PCC INSIDER SPECIAL EDITION

CONGRATULATIONS 2021 PCC LEADERSHIP AWARD WINNERS

Celebrating Innovation, Outstanding Achievements and 60 Years of the PCC!

Chief Customer and Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President, Steve Monteith, and Vice President Marketing, Sheila Holman served as ceremony hosts as the Postal Service recently recognized the elite top performing Postal Customer Councils (PCCs) during the highly anticipated PCC Leadership Awards ceremony on June 2, 2021.

Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer, Louis DeJoy congratulated the winners by stating ”The past year has been challenging for the Postal Service and our nation. It has also been challenging for our industry and the PCC Community. Your success in a difficult environment are a testament to the strength of the PCCs. The work you are doing is integral to the success of our industry!”

Recognition is a key pillar of the PCC Mission and demonstrates the well-established partnership between the Postal Service and PCC Network that has existed since 1961. Following in that historical tradition, the Postal Service began celebrating PCCs in the early 2000s for their exemplary work to strengthen and grow the PCC Network with the inaugural PCC Leadership Awards.

In addition to the PCC of the Year Small Market, Large Market and Metro Market Awards, we recognize the Best of the Bestin the following categories:

PCC Industry Member of the Year award winners are tireless supporters of the Postal Service and are constantly advocating Postal products and services. There are three winners in this category: Bronze, Silver and Gold.

PCC Postal Member of the Year award recognizes Postal employees who contribute to the PCC – going above and beyond their expected duties. There are three winners in this category: Bronze, Silver and Gold.

District Manager of the Year is nominated by the PCCs and approved by the Area Vice President. This coveted award is presented to the District Manager who consistently leads, supports and is actively involved in all PCCs in his/her District. There is only one winner in this category.

Innovation of the Year Award is given to a PCC who demonstrates out-of-the-box thinking and implements creative ideas that can be replicated by all PCCs. There are three winners in this category: Bronze, Silver and Gold.

Communication Excellence is awarded to the PCCs who excelled in implementing effective and creative communication programs utilizing various touchpoints to reach their members. There are three winners in this category: Bronze, Silver and Gold.

Education Excellence is the cornerstone of every successful PCC. This award is given to PCCs who have incorporated unique educational topics, speakers and workshops to increase mailing and shipping knowledge within their PCCs. There are three winners in this category: Bronze, Silver and Gold.

Membership Excellence Award recognizes PCCs who implement strategies to acquire new members and maintain existing members, as well as keeping all members fully engaged. There are three winners in this category: Bronze, Silver and Gold.

The Up-and-Comer Award recognizes a PCC who is thriving in all areas and is on the cusp of winning various leadership awards. There is only one winner in this category.

A comprehensive list of the 2021 Leadership Award winners and their accomplishments are listed below:

WES FRIESEN, GREATER PORTLAND PCC, BRONZE AWARD WINNER

Under Wes Friesen’s leadership, the Greater Portland PCC improved communication with Wes personally sending emails to members and providing information about monthly meetings and upcoming events. He provided agendas and presentations in advance and made every effort to ensure members were kept informed by following up after each meeting. Wes took the lead in revitalizing the Greater Portland PCC web page to serve as an effective mode of communication.

To improve the quality of the PCC meetings for the attendees who could not join in person, Wes taught members the nuances of effectively utilizing Zoom, which he was very familiar with as a university instructor. After WebEx was sunset members we were able to transition to Zoom with ease. He was the driving force behind the Greater Portland PCC continuing to offer in-person meetings where local restrictions and safety guidelines would permit and set an attendance record for an educational event with 112 attendees.

MARGARET LEGER, HOUSTON PCC, SILVER AWARD WINNER

With Margaret spearheading a digital communication front, the Houston PCC was kept informed of activities, events, educational and training opportunities, postal announcements and updates. She implemented a multi – channel strategy to potential new PCC members. She created event registration pages, sent follow-up reminders, kept the website current with event photos and postal news, and maintained an updated mailing list. Through her efforts PCC membership increased 17%.

Margaret also spearheaded the research needed to redesign the Houston PCC website for 2021. She researched other PCC websites and helped choose a new design that would appeal to potential members.

