Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies

Postmaster has recycling on his mind

Rich Rome has spent five years working to make the post office more environmentally conscious. He will retire in June.

He chose to use the GI bill to pursue a degree in business at Penn State University and to get a job at the Postal Service. He carried mail for nine years and loved spending his days outdoors.

"I even loved the cold," he said.

His career goal was to become New Kensington's postmaster and he accomplished that, but soon found he was bored. He knew everyone in town, knew where all the carriers hung out. He wanted to broaden his horizons. So he accepted a job in Washington, D.C., analyzing delivery service throughout the country. A year later, he was offered a job in Tampa, and jumped at the chance to end his career in sunny Florida.

A week ago, Rome announced plans to retire in June.

What will he do?

He imagines he'll be enjoying the environment he has worked so hard to protect. "I'm going to ride my bike a little further," he said. "I'm going to play golf more than once a month. I'm going to do some boating more than once every six months, and I'm going to enjoy my health and family."

- Janet Zink can be reached at 661-2441 or jzink@sptimes.com

AGE: 57

FAMILY: Wife, Carolyn; son Jeremy, 32; daughter Alyson, 27

OCCUPATION: Tampa postmaster

SPECIAL DELIVERY: As supervisor of all mail deliveries in ZIP codes that begin with 336, Rome oversees 1,200 people who distribute 317,000 pieces of mail 304 days a year.

FUN FACT: According to Rome, the average household in Tampa received 780 pieces of mail in 2003.

FIRST JOB: Delivering newspapers

HIS PASSION: Cycling

SHOW ME THE MONEY: Eighty percent of all mail, Rome said, has to do with money. "IOU, you owe me, and boy would I like to show you something to make you give me some of your money."

ON HIS WALL: The leather mailbag and pith helmet Rich Rome used to deliver mail in New Kensington, Penn., 36 years ago hang in his office at the post office at Tampa International Airport.