WASHINGTON — Louis DeJoy, the head of the U.S. Postal Service, is set to step down after nearly five years of leadership marked by significant challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic and an increase in mail-in ballots during elections. The Postal Service announced this development on Tuesday.
In a letter submitted to the Postal Service Board of Governors, DeJoy has requested that they initiate the search for his successor.
“I have worked tirelessly to lead the 640,000 dedicated employees of the Postal Service through an unprecedented transformation,” DeJoy noted. “We have responded to the demands of the American people amidst a global pandemic and a time of high inflation and intense political scrutiny.”
DeJoy took charge of the Postal Service in the summer of 2020, appointed during the first term of President Donald Trump. A Republican donor with a background in logistics, he was notable for being the first postmaster general in nearly two decades without a career history in postal services.
Under his leadership, DeJoy crafted a 10-year plan aimed at modernizing postal operations and mitigating financial losses. He has indicated that postal customers should prepare for potential “uncomfortable” rate hikes as the agency seeks financial stability and self-sufficiency.
This strategic plan includes improving mail delivery efficiency and reducing costs through the consolidation of mail processing centers. However, critics, including several members of Congress, have raised concerns that these consolidations have led to slower service and could negatively impact rural mail delivery.
During a heated session in September, DeJoy defended the Postal Service’s initiatives, emphasizing long-overdue investments in facilities to build “a Postal Service for the future” that aims to enhance mail delivery speed.
As DeJoy oversaw the agency during two presidential elections, the Postal Service experienced significant surges in mail-in ballots. In response to the 2020 presidential election, a federal judge curtailed certain cost-cutting measures that had been found to cause delays in mail delivery, specifically after DeJoy implemented restrictions on overtime for postal workers and halted extra truck deliveries during summer 2020, which, while reducing costs, resulted in some mail being delayed.
In his letter to the Board of Governors, DeJoy expressed his commitment to ensuring a smooth transition during the upcoming leadership change.
