ETSU Postal, Passport and Printing Services earns national recognition
What is informally called “the Post Office” by East Tennessee State University employees and students has earned its third Mail Center of the Year award.
ETSU’s Postal, Passport and Printing Services received the Horace Lytch Mail Center of the Year 2025 award presented by the College and University Mail Services Association (CUMSA). It recognizes new and innovative programs related to the mail center operation in an exemplary manner over a three-year period.
This award recognizes the accomplishments of the entire mail center operations that benefit the mailing operation or to the institution as a whole, and these accomplishments and procedures are shared with other members of the association.
Four different organizations give out annual awards in this field, and with this recognition from CUMSA, ETSU becomes the only organization to win three out of the four awards, according to Don McCarty, ETSU’s director of Postal, Passport and Printing Services. ETSU previously won the awards from the In-Plant Printing and Mailing Association and the Mail Systems Management Association.
ETSU Postal, Passport and Printing Services, located on the first level of the D.P. Culp Student Center, offers the amenities of the U.S. Postal Service, including first class, priority and priority express mail; money orders; and more. It features a Smart Mail Delivery System with 180 automated Smart Mail lockers, 115 Smart Department Lockers and 280 Smart Mail boxes that are computer-controlled.
In addition to mail operations, the unit offers a variety of printing services and is officially designated by the U.S. Department of State as a Passport Acceptance Facility, where students, employees and community members may apply for U.S. Passports. In fiscal year 2024, Passport and Photo Services had a record year in every category, including passport customers, photos, revenue and appointments. So far in fiscal year 2025, Passport and Photo Services has either met or surpassed those records, primarily because over 70% of its customers are from the general public.
ETSU’s operation is recognized nationally for its innovation in the Smart Mail system and just introduced a new refrigerated locker system that can be used for delivery of ready-made meals, medications, flowers and other items that require refrigeration.
“We were the second school in the country to have these Smart Lockers, and we were the first to have smart rear-loading lockers and these new refrigerated locker systems,” said McCarty. “These deliveries can now be available 24/7 for pickup access, which is really important, because up until now, deliveries we received on Thursdays had to be stored in our office refrigerator over the weekend. This is a trend that I think will start taking off around the country, like these smart lockers.”
He added that postal services representatives from around 40 schools across the nation have visited ETSU to see its innovative operation, with many of them implementing these technologies and services for themselves.
“What I love about getting these awards is that my staff can take pride in what we’re doing and that it’s recognized by other postal experts that we’re doing something pretty spectacular,” McCarty said. “It recognizes what we’re doing on the innovative side to increase services and provide better mail services.”
This group photo of ETSU Postal, Passport and Printing Services staff includes, from left-right, front row: Caleb Smith, Alexis Thacker, Irianna Blair, Amelia Arden, Cheyenne McCullough, Teresa Yercheck and Lisa Fields; and back row: Tyler Winstead, Don McCarty, Larry McKinney, Todd Leach, Nathan Baird and David Crigger. (Photo by David Crigger)
In addition to CUMSA’s recognition of ETSU as the Mail Center of the Year for 2025, the organization named McCarty its Connie Lawson Mail Manager of the Year Award for 2025.
This is the third such award from the various organizations for McCarty, who came to ETSU after retiring from the U.S. Marine Corps as its senior postal policy officer and has served on the boards of both CUMSA and NACUMS and as president of CUMSA.
“We wouldn’t be the Mail Center of the Year without Don McCarty’s leadership and his vision, his foresight in the trends of mail service for students and departments at the university,” said Lisa Fields, assistant director of Postal, Passport and Printing Services. “He worked with the company to design the sizes of the Smart Lockers and mailboxes. He came up with the idea for the refrigerated lockers. He works with the companies that come up with the designs and specifications for them, and it all fits perfectly.
“It means a lot that what we do is recognized among our peers at this level, and it’s because of Don’s leadership.”
East Tennessee State University was founded in 1911 with a singular mission: to improve the quality of life for people in the region and beyond. Through its world-class health sciences programs and interprofessional approach to health care education, ETSU is a highly respected leader in rural health research and practices. The university also boasts nationally ranked programs in the arts, technology, computing, and media studies. ETSU serves approximately 14,000 students each year and is ranked among the top 10 percent of colleges in the nation for students graduating with the least amount of debt.
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