WASHINGTON, DC — American University’s School of Public Affairs named U.S. Postmaster General John Potter as a recipient of the 2007 Roger W. Jones Award for Executive Leadership, citing Potter’s “superior leadership” and “strong commitment” to helping develop future government leaders.

The university’s award, now in its 30th year, recognizes career federal government executives who carry out the public’s work and increase the quality of life for Americans while achieving outstanding organizational results.

Potter was nominated by James Miller III, chairman of the Board of Governors of the U.S. Postal Service, and by Vice Chairman Alan Kessler. “Jack has a long and distinguished history of public service, and we believe this award is both a tribute to Jack’s achievements and to the Postal Service he has served for nearly three decades.”

Potter, who was named Postmaster General in 2001, has been with the Postal Service since 1978. He has served as chief operating officer, senior vice president of operations, senior vice president of labor relations, and manager of Capitol Metro Operations, among other positions.

Jones, the award’s namesake, had a government career spanning six decades, during which he served as consultant and advisor to four presidents and supported the education of managers and executives as a means of improving the federal government.

Nominations for this year’s award were up more than 40 percent from last year, according to the university, making Potter’s award all the more significant. “An abundance of extraordinarily qualified candidates were presented for the 2007 award,” said William LeoGrand, dean of the university’s School of Public Affairs. “Potter’s selection is a credit to the ethos of public service at the U.S. Postal Service.”

Ranked among the top 10 schools of its kind, American University’s School of Public Affairs offers education on the undergraduate, graduate and executive levels. It is home to research centers and institutes in the fields of political science, public administration, public policy and justice. The School of Public Affairs is the only one of its kind with three accredited graduate degrees: master of public administration (MPA), master of public policy (MPP); and Executive MPA. Its graduates are active in global policy legislation, advocacy, and in the nonprofit and private sectors.

Potter received the Roger W. Jones Award in an Oct. 4 ceremony on the campus of American University. Mark Everson, president and chief executive officer of the American Red Cross and past commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, was guest speaker.

Typically, the university grants two awards a year. The other 2007 award was presented to MaryAnn Musumeci, director of the James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center in the Bronx, NY.

# # #

Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at http://about.usps.com/news/welcome.htm.

For reporters interested in speaking with a regional Postal Service public relations professional on this issue, please go to http://about.usps.com/news/media-contacts/usps-local-media-contacts.pdf.

A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 151 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. With 32,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, usps.com, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $65 billion and delivers nearly 40 percent of the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 35th in the 2011 Fortune 500. Black Enterprise and Hispanic Business magazines ranked the Postal Service as a leader in workforce diversity. The Postal Service has been named the Most Trusted Government Agency for six years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute.

Follow USPS on Twitter @USPS_PR and at Facebook.com/usps.