While Stan has been involved with the Central Missouri PCC for years, in 2020 he assumed his first Executive Board position as Treasurer. He personally invites his company’s customers to join the PCC as members. When the PCC has an educational session, Stan has his company drivers distribute PCC marketing mail personally to the mail room staff. Stan’s corporate financial support has allowed the PCC to invite nationwide speakers to participate not only in monthly events but also to the PCC Fall Mailer’s Conference. While attending NPF, Stan volunteers working the PCC booth and has been able to secure new members for PCCs around the country.

Stan has successfully recruited 10 new PCC members as a result of his one-on-one outreach. The Central Missouri PCC averages three to four new attendees on their monthly educational events because of his personal touch as the owner of Midwest Mailing Service.

PCC POSTAL MEMBER OF THE YEAR

JACKIE VILLEMAIRE, TAMPA BAY SUNCOAST PCC, BRONZE AWARD WINNER

As Postmaster of St. Petersburg, Florida, Jackie took the lead role in communicating and sharing information on the “Postal Updates” session during the monthly PCC Executive Board meetings. She also shared the many challenges the Postal Service faces and explained in detail what the USPS is doing to overcome these obstacles.

She was instrumental in revamping the 2020 calendar of events by providing numerous topic ideas for educational classes. She also encouraged the Tampa Bay Suncoast PCC to partner with other PCCs to expand the offering of educational classes available.

She has always taken the time to introduce herself to each PCC member whether it is an in-person event or a Zoom webinar. By her taking the time to create and nurture solid business relationships she was instrumental in acquiring

6 new Industry members for the PCC. She keeps an open line of communication and encourages PCC members to reach out to her for assistance with any Postal matters.

MIKE ALLISON, GREATER OKLAHOMA PCC, SILVER AWARD WINNER

With the day-to-day operational and employee shortage challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mike Allison, Oklahoma City Postmaster and Postal Co-Chair, remained supportive and ever present for the Greater Oklahoma PCC (GO-PCC). His focus was on retaining and growing GO-PCC membership.

Mike partnered with the Business Development group and advertised a Grow Your Business Day (GYBD) event with postcards to all customers in his area. He conducted a total of five GYBD Zoom workshops on Postal products and services to enhance local businesses marketing strategies and improve customer response rates. This resulted in two new PCC members. In addition, Mike teamed up with the USPS Sales Team to conduct a virtual seminar to local Real Estate Agents. With his participation and support, the PCC gained two more new members.

Throughout the pandemic, Mike’s commitment to the GO-PCC never wavered. As a result of his resilience, the PCC conducted 10 meetings, increased membership, and positioned themselves to succeed in 2021.

JONATHAN CASTILLO, SIERRA COASTAL PCC, GOLD AWARD WINNER

Sierra Coastal PCC’s (SRCPCC) objective for 2020 was to develop and implement new and exciting educational events to grow and expand their membership base during the COVID-19 pandemic. Newly appointed Postal Vice-Chair, Jonathan Castillo was up for the challenge.

Jonathan used an omni-channel marketing approach leveraging PCC Voice, educational event direct mail postcards, direct mail Quarterly Newsletters, and email blasts to promote events. Thinking outside the box, he introduced new education topics such as Creating Your Own Virtual Post Office featured on the local news. He hosted and narrated a virtual tour of the Santa Clarita Processing and Distribution Center, introduced a membership recognition article, Quarterly Business Spotlight, for the PCC’s Quarterly newsletter, and hosted more than eight virtual educational events leveraging game-based learning.

Jonathan not only increased engagement, the SRCPCC saw a significant uptick in attendance to events, a 50% increase to their email subscription list and 10 new Industry members, including one addition to the executive board.

DISTRICT MANAGER OF THE YEAR

SCOTT HOOPER, DALLAS DISTRICT

Scott is a vital contributor and integral supporter of the Greater Dallas PCC (GDPCC). At the beginning of 2020, he initiated the practice of having new PCC attendees stand and speak about themselves and their companies. This personal touch led to some of the attendees becoming PCC members. With the on-set of COVID-19 restrictions in March, he initiated video conferencing and was instrumental in working with the Dallas IT Department to ensure all virtual meetings ran smoothly. His continued support led to a 46% increase in meetings offered over the prior year.

