Louis DeJoy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Louis DeJoy
|
|
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2020
|
|
| 75th United States Postmaster General | |
| Assumed office June 16, 2020 |
|
| President | |
| Deputy | Douglas Tulino |
| Preceded by | Megan Brennan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1956/57 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Aldona Wos |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Stetson University (BBA) |
| Signature |  |
Louis DeJoy (born in 1956 or 1957) is an American businessman. He is currently the 75th U.S. Postmaster General. This means he is in charge of the United States Postal Service (USPS), which delivers mail and packages across the country.
He was chosen for this important job in May 2020 by the Board of Governors of the USPS. Before this, he started and led a company called New Breed Logistics, which handled shipping and delivery. He was also a big supporter and fundraiser for the Republican Party and Donald Trump. DeJoy is the first Postmaster General since 1992 who didn't work for the USPS before getting the top job.
When he started, DeJoy made some changes to save money. These included stopping overtime for postal workers and limiting extra trips to deliver mail. The Postal Service also continued to remove some mail-sorting machines and collection boxes because fewer people were sending letters. These changes led to mail delivery delays. This happened during the COVID-19 pandemic and before the 2020 presidential election. People worried that the delays would affect voters who sent their ballots by mail. Because of these concerns, investigations were started. In August 2020, DeJoy said that the changes would be paused until after the election. Later, the USPS agreed to reverse all of them.
In 2021, DeJoy shared a 10-year plan called "Delivering for America." This plan aims to make the Postal Service financially stable. It includes slowing down some first-class mail delivery, improving how mail is moved, changing post office hours, and raising prices. The plan also asked Congress to help the USPS with the cost of health care for retired workers, which Congress later did.
DeJoy also faced criticism for planning to buy mostly gasoline-powered delivery vehicles in 2022. He said this was because of the Postal Service's financial situation. However, after more money was given by the government, he changed his plans. The updated plan now includes buying mostly electric vehicles.
His Early Life
Louis DeJoy was born in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in Islip, New York. His parents were Italian immigrants to the United States. His father worked in trucking. DeJoy studied accounting and earned a business degree from Stetson University in DeLand, Florida.
His Career Journey
After college, DeJoy became a certified public accountant. This means he was trained to manage financial records for businesses.
Starting with Logistics
From 1983 to 2014, DeJoy was the CEO of a company called New Breed Logistics, located in High Point, North Carolina. This company specialized in moving and storing goods for other businesses.
Working with the Post Office
New Breed Logistics worked with the USPS for over 25 years. They helped the USPS with shipping and moving mail. An audit in 2001 looked at how the USPS gave contracts to New Breed Logistics. It found that some contracts, worth more than $300 million, were given without open competition. The audit suggested this might have cost taxpayers more money.
DeJoy said that the review found no problems with how his company fulfilled its contracts. The USPS also disagreed with some audit findings, saying that costs were high because of the area where the company operated.
Other Business Ventures
In 2014, a company called XPO Logistics bought New Breed Logistics. After this, DeJoy worked for XPO Logistics for a short time before retiring in 2015.
When he became Postmaster General, DeJoy was the president of LDJ Global Strategies. This company worked in real estate, investments, and consulting.
Supporting Political Campaigns
DeJoy has given a lot of money and helped raise funds for many Republican politicians. He supported President George W. Bush's campaign in 2004 and Donald Trump's campaign in 2020. He also donated to the Republican Party.
In 2020, some news reports said that DeJoy's old company, New Breed, might have had a system where employees were paid back for their political donations. This raised questions about whether the rules for political donations were followed. DeJoy strongly denied these claims. Investigations were opened, but no charges were filed.
Becoming Postmaster General
Changes to Mail Delivery in 2020
When DeJoy started his job in June 2020, he began making changes to save money. These included stopping overtime for postal workers and limiting extra trips to deliver mail. These changes led to mail delivery slowing down. Many people, including members of Congress, asked for these changes to be stopped.
Hundreds of mail-sorting machines were planned to be taken apart. Also, some mail collection boxes were removed from streets. This caused worry, especially because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the upcoming 2020 election, where many people planned to vote by mail. People feared that mail-in ballots might not arrive on time.
In August 2020, DeJoy announced that the Postal Service would stop removing mailboxes and mail-sorting equipment until after the election. He also changed some senior USPS officials. He said he was trying to improve a "broken business model." However, some critics said these changes were meant to harm the mail service. DeJoy later said that the mail delays were "unintended consequences" of his changes.
After public pressure, the USPS agreed to reverse all the changes that affected mail services in all 50 states. This included putting back collection boxes and mail sorting machines, and allowing overtime again.
Working with the Government
In 2021, some lawmakers wanted DeJoy to leave his job. However, the President cannot directly remove the Postmaster General. DeJoy said he planned to stay in his role for a long time.
In late 2021, the Biden administration asked the Postal Service for help mailing free COVID-19 test kits to Americans. DeJoy used his experience in logistics to help the USPS deliver about 380 million test kits.
In 2022, DeJoy worked with members of Congress from both parties to pass the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022. This law helped the Postal Service financially and made sure mail would still be delivered six days a week. President Joe Biden signed this bill into law.
A Plan for the Future of Mail
In March 2021, DeJoy introduced a 10-year plan called "Delivering for America." The plan aims to fix the Postal Service's finances. It recognizes that people send fewer letters now because of the Internet, but they send more packages because of online shopping.
Key parts of the plan include:
- Changing Mail Speed: For long-distance first-class mail, the plan aims to make delivery more reliable, even if it means it takes a bit longer. It shifts from using airplanes to mostly ground transport.
- Investing in Upgrades: The plan includes spending billions of dollars on new, more fuel-efficient vehicles, new machines for sorting packages, and improvements to post offices.
- Asking for Funding: It asked Congress for money for electric vehicles and help with retiree health care costs, which was later provided.
- Changing Prices: The plan suggests increasing postage prices.
- Improving Package Delivery: It aims to make sending packages easier and more attractive, possibly with lower prices and faster delivery for some zones.
- Making Operations Efficient: This includes removing old mail sorting machines and combining some mail operations into larger centers.
Concerns About the Plan
Some members of Congress have criticized DeJoy's plans. They are concerned about how the changes have affected mail delivery, especially in some rural areas or places where new delivery hubs have been set up. For example, in Georgia, the on-time delivery rate for first-class mail dropped significantly at one point, though it has since improved.
Other Activities and Family Life
Louis DeJoy has also made donations to universities. In 2014, he donated to Duke University, helping to fund parts of their football stadium. His son later attended the school.
In 2005, DeJoy and his wife started a family foundation. This foundation gives money for academic scholarships. DeJoy also serves on the board of trustees for Elon University.
DeJoy is married to Aldona Wos. She is a former doctor and was a U.S. Ambassador to Estonia. They have twin children. They own homes in Washington, D.C. and Greensboro, North Carolina. Their North Carolina home has been used for political fundraising events.
Learn More
- Postal voting in the United States
- United States Postal Service
