Celebrating 50 Year of MTAC

On May 27, 1965, Post Office Department Headquarters Circular No. 65-13 was issued by PMG John Gronouski, forming the Mailers Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC). Since then, it has been 50 years of technological advances in mail preparation, induction, and delivery. MTAC has an impressive history of results through collaborative efforts in its workgroups, task teams, and user groups.

BCC Software has been involved directly and indirectly with MTAC for many years. In addition to participating in its various committees, BCC Software employees have also been appointed as representatives for the associations that comprise MTAC membership. As an MTAC representative, they bring the voice of the industry and our valued customers directly to the key decision-makers within the United States Postal Service, helping to shape the future of mail.

Each MTAC representative is required to:

• Communicate to his/her association’s membership the major topics discussed, issues raised, and information shared in MTAC meetings to his/her association’s members;
• Ensure that this information is disseminated to and, if appropriate, acted upon by his/her association’s membership
• Solicit information and views from his/her association’s members in order to provide the Postal Service with technical information, advice, and recommendations from that membership; serve as a conduit for member feedback and ideas.
• Regularly attend quarterly MTAC meetings, and participate when appropriate/possible in Work Groups, User Groups, and Task Teams.

2015 also marks the conclusion of BCC Software President Chris Lien’s two-year service as the MTAC Industry Chair. He assumed the MTAC Industry Chair position in 2014 after serving two prior years as the MTAC Industry Vice-Chair. Beginning in 2016, Chris will transition to the role of MTAC Immediate Past Industry Chair and will serve two more years in that position for a total of 6 consecutive years on the MTAC Executive Committee.

The MTAC Executive Committee (EC) is comprised of seven members – four from the Postal Service, and three from the mailing industry. MTAC Executive Committee members are also members of the MTAC Leadership Committee. Other Leadership Committee members are Postal Service Vice Presidents (currently four) selected by senior Postal management, and Industry Focus Area Leaders elected by industry members of MTAC. The roster of leaders, association executives, and members is available on the MTAC page on PostalPro. There are approximately 175 MTAC representatives and association executives representing 50 member associations.

Per the MTAC Charter, in odd-numbered years an election is held to elect the next industry Vice-Chair who begins serving in that role the following January (even-numbered year). At this year’s August 2015 MTAC meeting, the MTAC industry members will choose between the current candidates Angelo Anagnostopoulos (MTAC Representative for Edison Electric Institute and Focus Area Leader for Payment) and Wanda Senne (MTAC Representative for National Association of Advertising Distributors and Focus Area Leader for Standard Mail). Both candidates have impressive years of service within MTAC and it is sure to be an interesting election. Both candidates are already actively campaigning!

Also taking place at the August 2015 meeting will be the opening of nominations for the 2016 – 2017 Focus Area Leadership positions. The Focus Area Leaders are elected at the November MTAC meeting in odd-numbered years. While they have not yet been formally announced, there is anticipation that the current Focus Areas may be expanding their scope to include such topics as logistics, enterprise analytics, costing, and education.

While there have certainly been many changes within MTAC over the past 50 years, what has not changed is the dedication its members demonstrate through collaborative efforts in the many MTAC committees. That is why the USPS has recognized MTAC twice with the Partnership for Growth award at the National Postal Forum. The award was first given in 2008 and again just recently at the May 2015 NPF.

BCC Software is proud to support MTAC and we are honored to have had employees appointed as representatives from various industry associations. To learn more about MTAC and to see who also represents you, check out the MTAC Roster.