His involvement in reformatting PCC Day to a three-day event was key to the event’s success. He played an active role in coordinating the Headquarters’ live broadcast while hosting the event at a local restaurant. Scott also leveraged his leadership skills and became deeply involved in the creation and distribution of GDPCC’s original This is my PCC video. The video highlights the value of being a member of the PCC. This is my PCC has become a valuable recruiting and educational tool for GDPCC and other PCCs throughout the Southern Area.

COMMUNICATION PROGRAM EXCELLENCE AWARD

CENTRAL ARKANSAS PCC, BRONZE AWARD WINNER

Understanding the key to a PCC’s success begins with communication, the Central Arkansas PCC developed an effective marketing and communications plan by coordinating events with unique venues, obtaining insightful speakers and topics that would not only keep their current members engaged, but also expand their reach to attract new members and grow their PCC. They incorporated “catchy” titles for their events such as Holiday Jingle and Mingle and Pizza, Postmasters and You. They also took advantage of the virtual world by inviting HQ speakers and Industry subject-matter-experts to speak to their members. To boost attendance at their events they increased email communications and added engaging photos in their newsletter.

To keep on track after each event they facilitated open communications with their executive board to discuss the wins, best practices, and lessons learned. As a result, they were able to keep their PCC going and growing. Despite the challenges they faced in 2020, they were able to increase their membership by 15%.

SACRAMENTO PCC, GOLD AWARD WINNER

The Sacramento PCC sought to revitalize their Communications program by adding new and innovative methods. They set-forth to increase educational content to members from the convenience and comfort of the office or home, enhance membership growth through networking and outreach, and truly hear the voice and understand the needs of their members.

To achieve their goal, they implemented a myriad of new and innovative approaches beginning with increased virtual events which included Town Hall meetings with a Q&A setting and open forum. They seized opportunities during Consumer & Industry Contact weekly touchpoints with Congressional Offices to invite Congress members and staffers to their PCC events. The PCC created multiple website surveys and created and produced the very first virtual tour of the Sacramento P&DC which was prominently posted on Postal BlueTube and on the Sacramento PCC website.

Their innovation ideas helped garnished a 4% growth in membership, a 11% increase in event attendance, and a new-found camaraderie with Congressional and State Officials.

EDUCATION PROGRAM EXCELLENCE AWARD

GREATER CHARLOTTE PCC, BRONZE AWARD WINNER

When the pandemic hit, the Greater Charlotte PCC knew they needed to double-down on their commitment to reach out to all members and stay connected. Some of the things they did were hosting the Mail Design Professional Certification for more than 115 attendees, they conducted an Industry Tour to offer members a behind-the-scenes look at how a large mail house modified operations to meet CDC guidelines, sponsored a free watch party for National PCC Day at a local restaurant, and promoted the Academic Outreach Direct Effect Innovation Challenge.

Some of the virtual events they hosted focused on Political Mail, Shipping Trends, and Promoting Your Image on Social Media. Additionally, the Greater Charlotte PCC hosted two separate Town Halls to answer questions and concerns with regards to the Business Mail Entry Unit (BMEU) including COVID precautions, new operating procedures, and technical guidance.

GREATER PORTLAND PCC, SILVER AWARD WINNER

In addition to the pandemic, the Greater Portland PCC had to deal with civil unrest, curfews, lockdowns, and local wildfires; however, the PCC persevered and conducted 24 events both in-person, virtual, and a hybrid of the two. Whenever local restrictions would allow, in-person attendance was always an option at all monthly meetings.

The PCC hosted their annual Mailers and Shippers Conference. Guest speakers presented on The Seven Powers of Success, Team Building, and the Future of the USPS. This event also included vendors from the mailing industry and a tour of the state-of-the-art, USPS Portland Processing and Distribution Center at the Portland International Airport. Some of the topics presented throughout the year were on How to Design Reply Mail, Basic Design Elements: the 10 Most Common Mistakes, Postcards: What You Need to Know, Undeliverable as Addressed Process Flow, and Flats – Basic Elements.

