LOWER LAKE, CA — On Friday, September 4, 2015, at 4:30 pm, Benjamin C. Lovato will follow a tradition that dates back to 1858 when Lower Lake Post Office was first opened. Lovato will raise his right hand to be sworn in as the new Postmaster of Lower Lake Post Office at the Russell Rustici Park Hall, owned and operated by Lower Lake Community Action Group at 16375 Second St, Lower Lake CA 95457. Congressman Mike Thompson will administer the official oath of office.
Lovato started his postal career in 2005 as a Part Time Flexible (PTF) clerk in Lakeport, CA. He transferred to Clearlake, CA as a PTF Clerk in 2007. He subsequently took on other assignments at other offices to broaden his postal knowledge.
In June 2012, Lovato was assigned his first management detail as Officer-in-Charge (OIC) at the Laytonville Post Office. The experience he gained with this detail assignment was worth the 900 miles a week he commuted for 11 months. In April 2013, Lovato received his next OIC assignment in Hopland, CA, where he worked for six months. Eager to learn more, he asked for an assignment at a Post Office with city delivery. In October 2013, Lovato was detailed as Supervisor Customer Service at the Healdsburg Post Office, under the guidance of the Postmaster to learn how to manage a city delivery unit. He earned his delivery-unit wings when he was sent to go to Sebastopol Post Office as a Supervisor Customer Service.
In April 2014, he was promoted as Supervisor Customer Service in Lakeport, CA. His success opened the door for him as the OIC at the Clearlake Oaks Post Office. In May 2015, he was assigned as OIC in Lower Lake and later promoted to Postmaster Lower Lake on August 8, 2015.
“To be the Postmaster is a great honor and I plan to continue providing great customer service to our community,” said Lovato. “This is an important milestone for me in my career and I plan on getting to the executive level before I retire.”
Lovato, his girlfriend Sonya, and their five-year-old son, Ezra, live in Clearlake, CA. He enjoys running, biking, snowboarding, skydiving and most importantly spending time with his son. He is a member and does volunteer work for Knights of Columbus and the Lower Lake Community Action Group.
Lovato believes in community outreach. Recently, the Lake County News published an article on Lovato on his ongoing campaign to educate children on the ‘Art of Writing’ to Lakeport Elementary School children. His passion to educate children comes as being a father. He teaches children how to write a letter, how to address an envelope correctly, and shows them how the letter enters the mail stream.
During the recent fires in Lake County, Lovato took it upon himself to provide free postcards for firefighters so they could mail home, letting family members know they were okay as they fought the raging fires. A fire captain picked up 100 postcards and took them to his base camp to distribute to firefighters who eagerly waited for them.
As Lower Lake Postmaster, Lovato manages five employees who process and deliver an average of 3,900 pieces of mail daily to 851 delivery points (business and residential addresses) and 1,571 PO Boxes.
Lovato replaces Sandra Dawson who transferred as Postmaster Clearlake Oaks.
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