Patrick R. Donahoe is an American politician who served as the 73rd United States Postmaster General, having been appointed to the post on October 25, 2010. A 35-year veteran of the Postal Service, he reported to the Postal Service Board of Governors.
Biography
Donahoe is a 1977 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh where he majored in economics. He also graduated from the MIT Sloan School of Management, where he was a Sloan Fellow.[2] Before being Postmaster, Donahoe served as the 19th deputy postmaster general.
He entered the United States Postal Service as a clerk in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on the advice of his uncle Bob Burke, a mail carrier, who encouraged young Patrick to take the postal service exam.[3][4][5][6]
His predecessor, Postmaster General John E. Potter testified before the Senate[7] that if the Postal Service is not able to readjust their payment toward the pre-funding of retiree health benefits, as mandated by the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006,[8] the USPS would be forced to consider cutting delivery to five days per week during the summer months of June, July & August. Donahoe echoed his predecessor's views on five-day delivery when he assumed office in 2011.
On February 6, 2013, Donahoe announced that the Postal Service would implement five-day mail delivery beginning August 5, a move he claimed would save $2 billion annually. Later the same day, the national board of the postal union, the National Rural Letter Carriers' Association, voted unanimously to call for his dismissal.[9] July 16, the House passed the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill, which included language protecting six‐day mail delivery, thereby blocking Donahoe's plan.
Donahoe retired on February 1, 2015[10] and Megan Brennan, the first female Postmaster General, was appointed as his successor the following February.[11][12][13]
Mr Donahoe is married and has two sons.[14][15] After his retirement from the Postal Service, Donahoe now serves on the board of SG360°, a marketing firm.[16] Donahoe also serves as Board Chairman for Postal Realty Trust, a NYSE listed company which is the largest owner of properties leased to the US Postal Service.
References
- ^ "CURRENT REPORT Pursuant To Section 13 or IS(d) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Section 3654 of The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006" (PDF). Postal Regulatory Commission. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
- ^ "AllGov - Officials". Retrieved September 30, 2014.
- ^ "The Postmaster General and Executive Leadership Team". United States Postal Service. July 2012. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
- ^ "Patrick R. Donahoe". United States Post Office. Archived from the original on August 21, 2012. Retrieved November 17, 2012.
Appointed Postmaster General by the Postal Service Board of Governors in October, 2010, Mr. Donahoe began his 37-year USPS career as a clerk in Pittsburgh, PA
- ^ "Robert A Burke Obituary". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. November 25, 2013. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
- ^ O'Keefe, Ed (January 31, 2011). "Federal Eye - The new postmaster general speaks out". Voices.washingtonpost.com. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
- ^ "Postmaster General/CEO John E. Potter Before the Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management" (PDF). January 28, 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 30, 2009.
- ^ "Postal Accountability & Enhancement Act of 2006". December 7, 2006.
- ^ Davidson, Joe (February 6, 2013). "Postal Union Wants Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe Ousted". The Washington Post.
- ^ Sarah A. McCarty (November 14, 2014). "U.S. Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe announces resignation as postal workers protest proposed cuts". Alabama Media Group.
- ^ "U.S. Postal Service Selects First Female Postmaster General". Time. November 14, 2014. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
- ^ Nawaguna, Elvina (November 14, 2014). "U.S. Postmaster General Donahoe to retire; Megan Brennan to succeed". Reuters. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
- ^ "Postal Service Board of Governors selects Megan Brennan as 74th Postmaster General and CEO of the United States Postal Service" (Press release). United States Postal Service. November 14, 2014. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
- ^ "John L Donahoe Obituary". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. October 28, 2008. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
- ^ "USPS Biography: Patrick R. Donahoe". about.usps.com. Archived from the original on August 21, 2012. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
- ^ "Patrick Donahoe, Former U.S. Postmaster General, to join SG360° Board of Directors" (Press release).