GREATER BALTIMORE PCC, GOLD AWARD WINNER

Greater Baltimore’s educational sessions were geared towards the needs of their members and they listened to what members were experiencing as they switched to a more remote workforce. They hosted a total of 15 events, co-hosted two events with another PCC, and had 32 total speakers that included both industry and postal experts. This increased their average attendance at meetings by 150%.

Some of the events Greater Baltimore hosted were Price Change, Promotions, Breakfast with the Business Mail Entry Unit Manager and a tour of the facility, Political Mail Symposium, Virtual Roundtable – Solutions and Resources for Changing Business Environment in wake of COVID-19, and Mail Design Professional Certification training 3 separate times. In addition, Greater Baltimore decided to use a variety of ways to educate their members including having 60% of their training sessions facilitated by new members or new presenters, using polls to foster audience participation, mailing goodie bags to members, fall meeting micro-sessions, mailing tools and templates to attendees so they would have them before their educational session, and they developed 1-day study groups.

MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM EXCELLENCE AWARD

CHICAGO PCC, BRONZE AWARD WINNER

The Chicago PCC holds an annual Mail Service Professional Recognition event to award members and provide in-person networking. Understanding the event would be virtual in 2020, the Chicago PCC wanted to focus on membership to create a connection between the industry and the PCC.

The PCC decided to add a personal touch to their meeting invite by sending a package to members that they referred to as a Watch Box. The box contained a handwritten thank you letter, a certificate of appreciation, a Chicago PCC calendar, a membership application, and various promotional gifts. The goal of the Chicago PCC was to have a connection other than just a Zoom conference and their personalized Watch Box led to the addition of a new board member.

TWIN CITIES PCC, SILVER AWARD

Due to the pandemic, retaining members and finding new ones was quite a challenge for the Twin Cities PCC. They had to find alternate ways to keep their existing members engaged and informed. Because the majority of their membership was working from home, the PCC created a new digital newsletter utilizing email channeling in addition to mail. Each email included live links to their website, where they had registration information for their events, links to all of the Areas Inspiring Mail (AIM) meetings throughout the nation, and every National PCC event as well.

The PCC used their website to host surveys and gather feedback on programming as well as ideas from membership for future events. The PCC had about 20 visits per month to their survey page. The feedback from the surveys assisted the PCC with the direction they took for their programming. Membership grew because of the PCC’s efforts to engage via email, mailings and their website. In 2020, the Twin Cities PCC added more than 25 new members.

INLAND EMPIRE PCC, GOLD AWARD WINNER

To increase PCC membership, the Inland Empire PCC reached out to their local Postal Field Sales Representative to brainstorm ideas to reach new customers. They collectively agreed the sales representative would survey her customer base for topics of interest and provide her contact list to the PCC on a bi-weekly basis. To introduce themselves to these potential members, the PCC sent out an email with information on PCC membership benefits, a Zoom invitation to an upcoming event, and a schedule of upcoming events.

As a result of these activities, the PCC was able to host topics of interest to their members, which boosted membership through the addition of 25 new members to their mailing list.

PCC INNOVATION OF THE YEAR

HOUSTON PCC, BRONZE AWARD WINNER

The Houston PCC Membership Committee wanted to reach out to lapsed and current members during the COVID-19 pandemic to show members the PCC cares about them and to encourage lapsed member’s return to the PCC. Expressing appreciation to membership was especially difficult in 2020 due to an inability to meet in-person with PCC members. Despite this, the PCC formulated the idea of treating membership to a movie night with their loved ones within the comfort and safety of their own homes. Not only did this idea innovatively include the use of a USPS mailing but it also remained contactless, further ensuring the safety of members and their families.

Because of the PCC’s efforts, the PCC experienced a 17% growth during the 2020 year. Houston gained 24 new members despite the hardship that was faced, thanks to the dedication of the PCC membership committee.

SOUTH JERSEY PCC, SILVER AWARD WINNER

The South Jersey PCC’s objective was to expand their educational outreach of their annual National Consumer Protection Week event. The Federal Trade Commission’s annual week-long consumer awareness initiative is a time to help educate the public on how to understand their rights as consumers, make well-informed decisions about money, and offer ways for consumers to steer clear of fraud.

