WASHINGTON — Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe appointed noteworthy individuals to his committee that evaluates 40,000 stamp proposals annually before submitting approximately 25 to 30 stamp recommendations for his review and approval. The new members are Peter Argentine, Justin Bua, Carolyn Lewis and Katherine Tobin.

The Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee (CSAC), created in 1957, evaluates all stamp proposals received by the Postal Service. Committee members, appointed by the Postmaster General, provide expertise on history, science and technology, art, education, sports and other subjects of public interest.

“We are truly grateful and honored to have these accomplished individuals serve on the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee,” said Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe. “Their diverse backgrounds, perspectives and extraordinary talents support our goal to broaden interest in stamp collecting to more audiences and enhance our world-class stamp program that remains second to none,” said Donahoe.

“Every time a new member joins CSAC the energy level goes up a notch and the stamp program benefits,” said CSAC Chairwoman Janet Klug who also serves as immediate past president of the American Philatelic Society Board of Directors and serves as chair of the New Initiatives Committee on the Smithsonian National Postal Museum’s Council of Philatelists. Klug is an author and columnist for several stamp collecting publications. “I am delighted to welcome these outstanding individuals to the committee and look forward to the creative energy they will bring,” she said.
 
See the biographies of the new members below:

Peter Argentine is founder of Argentine Productions, Inc., a company specializing in media design and production for museums, national parks, visitor centers, science centers and television. His television work has taken him to remote corners of the world, and includes national productions at WGBH Boston and WQED Pittsburgh for PBS, as well as for Discovery Channel and Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. His projects in American history, natural history, and science have involved collaborating with partners at the White House Historical Association, National Park Service, World Wildlife Fund, and the National Academy of Sciences.  He began his career in the education department of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History and has earned numerous awards for his work, including a Special Jury Award for Best Exhibit Program from CINE.  He earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology, magna cum laude, from Cornell University and a master’s degree in international relations as a Benton Fellow in Broadcast Journalism at the University of Chicago.

Justin Bua is an award-winning artist, author, speaker and entrepreneur. Born in 1968 in New York City’s Upper West Side and raised between Manhattan and East Flatbush, Brooklyn, he attended the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and Performing Arts and complemented his education on the streets by writing graffiti and performing as a breakdancer on worldwide tours. Bua earned a B.F.A. at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA, and taught figure drawing at the University of Southern California for 10 years. Bua created the artistic genre known as "distorted urban realism", and his works have been shown in museums and galleries around the world. Beyond art, Bua has authored two books, and he has created, produced and performed in several television series, and directed the Ovation TV documentary, "Walk This Way: the DMC Story."  In 2012, Bua received an NAACP Image Award and a Telly Award for his art direction in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's documentary film “On the Shoulders of Giants.” Bua is host, executive producer and co-creator of the upcoming Oxygen television series “Street Art Throwdown.”

Carolyn Lewis was a member of the Postal Service’s Board of Governors from 2004 to 2010, and also served as chairman. She is the former CEO of Texwood Furniture, Inc., and has served on numerous private and public sector boards. In 2003, Lewis served on the President’s Commission on the United States Postal Service, which submitted the report “Embracing The Future.” In 1976, Lewis earned her undergraduate degree from Duke University and in 1982, a master's degree from the Harvard Business School. She has been a community leader in Austin, TX, for many years, chairing numerous non-profit boards.

Katherine C. Tobin joined the committee in 2013, is a commissioner of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, and was a member of the Postal Service’s Board of Governors from 2006-2009. There, she helped set policies on all postal matters. Tobin brings 15 years of experience as a business manager, market researcher and consultant to CSAC, having worked in corporate America at Hewlett-Packard and IBM. In 2009, she was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary for Performance Improvement at the Department of Education. Tobin earned doctoral and master’s degrees from Stanford University's School of Education. She earned a Master of Arts in teaching from the University of Massachusetts’ School of Education, and a bachelor’s in English with honors from Skidmore College.

Former Postmaster General Benjamin Bailar, who joined CSAC in 2007, is leaving the committee. Bailar served as Postmaster General from 1975 to 1978. 

“The Postal Service is grateful to Benjamin for his service and contributions to the Committee, and before that, as Postmaster General,” said Donahoe. “His invaluable assistance in the complex process of recommending stamp subjects and stamp designs has been vital to helping the Postal Service produce a superior stamp program.” 

Submitting Stamp Suggestions
Due to the time required for research and approval in the stamp selection process,ideas for stamp subjects should be received at least three years before the proposed issuance. Each submission should include pertinent historical information and important dates associated with the subject. No in-person appeals are accepted. Mail suggestions to the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee at the address below.

Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee
475 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Room 3300
Washington, DC 20260-3501

For the latest information on upcoming stamps, visit uspsstamps.com.

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The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

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