May 9 (UPI) — The U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors announced Friday that former Waste Management CEO David Steiner and a board member of FedEx as the 76th postmaster general.
Steiner, 67, will succeed former Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who resigned in March, and acting Postmaster General Doug Tulino. DeJoy was appointed by Donald Trump during his first term in 2021.
The independent federal agency has been in operation for 250 years since its creation July 26, 1775, at the beginning of the American Revolution.
“It is an incredible honor to be asked to lead the world’s greatest postal organization, with a history that stretches back before the founding of the United States,” Steiner said in a news release. “I deeply admire the public service and business mission of this amazing institution, and I believe strongly in maintaining its role as an independent establishment of the executive branch.
He was Waste Management’s CEO from 2004 through late 2016.
“Dave is the right person to lead the Postal Service at this time to ensure this magnificent and historic organization thrives into the future,” USPS Board of Governors Chair Amber McReynolds said in a statement. “Dave is a highly regarded leader and executive with tremendous vision, experience and skill that can be.”
Steiner earned a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Louisiana State University and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.
FexEx has been shipping competitor with USPS but provides “last-mile” service for some addresses for the private company. Steiner plans to resign his board position.
Frederick Smith, who is FedEx’s founder and executive chairman, said Steiner can help USPS become more efficient.
Smith said his “sharp business acumen will be key to addressing the significant challenges facing the United States Postal Service which has lost more than $108 billion since 2007 despite receiving billions in taxpayer relief” in a statement to CNBC.
USPS lost $3.3 billion in the second quarter of the 2025 fiscal year compared with $1.5 million last year, the agency announced Friday. Total revenue was $19.7 billion, about the same as last year.
“As we mark 250 years of service to the nation, our organization continues to face economic headwinds. We are working diligently to control costs, increase revenues, and transform and modernize our infrastructure,” Tulino, the acting postmaster, said. “At the same time, we are seeing strong market acceptance of shipping products like USPS Ground Advantage and adopting an increasingly competitive posture across our product portfolio. We are also encouraged that the increasing efficiencies of our processing, logistics and delivery network are showing steady progress in reducing our relative cost as we serve the nation and American commerce.”
President Donald Trump has proposed merging the Commerce Department and the Postal Service. USPS employee unions protested this proposal.
“Well, we want to have a post office that works well and doesn’t lose massive amounts of money, and we’re thinking about doing that, and it will be a form of a merger,” Trump said at Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s swearing-in ceremony in February. “It’ll remain the Postal Service, and I think it’ll operate a lot better than it has been over the years.”
Earlier this month, Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency called USPS a prime candidate for privatization.
DeJoy confirmed 10,000 USPS jobs would be cut through the agency’s voluntary early retirement program.
“I look forward to engaging with its employees, who provide such an important service to all our communities,” Steiner said. “As the entity with the largest union membership in the United States, I look forward to engaging with the unions and management associations to ensure that together we create a world-class employment experience. I also look forward to working with industry associations, customers, and policymakers, as we chart a positive path forward.”
The National Association of Letter Carriers’ president criticized Steiner’s selection.
“His selection isn’t just a conflict of interest — it’s an aggressive step toward handing America’s mail system over to corporate interests,” Brian L. Renfroe said in a statement obtained by Politico. “Private shippers have been waiting to get USPS out of parcel delivery for years. Steiner’s selection is an open invitation to do just that.”
Since 1982, the agency has received little tax dollars and has raised prices.
The cost of a 1-ounce letter will increase 2 cents to 78 cents in July 2025. Ten years ago it was 49 cents and 20 years ago 39 cents. In 1971, it was 8 cents.
“I am excited by the challenges ahead and by the many opportunities to shape a vibrant, durable and increasingly competitive future for the Postal Service,” Steiner said.
USPS delivers an average of 318 million pieces of mail each day to 169 million addresses. There have been proposals to cut home delivery from six to fix days a week.
