Dan G. Blair, Chairman
Mr. Blair serves as the first Chairman of the independent Postal Regulatory Commission, the successor agency to the Postal Rate Commission. He was unanimously confirmed as a Commissioner of the former Postal Rate Commission on December 9, 2006 by the United States Senate and designated Chairman by President George W. Bush on December 15, 2006.
Prior to coming to the Commission, Mr. Blair served as Deputy Director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). He was nominated by President George W. Bush on December 20, 2001 and confirmed by the United States Senate on February 13, 2002. In addition to serving as Deputy Director, Mr. Blair was Acting Director of OPM for five months.
Mr. Blair has extensive experience in the postal and civil service sectors. As Commission Chair, he serves as the agency’s principal executive officer and directs its operations and activities in regulating the U.S. Postal Service. Mr. Blair oversaw the completion of the last cost-of-service postal rate case. Following conclusion of this case, he led the Commission’s implementation of postal reforms mandated by the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act. Mr. Blair directed the Commission’s efforts in developing and issuing regulations establishing a modern system of rate regulation. These regulations were adopted eight months prior to the statutory deadline. He also directed the Commission’s work in issuing a comprehensive report on universal mail service and the postal monopolies.
Mr. Blair reorganized the Commission to better align its staffing and operations to its new mission. He created the Commission’s first Office of Inspector General and created the Commission’s first Office of Public and Government Relations. He also issued the Commission’s first Strategic and Operational Plan and, working with the Office of Management and Budget, Congress, and the Department of Treasury, directed new budget processes for the Commission. He also oversaw the redesign of the Commission’s website and IT security programs.
Mr. Blair has appeared on network television and makes regular public appearances before the mailing community. He represents the Commission before Congress and international organizations. He has testified numerous times before House and Senate postal committees on the Commission’s activities and progress in implementing postal reforms as well as the financial status of the Postal Service. Mr. Blair served as the deputy head of the U.S. delegation to the Universal Postal Union where he addressed more than 1,000 international postal officials during general debate before the 2008 Congress. He also led U.S. delegations to China and Japan to discuss U.S. postal reform efforts. Mr. Blair also chaired the Commission’s first international conference of postal regulators.
Mr. Blair was elected as a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration in 2008. In addition, he was awarded the 2008 Benjamin Franklin Award for his outstanding contributions to mail communications by MailCom, a mailing industry trade association.
As OPM Deputy Director, Mr. Blair led the agency’s work with agencies to streamline and reform their hiring processes. He also chaired OPM's outreach program to veterans. In addition, Mr. Blair served on the President's Council on Integrity and Efficiency, the federal council comprised of Presidentially-appointed and Senate-confirmed Inspectors General. He worked frequently with the Chief Human Capital Officers Council and federal agencies in implementing the President’s Management Agenda and in overseeing critical human capital reforms at the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security. Mr. Blair represented OPM as a witness before U.S. Senate and House of Representatives committees on a variety of issues, including pension and health benefits liabilities affecting the Postal Service.
Prior to joining OPM, Mr. Blair served on Capitol Hill, working for nearly 17 years on the staffs of both House and Senate committees charged with postal and civil service oversight.
From 1998 through 2001, Mr. Blair served as Senior Counsel to Senator Fred Thompson (R-TN) on the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs. Mr. Blair was responsible for review of legislation and policy affecting the federal civil service, the USPS, federal budget process, government ethics, and federal lobbying reform. Prior to joining the Committee on Governmental Affairs, Mr. Blair served as Staff Director for Rep. John McHugh on the House of Representatives Subcommittee on the Postal Service. Mr. Blair was responsible for directing the Subcommittee's oversight of the USPS and directed the development of comprehensive postal reform legislation. Mr. Blair also served as Minority General Counsel for the House of Representatives Committee on Post Office and Civil Service from 1985 to 1994.
Mr. Blair was born and raised in Joplin, Missouri. He received a Bachelor of Journalism degree from the School of Journalism at the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1981 and his Juris Doctor from the School of Law at the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1984. He and his wife, Michele, reside in Washington, D.C.