The Greater Oklahoma Postal Customer Council has named OKDHS Mail Center Manager Gary Baker the 2010 Oklahoma Mail Center Manager of the Year. This is a prestigious award, with Oklahoma Postmaster James Bryant serving on the PCC executive board, according to Adele Jack, support services division director.

"Gary has shown great concern and initiative in moving the agency toward meeting the current postal service requirements," Jack said. "He has spent endless hours in becoming proficient in the regulations, looking for opportunities to save state dollars and ensuring the timeliness of the mail while providing excellent customer service for our agency."

Jack nominated Baker for the award, which is also known as the Catherine Blevins Mail Center Manager Award.

She said Baker's efforts to increase efficiency have helped OKDHS save millions of dollars in postage. He also helped to develop a pilot project to collect mail and case files in the seven Oklahoma City metro area counties, electronically scan those items and thereby allow case workers electronic access to case files within a 24-hour turnaround time. These improvements resulted in greater timeliness and accuracy at the same time that caseloads have grown and the number of OKDHS staff has reached its lowest level in several years due to budget cuts and staff reductions, Jack noted.

"There are so many competing needs for both time and funding within the agency that the progress made thus far is almost entirely due to his push," she said. "Because of the differing federal requirements of the various programs we administer, the task is far more difficult than implementation in an agency that has a single line of business."

Jack said that Baker's initiative and concern have helped OKDHS overcome many hurdles while striving to meet numerous federal postal requirements and that she joins Baker's colleagues in offering congratulations for his achievements. 

Baker has worked at OKDHS for six years. He also serves on the PCC executive board as industry vice co-chairman.

The Postal Customer Council program began in 1961 with the purpose of improving communications between postal service customers and local postal service managers.