When David Steiner officially walked into the L'Enfant Plaza headquarters as the 76th USPS Postmaster General, the atmosphere was, to put it mildly, tense. You've probably heard the name Louis DeJoy. For five years, DeJoy was the lightning rod of the American postal system, a man whose "Delivering for America" plan sparked everything from congressional hearings to neighborhood protests.
Then came July 15, 2025.
Steiner took the oath. He didn't come from the political world or the inner circles of Washington. Honestly, he was a guy who had been happily retired for eight years, spending his time on golf courses and traveling with his wife, Judy. But when the call came, the pitch was simple: "You would be serving your country."
Who is the man behind the desk?
David Steiner isn't some career bureaucrat. Born in Oakland, California, he grew up watching his father pump gas at a Chevron station while working through a chemical engineering degree. That blue-collar work ethic stuck. He eventually made his way to Louisiana State University for accounting and then snagged a law degree from UCLA.
His rise in the corporate world was fast. Like, blink-and-you-miss-it fast.
In 2000, he joined Waste Management as Deputy General Counsel. Six months later? General Counsel. Sixteen months after that? CFO. A year later? CEO. He spent 12 years leading a $20 billion environmental services giant with 50,000 employees.
When he talks about his time there, he calls it a "burning platform." The company was under investigation and messy. He fixed it. Now, he’s trying to do the same for a 250-year-old institution that Benjamin Franklin started.
The Elephant in the Room: The FedEx Connection
If you want to know why some people were initially furious about his appointment, look no further than his resume. Steiner served as the lead independent director on the FedEx board.
Postal unions didn't exactly throw a parade. Brian Renfroe, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers, called the selection an "aggressive step toward handing America’s mail system over to corporate interests." Basically, critics saw him as a fox being asked to guard the henhouse.
But Steiner’s approach has been different than people expected. He didn't come in swinging an axe. While he’s sticking with the "Delivering for America" framework, his vibe is way more "stabilizer" than "disruptor."
He’s been incredibly clear on one point: He rejects full privatization. He views the USPS as a "unique hybrid institution." It has to be a business that pays for itself, but it also has a "universal service obligation." That means delivering a birthday card to a remote cabin in Alaska for the same price as a letter across the street in Manhattan.
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Why the 76th Postmaster General Matters Right Now
The numbers at the Postal Service are, frankly, terrifying. We’re talking about an organization with $90 billion in annual revenue and 650,000 employees. For comparison, Steiner often points out that FedEx has about 500,000 employees worldwide but generates the same revenue.
The math just doesn't add up for long-term survival without change.
Steiner’s focus has shifted toward what he calls operational excellence. This sounds like corporate speak, but in the mail world, it means:
- Fixing the "last mile" delivery to be more efficient for packages.
- Investing heavily in AI-powered recycling and automation (drawing from his experience with firms like AMP).
- Modernizing processing facilities without the "disruptive" chaos that marked previous years.
He’s currently navigating the "Protect Postal Performance Act" in Congress, which tries to stop the USPS from closing local processing centers. It's a tightrope walk. You have to cut costs to stop the bleeding, but if you cut service, people lose faith in the mail.
Sorting through the Misconceptions
People often think the Postmaster General is just a political appointee of the President. Nope. Steiner was chosen by the USPS Board of Governors. They wanted a "manager’s manager."
Another common myth? That the USPS is funded by your tax dollars. It isn't. It’s supposed to be self-sufficient through stamps and shipping fees. Steiner’s job is basically to run a massive logistics company that has its hands tied by federal regulations.
He’s also leaned into the history. With the 250th anniversary of the Post Office approaching in 2025, he’s been vocal about how the mail was the "internet of its time." He’s trying to make it relevant for a world that doesn't send letters but buys everything on an app.
What happens next?
If you're watching the USPS, keep an eye on Steiner’s relationship with the unions. Unlike the high-friction years of 2020-2024, the tone has become surprisingly collaborative. He’s spending a lot of time "on the floor," visiting facilities and talking to carriers.
Actionable Insights for the Steiner Era:
- Watch the Package Market: Expect the USPS to get much more aggressive in competing with UPS and FedEx for small business shipping. Steiner knows that world inside out.
- Infrastructure Shifts: Look for "Sorting and Delivery Centers" to become the norm. This is where your mail and packages get prepped for the street in a more centralized way.
- Digital Integration: We’re likely to see more "Informed Delivery" updates and tech-heavy tracking as he pushes for the same transparency you get from private carriers.
The 76th Postmaster General has a monumental task. He’s trying to prove that a public institution can run with private-sector efficiency without losing its soul. It’s a tall order. Whether he’s "better lucky than good"—as he likes to say—remains to be seen. But for now, the "burning platform" seems to be cooling down just a little bit.
To get the most out of the current postal shifts, businesses should audit their shipping mix to see if new USPS ground products offer better rates than private carriers, as Steiner is actively pushing for "last mile" dominance.