USPS installs new Saipan postmaster

Newly installed Saipan postmaster Christopher A. Warren said yesterday that his top priority is basically to maintain the level of service and standards that they now have but with more consistency in the timely delivery of mails and packages to the islands.

“Maintain what we have now and build on it for the future,” he said in an interview after yesterday’s installation ceremony at the Saipan Post Office.

Christopher A. Warren takes the oath of office as Saipan postmaster before U.S. Postal Service Asia-Pacific Relations director Leo Tudela during yesterday’s installation program at Saipan Post Office. (Ferdie de la Torre)

USPS Post Office operations manager Felix E. Bagoyo welcomed guests, while USPS district manager Greg D. Wolny gave a brief congratulatory message.

Warren, a native of Ohio, replaced James Constable, who was transferred to a position as postmaster of the Pahoa Post Office in Hawaii.

Prior to his appointment as Saipan postmaster, Warren served as a Customer Services supervisor in Guam and officer-in-charge of the Guam Main Postal Facility. He began his postal career 26 years ago as a rural mail carrier at the Piqua (OH) Post Office.

In his remarks, Warren briefly narrated how his postal career began and the different positions he has held over the years. He gave thanks to the current seven staff members of the Saipan Post Office, who continued to work even after Typhoon Soudelor devastated the island.

Warren urged people who have concerns to communicate with him, saying it’s all about working together with government officials, businessmen, and members of the community.

As the island has just been through two typhoons and an Internet outage, Warren said he is looking at just getting back to normal at the postal office.

He disclosed that the relief supplies really impacted the mails coming in through Honolulu.

“Generators and chainsaws, very large sizes, impacted the timeliness of the mails coming in,” Warren said.

With the Saipan casino industry revving up, Warren said more workers will be coming to the island and they are going to access all postal deliveries, P.O. boxes, and will be ordering supplies for themselves such as clothing, electronics, and other items.

“That’s something we wish to be prepared for. And that’s going to have an impact as more people are coming to the island,” he said.

Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-MP), who was among the guests at the ceremony, said he is happy that the CNMI continues to have great working relationship with the U.S. Post Office.

Sablan said this year, Congress appropriated $70 million to the post office and that there’s a total revenue of $68 billion.

“But we work with them. Once in a while we have constituents come in and have concerns,” he said.

Sablan said he is happy with Warren and recognized the hard work of the seven staff members.

“I understand he [Warren] is much more customer oriented. He would come out and meet customers who have issues with the mail,” Sablan said.

Also at the ceremony was Jean Sablan, daughter of the late Segundo Sablan, who was appointed the first Saipan postmaster on July 1, 1951.