[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 65 (Monday, April 23, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E821]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              HONORING OAKLAND POSTMASTER LAWRENCE BARNES

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 23, 2007

  Ms. LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary life 
and career of Lawrence Barnes. Larry served with distinction as the 
Postmaster of Oakland from 1995 until 2007. His appointment as 
Postmaster came after more than 35 years of loyal service to the United 
States Postal Service (USPS), in addition to four years of honorable 
service in the United States Air Force. Today Larry celebrates his 
retirement after more than four decades of outstanding service to his 
community and his country.
  Larry graduated from high school in 1965, at which time he joined the 
U.S. Air Force. There he served as an Air Traffic Control Technician, 
and was honorably discharged in 1969.
  Upon leaving the military, Larry began his career with the USPS as a 
distribution clerk. Due to his exceptional performance and natural 
leadership abilities, it did not take long for him to begin moving 
through the ranks and into management. In the years that followed, 
Larry was promoted to MPLSM Clerk; Working Group Leader; Supervisor of 
Mail; MPLSM Supervisor; Management Trainee; Assignments in LRR; Postal 
Systems Examiner; MCS; Acting Superintendent; and General Supervisor. 
Following his extraordinary service in all of these areas, Larry was 
appointed as the Postmaster of Oakland on December 23, 1995.
  As Postmaster, Larry worked tirelessly not only to improve USPS 
functions for individual customers and employees, but also to build a 
stronger community. A regular speaker at neighborhood meetings, he 
always made the effort to reach out to Oakland residents, and to be 
available to hear their ideas and concerns. Larry and his staff have 
also been active in local efforts to improve air quality and public 
health. I was proud and honored to host Larry as a speaker at my 
September 2006 Town Hall Meeting on West Oakland air quality. At that 
forum he provided updates on USPS efforts to modernize its vehicles and 
decrease its diesel emissions, actions that have greatly helped to 
improve air quality and public health in West Oakland.
  In addition to being a dedicated government servant throughout his 
career, Larry is a committed husband, father, grandfather, bowler, and 
fan of the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders. Furthermore, he is 
a leader in the faith community, serving as an active member of the 
Abyssinian Missionary Baptist Church (AMBC) Men's Ministry, serving 
under the direction of Dr. Kevin D. Barnes, Pastor of AMBC. Education 
has also been a priority for Larry throughout his life. He graduated 
from Merritt College with an AA in Social Science in 1976, and is 
currently attending C.B. Mason Bible College.
  I have known Larry for many years, and it has always been a pleasure 
to work with him. His commitment to his employees, his customers and to 
the Oakland community has had a positive impact on countless lives. On 
this very special day, I join the friends, family and colleagues of 
Lawrence Barnes in thanking and saluting him for his profound 
contributions to California's 9th Congressional District, our country 
and our world.

                          ____________________