
The governors employ a full-time corporate secretary who serves as the primary staff assistant to the Board and supervises other members of the staff of the Office of the Board of Governors. The Board takes up matters such as service standards and capital investments. The Board directs the exercise of the powers of the Postal Service, directs and controls its expenditures, reviews its practices, conducts long-range planning, approves officer compensation and sets policies on all postal matters. No person may serve more than two terms as a governor. Governors may continue to serve following expiration of their term or until a successor is appointed but not for more than one year. Each governor’s term expires on December 8 of a given year. However, at least four of the governors shall be chosen solely based on their demonstrated ability in managing organizations or corporations (in either the public or private sector) that employ at least 50,000 employees.Īppointments are made when vacancies occur or for the remainder of unexpired terms. They shall be chosen solely based on their experience in the field of public service, law or accounting. Not more than five of the nine may belong to the same political party.

The governors are chosen to represent the public interest generally and cannot be representatives of special interests. The Act also added professional qualifications for the governors. 109-435, which changed the terms of subsequently appointed governors from nine to seven years. Bush signed the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, P.L. On December 20, 2006, President George W. Subsequent appointments were made for the full nine years.

The first nine appointments were for staggered terms of one to nine years. In 1970, when the Board was established by the Postal Reorganization Act, the governors of the Postal Service were appointed for terms of nine years. The Postmaster General serves at the pleasure of the governors for an indefinite term and the Deputy Postmaster General serves at the pleasure of the governors and the Postmaster General. The nine governors select the Postmaster General, who becomes a member of the Board, and those 10 select the Deputy Postmaster General, who also serves on the Board.
