Postal Chief Resigns; Led Service Back to Profitability

Marvin Runyon resigned as postmaster general Wednesday after six years during which he put the U.S. Postal Service in the black for the first time since 1989--even as mail delivery was competing with faxes and overnight service.

Runyon, 73, who said he was leaving because he’s ready for a change, plans to stay until May 15 to allow for a smooth transition for his successor.

He said he is proud of the Postal Service’s recent profits--$1.77 billion in 1995, $1.57 billion in 1996 and $1.26 billion last year--which began the same year as the only rate increase for regular mail of Runyon’s tenure, from 29 cents to 32 cents. But he wants his legacy to be turning the Postal Service into a more customer-friendly place.

Runyon, a former executive at auto makers Ford Motor Co. and Nissan America, entered public service in 1988 when President Reagan named him chairman of the then-troubled Tennessee Valley Authority, where he earned the nickname “Carvin’ Marvin” for slashing the payroll by one-third.

In 1992, the governors of the Postal Service recruited him to become postmaster general.

Unlike Runyon’s days at the TVA, the Postal Service’s total work force has remained about the same during his tenure, even as its mail load grew by about 11% over the last four years alone. The nation’s largest civilian employer, the Postal Service has more than 765,000 workers.

Runyon said he has no job lined up and won’t look for one until after he leaves. “I want to be where there’s a challenge,” he said.