Regina Bugbee and Thomas Hutchinson took top honors in the National Engagement Leader of the Year Awards.
Bugbee is Maine-New Hampshire-Vermont District manager. Hutchinson is a business intelligence manager for the chief customer and marketing officer at USPS headquarters in Washington, DC.
“Regina and Thomas truly lead by example,” said Jeryl Wilson, diversity, equity and inclusion director. “The enthusiasm they bring to their work and their commitment to best practices create the sort of positive environment that promotes engagement naturally.”
Nominators had high praise for Bugbee’s support during the challenges of the pandemic.
“She was at the plant daily working with craft employees … setting an example unlike any I have ever seen in my postal career,” one employee wrote about the 2020 Christmas season.
Hutchinson also was praised for his pandemic support, including an ability to make remote employees feel completely connected.
“None of us are in the same office.… However, through Tom’s leadership, we each know there is a member of the team happy to help with any issue. We work together like a group of best friends sitting in the same room because of the environment Tom has created,” a nominator wrote.
USPS announced the awards Feb. 15 during a virtual ceremony that featured remarks from Wilson and Jenny Utterback, organization development vice president.
In all, 11 finalists were honored — four representing each of the Postal Service’s geographic areas and seven representing departments overseen by members of the executive leadership team at headquarters. One finalist from each of the two groups is awarded top honors.
The nine other finalists were:
• Diana Alvarado, real estate leasing specialist, headquarters;
• Jeffrey Gerdes, postal inspector, Newark division of the Postal Inspection Service;
• Jewelyn Harrington, operational excellence senior director, headquarters;
• Michelle Kim, cost systems and analysis manager, headquarters;
• Jean Lovejoy, Ohio 2 District manager;
• Timothy Marion, Arkansas-Oklahoma District Post Office operations manager;
• Matthew McBroom, in-plant support manager, Sacramento, CA, Processing and Distribution Center;
• Jodi Webb, client services director, headquarters; and
• Jane Wixson, EEO dispute resolution manager.
At the time they were nominated, Harrington served as continuous improvement manager, Lovejoy was manager for the former Ohio Valley District and Webb was information technology manager.
USPS has been holding the peer-nominated awards since 2016.
New this year is a one- or two-word inscription on each finalist trophy that captures the quality that made them stand out.
The top two honorees receive a second trophy, as well, also with an inscription. Bugbee’s trophies read “Energy” and “Role Model,” respectively; Hutchinson’s read “Positivity” and “Coach.”
The Employee Engagement Blue and LiteBlue pages have more information.
