John Potter
72nd Postmaster General, CEO of the United States Postal Service
Live Webcast April 5, 2002, 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT

 Browse for other NPR stories about John Potter.

After deadly anthrax spores were delivered through the U.S. mail, Postmaster General John Potter rushed to assure the country that all precautions would be taken. But he also reiterated the "neither rain, nor heat nor gloom of night" pledge. "It is critical that the United States Postal Service continue to provide this important public service to the people of America -- today and long into the future. And we will," he said in an Oct. 8, 2001 statement.

John E. "Jack" Potter had just taken over the United States Postal Service on June 1, 2001. He was a 23-year agency veteran, and the sixth career employee to lead the world's largest postal system. Previously, Potter served as the Postal Service's chief operating officer and senior vice president of operations.

Under his leadership as the senior vice president of labor relations, the Postal Service successfully reached negotiated agreements -- the first negotiated agreements since 1987 -- with the American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO and the National Postal Mail Handlers Union. The agreements were ratified in October 1999, and Potter was honored with the Board of Governors' award for leading the parties to agreement.

In 1995, Potter was named manager of Capital Metro operations, and within two years led the Capital Metro, Baltimore and Northern Virginia services to outstanding performance. In 1997, Potter was given the Chief Operating Officer's Award for his leadership role in the Capital Metro Area's performance.

Potter began his postal career in 1978 as a distribution clerk in Westchester, N.Y., and moved on to hold several staff positions in the Northeast Area office. He earned a master's degree in management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He holds a bachelor's degree in economics from New York's Fordham University.

Related Links:
U.S. Postal Service

E-mail this Page

 

Recipient's e-mail address:	» Up to twelve addresses, separated by commas.
Your e-mail address:
Your name:
Personal message (optional, 600 characters max):
Your NPR member station:
Are you a member of your local NPR station?	Yes    No
Would you like to receive information from your local NPR member station? (see NPR's privacy policy)	Yes    No
Please send me updates from NPR.	Yes    No
(Information collected by NPR will be used solely for internal NPR or NPR member station purposes and only if you selected 'yes' above. See NPR's privacy policy for more information.)