In Solidarity: President Ivan D. Butts Wraps Up 37 Years of Service

In Solidarity: President Ivan D. Butts Wraps Up 37 Years of Service

In looking ahead to President Ivan Butts’ impending retirement as NAPS president, Jordanna Garland interviewed him once more to talk about his accomplishments and thoughts as he anticipates his next chapter in life.

For the past five years, Ivan Butts has been at the helm of the National Association of Postal Supervisors. His leadership as president has left a lasting impression on the organization, shown through his dedication and commitment to the Postal Service and its employees.

On Aug. 14, President Butts will say his final goodbyes to NAPS, proudly stepping into retirement. As he described it, “Serving as president of NAPS has been the greatest honor of my career.”

Butts has been involved with NAPS for 37 years, starting as an EAS employee in 1989. Since the beginning of his USPS career, he was determined to make a difference in the agency.

He was RIFed four times in 2009, then went from an operations support specialist to a financial control specialist to a labor relations specialist to the manager of Health Resource Management. His experience there helped prepare him for becoming NAPS president.

When Butts left the U.S. Air Force, he chose to work in the Postal Service because he saw it as the perfect career on which to raise a family. In contrast, he shared that he feels EAS employees who currently work in the USPS just see it as another job — not a career to which they can fully commit. He noted the quality of EAS employees now is not the same as it was when he first joined the Postal Service.

Butts stressed that joining NAPS offers many opportunities for EAS employees looking to enact change beyond their branch. Advocating for EAS employees since it was founded in 1908, NAPS is the largest postal management organization with over 29,000 members, many of whom are in supervisory, managerial and postmaster positions.

There are endless possibilities for networking at the local, state, area, regional and national levels.

NAPS will advocate for members who have gone through a turbulent change in the Postal Service. In a letter that Butts authored a few years back, he highlighted an example of how NAPS puts their members first:

“The longevity of our association has helped us in creating an advocacy network that is second to none.

The success rate of our Disciplinary Defense Fund (DDF) in adverse action cases is unmatched. Couple this with the fact that this high level of defense is free to membership truly raises NAPS above other management associations who require thousands of dollars in advance from their dues-paying members for representation.”

Along with providing financial stability for members, Butts noted that NAPS always offers EAS employees the best support possible, setting them up for promising careers.

Throughout his presidency and career in NAPS, Butts garnered an extensive portfolio of accomplishments in service for the betterment of the association. His holistic approach to leadership has fostered a welcoming and transparent environment for NAPS, allowing members to feel seen, heard and empowered. His monthly columns in The Postal Supervisor magazine have provided clear and direct communication to members.

As executive vice president and president, Butts prioritized legislative engagement. NAPS has increased awareness about the challenges the Postal Service faces by speaking with lawmakers about postal reform and being proactive in finally achieving repeal of the WEP/GPO. With the organization’s advocacy and involvement on Capitol Hill, NAPS has become the go-to source for congressional members and their staffs on Postal Service issues.

Butts also has dedicated his efforts in advocating for and advancing EAS compensation. In the past five years,

the median EAS salary increased 21.4%. Moreover, the gap between rising inflation and inadequate pay began to close. Although progress has been made, he observed, there still is much work to be done.

Honoring the individuals who have paved the way for all that NAPS now provides is something Butts truly values. He is proud to honor the legacies of past NAPS Presidents Ted Keating and Louis Atkins with their plaques that hang in the Executive Boardroom, that, thanks in part to his efforts, was renamed the Margarete A. Grant Executive Boardroom in honor of the former executive vice president.

Butts talked about how, shortly after becoming president in 2021, he traveled to Memphis, TN, to visit the families of two fallen EAS heroes killed by a co-worker. The profound experience of talking with their family members reinforced his belief in always remembering those who have sacrificed their lives in service to America’s Postal Service.

Butts then researched and identified the names of 23 more EAS employees who were killed in acts of violence. Their memorial plaque hangs in the lobby at NAPS Headquarters.

Reminiscing on his time in NAPS, Butts pointed out a few memorable moments that he will forever cherish. Although meeting former presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden are high on the list, sitting down with the late Congressman John Lewis was impactful. Lewis passionately urged Butts “to cause some good and necessary trouble.”

As for retirement plans, Butts has a few ideas lined up so he will be balanced, yet busy. He plans to take his wife Laurie on a special vacation in grateful thanks for all the support she has given him throughout the years.

“From loading up the Matrix (still going strong at 250,000 miles) and driving to Louisville, KY, in 2008 as I ran for Eastern Region vice president at the 61st National Convention that celebrated NAPS’ 100th anniversary, to her creative idea of branding my campaign, with the ‘Teddy Bear’, she has always stood by my side.”

Butts is very thankful for all the people in NAPS who have worked alongside him all these years. In his 37 years of service working for the betterment of EAS employees, he is proud of the postal association that has shaped him and grown with him.

“I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve the members of NAPS over these 37 years. I know I did not hit the mark every time, but I never claimed perfection,” Butts offered. “I hope you see in me what I promised and the steadfast commitment to serving you — the members of this great association — to the best of my ability in every way possible.”