After nearly 40 years, Exeter Postmaster Cheryl McAuliffe is ready to retire from the United States Postal Service.

McAuliffe retired last week after seven years at the Exeter Post Office and plans to spend more time with family, traveling with her husband and volunteering her time to provide credit counseling to youth.

McAuliffe will be replaced by Veronica Soto, who will serve in the position of Officer In Charge before a permanent postmaster, probably Soto, is hired.

“Initially it was sad but she is moving into a new part of her life,” Soto said. “She was so energetic when she came to work it made work more upbeat.”

McAuliffe began as a part-time courier with the Post Office in Concord, Calif. in 1969. The year has a lot of significance for McAuliffe who vividly remembers the first landing on the moon. Out of the thousands of stamps that have been released by the Postal Service, her favorites are those that deal with space exploration, including a series in 1992 and a single image of the Earth from outerspace released in 1986.

“I have always been interested in space since I was young and am amazed we have the capability to do things like walk on the moon,” McAuliffe said. “The detailed artwork and vibrant colors on these stamps is something you don't see anymore. Many of today's stamps start to look the same.”

An avid stamp collector, McAuliffe said one of the most memorable events she was a part of were a series of stamp cancellations for the Pan Pacific Road Race Celebration in 2000. A re-enactment of the historic road race in 1913, the parade of pre-World War II race cars toured cities along I-5 in Los Angeles to those along Highway 65 ending in Visalia. McAuliffe received a plaque for her participation as she was able to ride in one of the cars.

“It was fun to be a part of historical event,” McAuliffe said.

Looking back on her career, McAuliffe said a lot has changed since she worked as a part-time courier in 1969. She said she remembers spending about three to four hours each morning just sorting the mail according to her route. Now, she said, all of the mail to and from Exeter is routed to and sorted by machines in Bakersfield and then sent back to Exeter or onto their destination. Soon the machines will begin sequencing the mail by street numbers, which means there will be little to no preparation time for carriers before they hit the streets.

“It used to be an address change was a handwritten note from one carrier to another,” she said. “With automation, address change is processed in the computer and is never seen by the carrier who delivers to the former address. They have kind of taken the personalization out of the mail.”

Each carrier and clerk is also assigned a bar code by an IMD (Intelligent Mail Device), which tracks clerk's sales per hour and carrier's delivery time on routes. There are also more regulations and requirements that have to be followed with each passing year.

“You just know when it is time to move on,” said McAuliffe. “Veronica is much better with computer work and the process becomes less personal each year.”

People are what McAuliffe said she will miss most about her position. One in particular she will miss is the late Bill Maaske, a longtime Exeter businessman and community leader, who died Dec. 18, 2007.

“People like Bill made you look forward to the day,” McAuliffe said. “He would always have a joke to share with me when he came into pick up his mail from the P.O. Box.”

McAuliffe was first named Postmaster of the Ivanhoe Post Office in 1988. In 1997 she was postmaster of the Strathmore Post Office before transferring to Exeter later that year. In 1999, McAuliffe succeeded Jodie Moore as postmaster in Exeter.

“I was an avid antique collector and was excited I could walk to all these stores every day,” she said.

The more time she spent in Exeter, the more involved she came in the community, primarily as a member of the Exeter Kiwanis Club. McAuliffe also became involved in a national organization that allowed her to travel, something she plans on continuing with her husband Gordon. The couple already has plans to visit Morocco.

“The Post Office has opened a lot of doors for me,” McAuliffe said. “I have traveled to Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, Hawaii and Alaska through the National League of Postmasters.”

A convention is held in different cities along with an annual breakfast for legislators in Washington, D.C. McAuliffe was the National Legislative Representative for the last eight years.

“That was a highlight in my career because I had the opportunity to meet with various senators and congressman,” she said.

McAuliffe has been recognized with numerous Postal Service awards during her time in Tulare County. She received the Award for Achievement two years in a row in 1994-1995. She was named California Postmaster of the Year in 1996 and 2002 while at the Ivanhoe and Exeter post offices respectively. She also won back-to-back Benjamin Franklin Awards in 2000 and 2001 for community service.

“I am very competitive in everything I do,” she said. “Whether I'm at work or at home playing a game I want to be the best.”

Given by the National Newspapers Association, the Benjamin Franklin Award of Excellence is presented to a Postal Service employee who best represents the spirit of Benjamin Franklin, one of our country's founders and a newspaper publisher, statesman and postmaster. It was Franklin's commitment and dedication to service that helped set standards by which community newspapers and the Postal Service operate today.

McAuliffe said she received the first award for her efforts in raising awareness for breast cancer in Ivanhoe. She called the American Cancer Society, spoke with local health clinics and passed out bilingual fliers to residents to inform them of the importance of annual mammograms. Because most of the women in the low-income rural community could not afford the test, she was able to convince a mobile health clinic to provide mammograms at various locations through the community.

The next year, McAuliffe made it her personal crusade to raise money for one of her employees whose parents' house had burned down. She secured donations of major appliances and sold raffle tickets and held a barbecue at a local church to raise money to rebuild the home.

“It's been fun and I really enjoyed my career but it is time for the next adventure,” McAuliffe said.

No matter where her next adventure may take her, Cheryl McAuliffe will always have a stamp of approval for years of dedication to Exeter and the Postal Service.

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