Postal center has new director

The former mail processing manager for the Watertown post office recently became the facility's officer in charge.

Joe L. James began his new duties March 13, only a week after former Postmaster Jeffrey A. Sands accepted a new position with the U.S. Postal Service as the manager of operations for the northern tier of the Albany District.

Mr. James said since he was able to get through the relocation of Watertown's mail processing operations to the Syracuse Processing and Distribution Center, he can handle overseeing the Watertown post office.

"I was trying to make sure everyone had a job, and we had some that moved to Syracuse, some that went to work at Fort Drum, and some that moved to Albany," Mr. James said. "A lot of them have family downstate so they were happy about moving closer."

Maureen P. Marion, public affairs specialist for the Postal Service's Albany District, said Mr. James will have fewer responsibilities than Mr. Sands because there are now no mail processing operations at the Watertown facility.

The officer in charge is responsible for 31 rural, city and highway contract routes, and the window services at Watertown, Fort Drum and a contract post office on Court Street.

Ms. Marion said the move to officer in charge for Mr. James was "a natural progression for his skill set."

"At this point Joe is in charge, and down the pike they may open the job for bid, but at this point it's considered closed with an officer in charge," she said.

Mr. James said he's been with the U.S. Postal Service since 1982, when he became a distribution clerk at a post office in Dallas, Texas, after an eight-year stint in the Navy. In 1999, he received a management position at a post office in Anchorage, Alaska, and in 2004 he transferred to Watertown with his wife, Rebecca L., and children.