Portland Postmaster Shawneen Betha		USPS Portland District Manager Kim Anderson

WASHINGTON, DC — The Greater Portland Postal Customer Council received the United States Postal Service’s prestigious Postal Customer Council’s (PCC) 2014 National PCC of the Year – Large Market Gold Award at ceremonies held today (Tuesday, Aug. 19) in Washington D.C.

The Large Market Gold Award recognizes PCCs in communities with a population greater than 500,000 which have demonstrated achievements in the areas of education, networking, communication and membership growth.

The Postal Customer Council is a network of business mailers and representatives of the U.S. Postal Service who gather regularly to discuss local mailing issues and develop content-rich education programs.

Along with the organization being recognized as the top large-city PCC in the country, members of the Greater Portland PCC received four other honors today, led by Portland Postmaster Shawneen Betha, who was presented with the Gold PCC Postal Member of the Year Award. The award recognizes Postal Service leaders who have served as an inspiration and driving force for their local PCC, leveraging their postal experience and knowledge to build excitement for the power and utilization of mail.

In addition, USPS Portland District Manager Kim Anderson received the Silver District Manager of the Year Award. This award recognizes Postal Service District Managers who have consistently demonstrated outstanding leadership by elevating their PCC’s performance to new heights and resolving mailer concerns and issues with a sense of urgency that produced positive results and created an environment of teamwork.

Finally, the Greater Portland PCC won two additional awards for organizational merit: The Gold Education Excellence award, and the Silver Communication Excellence award. Education Excellence winners were found to utilize new Postal Service and other educational materials to better serve their PCC. Communication Excellence winners demonstrated effective communications plans to ensure high participation in activities and share common issues and priorities among members.

On both the national and local levels, Postal Customer Councils work to continually improve communications between the Postal Service and its customers by promoting an effective networking platform.

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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