Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service

The Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service is an eleven-seat board comparable to a board of directors of a private corporation, except in service of the United States Postal Service. Nine members are appointed by the president of the United States, subject to confirmation by the Senate (and usually first deliberated in the Senate's Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs)[1]. The nine presidentially appointed governors choose the postmaster general, who also serves as a member of the board. These ten then choose a deputy postmaster general, who becomes the 11th member of the board. The postmaster general and deputy postmaster general serve at the pleasure of the governors.

Until 2007 each governor was appointed to a nine-year term or to the remainder of the unexpired term of a vacant seat. Terms of the ten governors are staggered to expire each year on December 8. A governor whose term has expired may continue to sit on the board for up to one year until a successor has been appointed. No more than five of the nine governors may be of the same political party. On December 20, 2006, President George W. Bush signed the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act[2], which changed the terms of subsequently appointed governors from nine to seven years.

The board directs the exercise of the powers of the Postal Service, directs and controls its expenditures, reviews its practices, conducts long-range planning and sets policies on all postal matters. The board takes up matters such as service standards, capital investments and facilities projects exceeding $25 million. It also approves officer compensation.[3] The board generally meets once a month. Each January, the governors elect a chairman and a vice-chairman. Each governor receives $300 per day for not more than 42 days of meetings each year and travel expenses, in addition to an annual salary of $30,000. The governors employ a full-time corporate secretary who serves as the primary staff assistant to the board. The board has not been fully staffed since 2010.[4] By 2017 there were just two remaining members and nine vacancies.[1] In October 2017 President Donald Trump nominated three individuals to the board, the first such nominations since 2010.[5][1] On August 28, 2018, the Senate confirmed two of President Trump's nominations to the Board of Governors: Mike Duncan, as chairman, and former United States inspector general David C. Williams, as vice-chairman.[6] On August 1, 2019, the Senate confirmed three more nominations, allowing the board to reach a quorum for the first time since 2014.[7] The current board consists of six members. This is the minimum required to meet quorum on most items before the board.