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| 6/27/2006 9:00:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article |
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| Diane Stevens, who was installed as Blair’s new postmaster on June 22, has been involved in the postal service for 12 years. She keeps a vase of flowers on her desk to remind her of her days as a walking mail carrier.
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Third time charm for new postmaster
Diane Stevens newest leader of Blair’s P.O.
Mark Mahoney
Reporter
Diane Stevens has tried to come to Blair for a long time, and she finally got here the third time around.
Stevens became Blair’s new postmaster for the local post office Thursday June 22, even though she has held the position since April 3.
The Omaha native has attempted to work in Blair before, but never received the chance until now. Five years ago she applied to be supervisor at the post office, but was denied. In 2004, Stevens also submitted an application for the postmaster job, but didn’t get that position either.
“It came open again,” Stevens said, “so the third time’s the charm.”
The 12-year postal worker veteran said it usually takes two to three months for the announcement of a new postmaster to be made because the United States Postal Service (USPS) wants its employees to get to know the area first.
Stevens replaces Gean Susjnar, who had been postmaster for four years. Susjnar now has the same title in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Before Stevens took the position in Blair, she was postmaster in Glenwood, Iowa for four years. She lived in north Omaha and drove a round trip of 50 miles a day.
Now, Stevens travels from her home in Nashville, Neb., to Blair, which is only a 20-minute drive each way.
Stevens said she likes the small-town setting compared to where she used to work years ago. At one time she managed an Omaha station that had around 100 employees and 48 city routes. In her Blair office, Stevens heads a crew of about 25 people and only has to worry about five delivery routes.
Long before she was named to her present position, Stevens spent her time carrying mail and walking numerous routes in south Omaha.
She didn’t go to college, but being in the mailing business appealed to Stevens. The USPS trained her to deal with people, sexual harassment, sick leaves and the postal laws, among other things.
The new postmaster said she got involved in the postal service because she started out as a carrier and liked it enough to pursue opportunities in the field. If she had waited around long enough, Stevens would’ve became a driver after 15 years of walking, but she didn’t want to wait.
Stevens started to look for opportunities to work more in the office and she was eventually named acting supervisor at the south Omaha post office. She also carried off and on during that time, too, before Stevens moved to a west Omaha station.
Once she became a supervisor, Stevens never carried mail as much as she had early in her career. She said she missed walking outside, but her place was in the office.
“On really nice days, I miss carrying mail and looking at people’s gardens as I walk around,” said Stevens, who keeps a vase of red flowers on her desk to remind herself of the outdoor world.
The Omaha Bryan graduate said during her first seven years in the postal service that she had worked at practically every Omaha post office, from Boys Town to Bellevue. There are 14 postal stations in the Omaha area.
Once she became postmaster, Stevens’ duties included making sure customers are satisfied, coordinating mail routes, dealing with money issues, filling out government paperwork and keeping her employees safe.
Stevens even walks with some of her mail carriers to see what their routes look like and if there are any safety issues she needs to address.
When it comes to employees and customers, Stevens said learning how to read people is important, especially when she has to deal with a variety of personalities on a daily basis. She said she could turn around a bad situation quickly if she needs to.
Stevens said she is happy to finally be in Blair, where she doesn’t have to deal with as many people as she used to every day. She also plans to be here a long time and hopes the community knows all the options the USPS offers both in person and online.
“It’s a great office,” Stevens said. “I’m pretty happy out here.”
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