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Monitor Breakfast: Postmaster General John Potter

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Bio

David Cook

David Cook is Senior Editor and Washington bureau chief of The Christian Science Monitor. He oversees the Monitor's 9-person bureau in the nation's capital, hosts the Monitor's newsmaker breakfasts, and writes for csmonitor.com.

For over 40 years, Monitor breakfasts have brought journalists together with key public officials to talk about the issues of the day in a candid, in-depth fashion. Since their start in 1966, four US presidents, five vice presidents, and countless cabinet and congressional officials have been guests at the 3,600 breakfasts the Monitor has hosted.

When Monitor correspondent Jill Carroll was held captive in Iraq for 82 days in 2006, Cook served as the Monitor's spokesperson and appeared on numerous national broadcasts including "Today," "Nightline," "The News Hour with Jim Lehrer," and "ABC World News Tonight."

From August 1994 through July 2001, Cook served as editor of The Christian Science Monitor. During his term, the Monitor's print edition was redesigned, csmonitor.com was launched, and the paper won numerous awards including the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting.

Previously Cook was editor of Monitor Broadcasting which produced daily radio news programs heard on 200 public radio stations. He also served as managing editor of the Monitor's Emmy award-winning nightly television news program "World Monitor."

His current assignment is Cook's third tour in Washington. During two previous postings in the nation's capital he covered economic policy. He also has been a Detroit-based correspondent for Business Week.

Cook was awarded a Bagehot Fellowship in Business and Economic Journalism by Columbia University. He is a graduate of Principia College, attended the Advanced Management Program at Michigan State University, and served in the U.S. Army. He is a member of the Gridiron Club, Washington's oldest journalistic organization, and the father of three grown sons.

John Potter

Named 72nd Postmaster General of the United States of America on June 1, 2001, Jack Potter has led the Postal Service to record levels of service, customer satisfaction and efficiency.

With the 2006 enactment of the first comprehensive postal legislation since 1970, Potter has positioned the Postal Service to take advantage of the law’s pricing flexibility and other innovative features to drive the business growth necessary to support its mandate of providing affordable, universal service to the nation. This builds on his strong and continued focus on generating revenue, reducing costs, improving service, and achieving results with a customer-focused, performance-based culture.

Potter championed the development of a strong privacy program, resulting in the Postal Service being named the most trusted government agency -- and one of the 10 most trusted organizations in the nation -- by the respected Ponemon Institute. A recent Roper poll found that the American people view the Postal Service more favorably than any other federal agency.

His work to enhance the workplace environment and relationships with unions and management associations contributed to record levels of safety and employee satisfaction. Computerworld named the Postal Service one of the best places to work in information and technology. Fortune chose the Postal Service one of the 50 Best Companies for Minorities, and Careers & the dis-ABLED recognized it as public-sector employer of the year.

John Potter: USPS was like the Internet of the 50s & 60s

00 min 54 sec

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The Postal Service could face a $238 billion shortfall by the year 2010, if no action is taken. At a Monitor-sponsored breakfast for reporters, Postmaster General John Potter discusses the challenges the Postal Service of the 21st century faces and a new business plan, which will turn it into a leaner and more flexible system.
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53 min 24 sec

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