In early February, Women in Logistics and Delivery Services (WILDS) presented the second annual Megan J. Brennan Award for Excellence to Tammy Whitcomb Hull, Inspector General, United States Postal Service.

“It is such an honor to receive an Award for Excellence, and especially an award named after Megan Brennan, the first female postmaster general,” said IG Whitcomb Hull. “I have so much respect for Megan and the things she accomplished throughout her career. And I also have so much respect for all the women who work at every level in logistics and delivery industries.”

Tammy Whitcomb Hull

Before she retired from the Postal Service in 2020, Brennan, who was the 74^th Postmaster General but the only woman thus far to hold that position, was approached by WILDS with the idea of creating an award that would celebrate women who embody the leadership traits that Brennan was known for during her time at the USPS. To be considered for this award, the potential recipient must have an appreciation for the employees of her organization, the ability to work collaboratively, and the ability to look at challenges and opportunities in a holistic manner.

Those who know Whitcomb Hull make it clear that she checks all of these boxes and then some.

“During my tenure as Postmaster General, I appreciated the excellent working relationship that Tammy and I maintained,” said Megan Brennan of Ms. Whitcomb Hull’s selection. “Tammy always remained focused on the statutory responsibility of her organization to improve the economy, efficiency, and effectiveness of Postal Service programs, but in fulfilling her important role she also demonstrated a willingness to listen to alternative perspectives and to consider the broader context in our frequent discussions. Her approach invariably led to better results that strengthened the Postal Service for all stakeholders.”

Former Postal Regulatory Commission Chair and WILDS co-founder Ruth Goldway concurs. “Tammy Whitcomb Hull is an outstanding leader of a multi-faceted organization… Under her leadership, the IG has provided the highest level of technical analyses and challenged the industry by issuing thought-provoking research. Tammy has demonstrated remarkable resolve and assurance during times of great changes in postal technology, USPS management and legislation. Through it all, she has offered mentorship to others — especially young women — helping them to succeed just as she has.”

Whitcomb Hull was appointed as the third Inspector General of the U.S. Postal Service on November 29, 2018. Prior to this, she served as the Deputy Inspector General from November 2011 to February 2016, and as the Acting Inspector General for the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (OIG) from February 2016 until her appointment as IG.

The first-ever Megan J. Brennan award was presented to Pritha Mehra, the Chief Information Officer and Executive Vice President of the United States Postal Service, at the end of 2021.

WILDS is a nonprofit organization created to promote women’s leadership in the postal, delivery and logistics industries and to address the challenges women and minorities regularly face in these industries. For more information, visit www.shedelivers.org.

This article originally appeared in the March/April, 2023 issue of PARCEL.