Many Thanks for the Texas Memories
By Ivan D. Butts
NAPS President
I wrote this column two weeks after the close of our 67th National Convention at the Gaylord Texan. I am so appreciative of the opportunity to serve the great members of our association. I want to take this opportunity to thank some people who helped make this convention experience memorable for all who attended.
To “Texas Bob” Bradford and his host team: Thank you for your care and dedication to hosting the national body. The events on Sunday and Monday nights were spectacular; everyone in attendance had a great time dancing the nights away. Your opening ceremony presentation was very engaging and funny. Great job! Many thanks to you and your team.
To all our committee chairs and their teams: Your work is what makes our conventions run from the first engagement with registration to the continual engagement with our sergeants-at-arms. The professionalism of all our committees adds value to the NAPS convention experience.
Thanks to the committee members who have submitted suggestions to help us improve our convention experience. Together, we will work to make our conventions worthy of the great association we serve.
Special thanks to our conference planner, Sheri Davies of ConferenceDirect. She continues to work tirelessly to help your resident officers present a national convention program that fully engages members with experiences and memories to last a lifetime. I look forward to working more closely with her to maintain this higher standard that our members deserve and have become accustomed to experiencing.
To Brian Wagner, thank you for your service to NAPS members. You have served this association with dignity and honor and are truly worthy of every recognition and tribute bestowed on you. Special thanks to your helpmate in this leadership journey. Carol’s grace and elegance in supporting you and your vision for NAPS are admirable and well worth emulation.
To our incoming National Executive Board, I am excited to have an opportunity to work with you as we continue being the voice of supervisory and other managerial personnel of the USPS throughout the country. I am proud to stand with you as we collectively stand with the EAS employees who lead the Postal Service day in and day out, serving America.
To Roe Herzog and the members of her Ballot Committee: A tremendous job was done working with a new system developed by Bob Tolman. His hard work and analytical knowledge helped revolutionize our voting process. Although a counting error delayed the results, the system proved it could make our balloting process more streamlined and efficient as we move forward. I look forward to seeing how this process evolves.
There are no words to fully express my gratitude to Emily Christopherson, Charles Caburian and newly hired NAPS staffer Allison Portney. You worked and produced for NAPS members through some very challenging work environment issues. I appreciate the professionalism you displayed in ensuring that not only our national convention ran well, but that NAPS Headquarters continued to function for members in the face of adversity. I pledge to you my door will always be open to ensure the environment in which you work will allow you to excel.
In closing, I want to thank Patricia Jackson-Kelley and her Auxiliary team for their support during my time as executive vice president. I want to especially thank my wife Laurie for being that “someone to watch over me” while I serve, as well as my family for all their support.
I cannot close this column of thanks without thanking you, all the members of this great association we call NAPS. We cared for each other while in Texas by wearing our masks, maintaining social distances as much as possible and just looking out for one another. We had just eight delegates impacted by COVID. You also supported our SPAC efforts, spearheaded by Bob Levi, with our Midsummer’s Night SPAC raffle and contributions at the convention. We have raised $59,286 for SPAC.
I am truly humbled and honored to serve you—NAPS members. My pledge to you is I will always work toward the betterment and advancement of NAPS for you, our members.
In solidarity…
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