’s new Ground Advantage service has been generally well received by shippers, not so his 10-year Delivering for America (DFA) plan that calls for a major transformation of the postal network. The plan has been criticized and has led to major disruptions in select areas as it rolls out. Under DeJoy, the USPS has also downgraded its delivery standards leading to longer delivery times for mail – especially to rural areas of the country. Last month, the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) issued a damning report on the impact of the DFA plan.
The chairperson of the USPS Board of Governors Amber McReynolds praised DeJoy in the USPS press release announcing today’s news. It will be up to the Board of Governors to appoint DeJoy’s successor.