AUSTIN, TX — Carolyn Lewis Gallagher was elected chairman of the Postal Service Board of Governors during yesterday’s Board meeting in Washington, DC.

Chairman Gallagher is an Austin, Texas, businesswoman with a strong private and public sector background. She currently is an investor and advisor to several businesses, having garnered 20 years experience in acquiring and growing companies.

"I'd like to thank Alan Kessler for his leadership over the past year as chairman as we faced many challenges and enjoyed many successes," said Gallagher.  "I'm honored the Governors have given me the opportunity to serve as chairman and look forward to working with them and postal management to ensure we can continue to deliver for Americans during these challenging economic times."

Chairman Gallagher was named a Governor by President Bush in 2004. She is the former CEO of Texwood Furniture, Inc., and has served on numerous private and public sector boards.  In 2003, Gallagher served on the President’s Commission on the United States Postal Service, which submitted a report titled “Embracing The Future.”

In 1976, Chairman Gallagher earned her undergraduate degree from Duke University and, in 1982, a Master's in Business Administration from the Harvard Business School. She has been a community leader in Austin, Texas, for many years, chairing numerous non-profit boards.

For more information about the Governors and the Board, please see http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/bog.htm.

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An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that visits every address in the nation — 146 million homes and businesses. It has 37,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses, not tax dollars. The Postal Service has annual revenues of $75 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail.