ROCKLIN, CA — Cheri Smith will follow a proud tradition dating back to 1888 when the first Postmaster, Milo A. Burke, was installed as Postmaster. On Friday, October 23, 2009, 9 a.m., Smith will become the 18th Postmaster to raise her right hand to take the official oath of office at the Rocklin Post Office, 5515 Pacific Street, Rocklin CA 95677.

Smith,41, started her postal career in 1993 as a letter carrier in Marysville. She later transferred to the Marysville mail processing facility as a letter sorting machine clerk. In 1997, she transferred to the Folsom Post Office as a clerk. In 2005, she graduated from the Postal Service’s Associate Supervisor’s Program, a stringent 16-week management training course. After graduation, she was placed as a supervisor in the Woodland Post Office. She began training to become a Postmaster as the officer-in-charge of the Olivehurst Post Office in 2006, later becoming the Postmaster there in 2007.

“I believe it is a privilege to be a Postmaster,” said Smith. “As a Postmaster, you are the public face of Postal Service to the community you serve.”

Smith believes that being a Postmaster means being part of business organizations. She is a member of the local Chamber of Commerce. Smith enjoys photography and outdoor activities, like running, hiking, jet skiing, and riding her 4-wheel, off-road motorcycle. She is a member of the local Harley Davidson Club. Smith resides in Yuba City where she was born and raised.

As Rocklin Postmaster, Smith oversees 72 employees who process and deliver a daily mail volume of

45, 833 pieces to 22, 032 delivery points (addresses) over 18 city routes, 20 rural routes, 2 Highway Contract routes and 2, 363 Post Office boxes.

Jim McBroom, Manager Post Office Operations, will administer the oath of office.

Snuggled between Sacramento and the Sierra Foothills, Rocklin has been identified for its many granite quarries, which some believe Rocklin got its name from a corruption of Rockland. Another commercial enterprise that Rocklin became known for was its excellent winter grazing ground, where farmers and ranchers near Sacramento sent their cattle to fatten them up. From its very beginning, the U.S. Post Office played an important role in the growth and commerce of Rocklin. Several of the key business leaders of the early years served as Postmasters, including the second Postmaster Lewis Smith, who operated a drug store, was a Wells Fargo agent and a Justice of the Peace. In the 141-year history of the Post Office in Rocklin, there have been five female Postmasters. Cheri Smith becomes the 6th.

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An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 149 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes, six days a week. It has 34,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products and services, not tax dollars, to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of $75 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail.