Manchester officially has a new postmaster

Jennifer Bates, Manchester’s new Postmaster, comes from Tecumseh after working nearly 30 years in the post office there.

And yes, that’s a postmaster. 

Even though 100 years or so ago, a “postmistress” was a rare and coveted position, Jennifer Bates is Manchester’s new postmaster and she is proud of the title. Although she has been acting as OIC (Officer in Charge) since August 30, 2020, she was officially named to the position of Postmaster of the Manchester office on December 18, 2021.

“I originally came here for 90 days from Tecumseh to fill in as OIC after the former postmaster left,” she explained. “I thought I’d be back in Tecumseh before Christmas (2020),” she adds with a laugh. “Little did I know.”

With the national reorganization of the post office and with many offices closing, the application and competitive interview process for a new postmaster in Manchester got shuffled to the back burner. While Bates had been encouraged by her manager and friends in Tecumseh to apply for the OIC position as a “good fit” for her a year and a half ago, and a way to help advance her career in the Postal Service, she never dreamed that this would be part of the fast-track to becoming a postmaster herself.

“I soon found that I really enjoyed it here,” she said. “I love the crew we have here … I love that they show up every day to work (you would be surprised how many people don’t!) and the customers are the best. My crew really cares about doing an excellent job. This is a great community — I’d consider moving here but my middle-school aged daughter doesn’t want to leave our home and friends (in Blissfield).”

Now in her 30th year with the US Postal Service, Bates started as a temporary employee in 1992 and became a city carrier in Tecumseh in 1999. A supervisor there since 2016, she figured she would work her way up in that office, but a union steward encouraged her to try for the OIC position and then, to apply for the Postmaster position here. She knows now that it was a good decision.

“I’m fortunate that I work with people who care about their customers,” she says. “I’ve joined the Manchester Facebook groups to watch for concerns about the post office and I’m gratified to see that the complaints are far fewer than they were in the past. “There is a lot more that goes into the job of being a mail carrier than just putting mail into a box. There’s a lot of complexity and multi-tasking. This crew strives to do their best and make their customers happy.”

The Manchester post office, and the Manchester community, welcomes Jennifer Bates!

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.