U.S. Department of State

Dennis Delehanty

U.S. Candidate for Deputy Director General of the Universal Postal Union

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Current position at the U.S. Department of State

• Director for Postal Affairs, Office of Global Systems, Bureau of International Organization Affairs. Principal State Department official responsible for U.S. Government policy for international postal and private-sector delivery services. Responsibilities encompass leadership for U.S. participation in the Universal Postal Union (UPU), management of the Advisory Committee on International Postal and Delivery Services mandated by U.S. law (2006 Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act), and formulation of policy on issues of major importance such as extra-territorial offices of exchange, terminal dues, customs clearance, postal security and performance measurement.
• Accomplishments reflected in documentation published on the State Department website at http://www.state.gov/p/io/ipp.
• Served as working head of U.S. delegation for U.S. preparations and participation in the 2004 (Bucharest) and 2008 (Geneva) UPU Congresses. Responsibilities included:
  • Formulation and approval of U.S. policy on all major issues taken up at Congress.
  • Leadership of U.S. Government agencies (Commerce, Customs and Border Protection, Postal Regulatory Commission, U.S. Postal Service and U.S. Trade Representative) serving on U.S. delegation to Congress.
  • Development of U.S. proposals on a wide range of issues, and management of drafting and clearing of U.S. Government position papers for 600+ Congress proposals.
• Designated Federal Official for the Federal Advisory Committee on International Postal and Delivery Services, 2008-2012. This Committee, whose 27 members include highly knowledgeable experts on international postal and express delivery matters, advises the State Department on relevant policy issues.
• Chairman of the UPU Human Resources Reflection Group, 2009-2012.
• Member of the nine-member Board of Trustees of the UPU Quality of Service Fund, 2005-2010. Drafted course materials and served as lecturer on Quality of Service Fund procedures in English, French and Spanish at regional workshops in New Delhi, Bern, Saint Lucia, Paris, Santiago and Zlatibor (Serbia). Chaired the Board’s Finance and Investment Committee, 2005-2009, that manages the Fund’s portfolio, which has reached $90 million.
• Chairman of UPU Strategic Planning Results-Based Management Team, 2005-2008. Developed innovative methodologies for measuring attainment of UPU strategic goals.
• Recipient of two State Department Superior Honor Awards since 2005.

U.S. Postal Service positions and the EMS (Express Mail Service) Cooperative

• International Postal Affairs Specialist, 1979-1985, and International Postal Affairs Program Manager, U.S. Postal Service Headquarters, Washington, D.C., 1993-2004.
• Chairman of UPU’s EMS Contract Management Team, 1995-1998. Negotiated contracts for EMS delivery in six European countries and Canada on behalf of 75+ postal administrations.
• Using Chairmanship of Contract Management Team and Working Group on EMS as a platform, created the EMS Cooperative, an autonomous organization within the framework of the UPU. The Cooperative, which now has 172 members, was formally constituted at the 1999 Beijing UPU Congress. The Cooperative, which is one of the UPU’s greatest success stories, has become a major driver for EMS excellence worldwide.
• Elected member of EMS Cooperative Board by the Cooperative General Assembly in 1999 and 2001. Chairman of the EMS Cooperative Board, 1999-2003.

Position at the UPU International Bureau

• First Secretary, UPU International Bureau, Bern, Switzerland, 1986-1992. Principle UPU official responsible for EMS service. Drafted the EMS Operational Guide and the “Practical Guide for Managing EMS Service”; coordinated preparations for annual EMS Symposium; served as instructor at EMS courses (Bangkok, Paris, Mexico City, Potomac and Bern); and drafted EMS technical standards still in use.

UPU Congresses and Councils

• U.S. delegate to six UPU Congresses (Rio de Janeiro 1979, Hamburg 1984, Seoul 1994, Beijing 1999, Bucharest 2004 and Geneva 2008). At 1989 Washington Congress, served within the UPU International Bureau secretariat.
• Participated in nearly all annual sessions of the UPU Councils (Postal Operations Council and Council of Administration) since 1985. Working head of U.S. delegation to Council sessions since 2006.

Latin America and Caribbean

• Led U.S. delegation to 2005 and 2009 Congresses of the Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal (PUASP) in Rio de Janeiro and Santiago. Attended PUASP Congresses at Managua 1981, Havana 1985 and Mexico City 1995, and participated in several annual PUASP Council meetings from 1982 to 2010.
• In 1998, initiated annual “Caribbean Christmas Transportation Plan” and created an annual “Caribbean Postal Conference” aimed at improving mail service from the United States to the Caribbean, particularly during the holiday season, from 1998 to 2008. Under the Transportation Plan, Caribbean postal managers track outbound mail to Caribbean during two-week assignments at New York, Miami and San Juan.
• Has led U.S. delegations to most annual Caribbean Postal Union conferences since 1997.

Education

• B.A. in Russian in 1974, cum laude, from Colby College. M.A. in Russian Studies, 1978, from George Washington University. Certificate, Puskhin Institute, Moscow, 1978.

Language ability

• Speaks six foreign languages (in order of fluency Spanish, French, Russian, Chinese and Portuguese). Reads German fluently.

Personal information

• Born 30 August 1952 in New Haven, Connecticut. Raised in South Weymouth, Massachusetts.