[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 83 (Monday, June 27, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 27, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                      IN RECOGNITION OF JIM WALTON

                                 ______


                            HON. RON de LUGO

                         of the virgin islands

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 27, 1994

  Mr. de LUGO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize an outstanding 
individual and to express my appreciation of a real friend of the 
Virgin Islands, James C. Walton.
  Jim Walton is the U.S. Postal Service's New York metro area manager, 
customer service and sales, and now is the top official directly 
responsible for postal services for the people of my district, the U.S. 
Virgin Islands.
  His keen interest, in-depth knowledge and understanding, and strong 
support have been largely responsible for bringing substantial 
improvements in postal operations in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
  Jim Walton is a 31-year veteran of government service. He was 
district director of mail processing in the districts of Long Island 
and New York, and general manager of the Kennedy International Airport 
mail facility. He has served as Northeast regional director of mail 
processing and the general manager/postmaster of the Newark and Florida 
divisions. He led mail distribution in south Florida in the aftermath 
of Hurricane Andrew and did an extraordinary job that brought him well-
deserved national recognition.
  I have known and worked with Jim Walton for almost a decade, 
beginning back in 1984 when I was a member of the Post Office and Civil 
Service Committee and he was appointed by the Postmaster General to 
head up a task force that I requested so we could bring much needed 
improvements to postal operations in the Virgin Islands.
  Jim recognized that we had real challenges in the logistics of 
delivering the mail, both within the islands and off-island. He also 
realized that our facilities were substandard and needed to be 
upgraded.
  Over the next 10 years, we took on an ambitious modernization program 
for all three islands. On St. Thomas it included the complete 
renovation of the Veterans Drive Station in Frenchtown and creation of 
a new airport sorting station to speed up delivery on all three 
islands. Earlier this month, a new post office was opened to serve 
residents of the island's east end.
  On St. Croix the Kingshill Station was modernized, the new Gallows 
Bay Station was built, Sunny Isle was expanded, and the Richmond Post 
Office was renovated. On St. John, the Cruz Bay Post Office was 
expanded, doubling its size.
  Just 2 weeks ago, Jim Walton instituted a restructuring in Virgin 
Islands postal operations that I had long pressed the Postal Service to 
put in place, by removing the Virgin Islands out from under Puerto Rico 
and placing us directly under his office. He also formalized the 
reporting system that Virgin Islands postmasters follow.
  Now, the Virgin Islands has the direct attention of a man who has an 
in-depth knowledge and understanding of our operations.
  Jim Walton has the ability to assess problems, develop solutions, and 
implement them. He also recognizes that the post office is, in fact, 
the Postal Service. Its customers and its employees are people in whom 
he takes a genuine interest.
  There are times when one person can make a real difference in the 
lives of many, and Jim Walton is one of them.
  Today, Mr. Speaker, I recognize Jim Walton and I commend him for all 
he had done on behalf of the people of the Virgin Islands.

                          ____________________