Deputy Postmaster General Ronald Stroman Resigns

The top level of USPS of leadership continues to rapidly change. Just days after the USPS Board of Governors announced Louis DeJoy as the new Postmaster General, Deputy Postmaster General Ronald Stroman announced his retirement from the Postal Service, effective on June 1st, 2020.

Ronald Stroman Made History as Deputy Postmaster General and Chief Government Relations Officer for USPS

Stroman made history by becoming the highest ranking African-American in the history of the Postal Service. During his 9 years with USPS, he commanded a respectful force within the ranks of the United States government as the Postal Service’s liaison to Congress and the Senate. As Deputy Postmaster General, he directed all functions of Government Relations and Public Policy, International Postal Affairs, Sustainability, and the Judicial Office Department. Stroman was also instrumental in negotiating profitable rates for the international exchange of small packets. This, in turn, enabled USPS to remain in the Universal Postal Union.

USPS Board of Governors Will Lose Quorom With Stroman’s Departure

While Stroman leaving, the USPS Board of Governors will lose the quorum that it reached in August of 2019. Without a quorum, the board won’t be able to conduct proper votes to determine majority decisions. If the board can’t come to those majority decisions, it may be unable to steer the Postal Service’s future democratically.

The Growing Concerns Around Vote-by-Mail

Most importantly, during his tenure with the Postal Service, Stroman was instrumental in spearheading vote-by-mail. This gave registered voters the ability to cast their ballots in presidential and local elections via mail with prepaid postage. In essence, vote-by-mail gave every single registered voter access to make their voices heard.

Now, with Stroman’s departure, some proponents of vote-by-mail are understandably concerned. While USPS isn’t likely to repeal the ability for citizens to vote-by-mail, some are sounding the alarm that DeJoy’s recent appointment and Stroman’s departure signal this liberty may disappear by the time November’s presidential election rolls around. Should the Coronavirus pandemic continue to infect more people, individuals may still need to shelter in place to protect themselves. In turn, if people aren’t able to physically show up to vote in polling locations, the only way to cast ballots in the upcoming election will be through vote-by-mail.