With the recent addition of a new industry executive board member, whose business specialty aligned with their agenda, the PCC decided to host a tour of their industry member’s business location and invite a guest speaker from the United States Postal Inspection Service, and a guest speaker from New Jersey’s Cybersecurity Communications and Integration Cell. They educated 40 attendees on ways they can protect themselves against the threat of fraud.

SIERRA COASTAL PCC, GOLD AWARD WINNER

The Sierra Coastal PCC Executive Board agreed to plan and develop a virtual tour on how mail and USPS parcels are processed at the Santa Clarita Processing & Distribution Center. The preparation involved developing a production script and storyboards outlining the shot sequencing.

The PCC leveraged the In-Plant Support Specialist who provided insight and experience in mail sortation flow and mail processing equipment. The Operations Engineer went into detail and explained the various mail transport equipment used at the facility, including the latest innovation, Automated Guidance Vehicles. The finished product was an elaborate, well-structured, comprehensive and high-quality USPS resource to be used for many years to come. The virtual tour is available now on the on BlueTube channel. https://bluetube.usps.gov/watch.cfm?v=2590

UP-AND-COMER AWARD

SAN DIEGO PCC

The San Diego PCC created a six-week Mail Design Professional (MDP) certification test study program with one-hour Zoom sessions twice a week. Each study session included a question and answer period, checkpoint and pop quiz questions to help attendees identify sections to focus their studies on. 50% of the attendees were non-PCC members. As a result of the MDP certification study session three new PCC members were recruited.

PCC OF THE YEAR – SMALL MARKET

PCC OF THE YEAR – LARGE MARKET

PCC OF PROVIDENCE

The PCC of Providence initiated a reach out program to the Providence District elementary schools on the proper way to address an envelope. They partnered with the Rhode Island Department of Motor Vehicles to host a webinar on the Real ID drivers licenses. In addition, they hosted webinars on Political Mail, Nonprofit Mail, Mail Room Security, and How to Promote Yourself on Social Media. They hosted a Postmaster reception, including a fun-filled evening at a turn of the century bowling alley within the historic district of Pawtucket. They hosted the Mail Design Professional certification course where 15 members completed the test. The PCC sponsored an unveiling of the 2020 Lunar New Year stamp, designed by Rhode Island School of Design graduate, Camille Chew, at a special on-campus presentation.

PCC OF THE YEAR – METRO MARKET

CELEBRATING 60 YEARS OF THE PCC CHALLENGE

TAMPA BAY SUNCOAST PCC

To celebrate the PCC’s 60^th Anniversary, the National PCC Program Office hosted a Celebrating 60 Years of the PCC Challenge. PCCs were asked to submit their best interpretation of 60 years of the PCC. Except for a limitation on the length of their submission, PCCs weren’t given any guidelines, instead they could be as creative and innovative as they wanted. Submissions were featured throughout the PCC Leadership Awards program.

Congratulations to the Tampa Bay Suncoast PCC for your winning entry and thank you to all our PCCs who participated. Job well done!

PCC PREMIER CERTIFICATE AWARDS

Our 2021 PCC Premier Certificate Award winners were also recognized during this year’s event. In the past, all winners were announced during National PCC Week. Based on performance levels of Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum our award winners successfully achieved national standards that serve as a benchmark for PCC excellence and recognizes industry best practices that support business growth opportunities for the Postal Service and its PCC members.

Platinum Award winners are in an elite class of their own. To achieve this award, they must earn the Gold Level Award for five consecutive years.

A complete listing of the 2021 PCC Premier Certificate winners are as follows:

Once again Congratulations to all our 2021 Award Winners. Representing the Best of the Best from our nationwide PCC Network, your dedication and commitment to the PCC Community has been inspiring. Continuously striving for perfection and developing new innovative strategies to grow the PCC community, you’ve persevered through the most challenging times and have come out on top. Thank you and keep up the great work!

View all the exciting highlights from the 2021 PCC Leadership Awards Celebration by clicking the following link https://about.usps.com/video/2021PCCLeadershipAwards.mp4.. The link to the recording will be available indefinitely.

NOTICES:

NPF 2021 Fall and 2022 Spring Events: