[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 184 (Wednesday, October 20, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1119]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           DAN HEINS TRIBUTE

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. MIKE BOST

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 20, 2021

  Mr. BOST. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Dr. Daniel 
Heins, who will be retiring at the end of this month from his position 
as national president of the United Postmasters and Managers of America 
(UPMA). Dan began his accomplished postal career in Minneapolis, 
Minnesota in March of 1981 as a distribution and window clerk. He rose 
through the ranks as a letter carrier, a supervisor, a station manager, 
and then in 2010, he was appointed postmaster in Stewartville, 
Minnesota. Prior to his election as UPMA national president, Dan served 
in various leadership positions within the Minnesota Chapter of UPMA, 
including district director, executive vice-president, secretary-
treasurer, and nine years as a chapter president. Nationally, Dan 
served in roles as vice-president and secretary-treasurer before being 
elected president on November 1, 2018. UPMA has 25,000 active and 
retired members including postmasters, managers, supervisors, retirees 
and associate members. Dan is committed to making sure that UPMA does 
everything possible to improve the lives of their members at all levels 
of the organization. As the organization's first president, Dan worked 
hard to establish UPMA as a trusted voice among policymakers on Capitol 
Hill. He was singularly determined to advocate on both sides of the 
aisle for comprehensive postal reform to ensure that the USPS continues 
to exist. Dan shared his personal belief in the importance of reform so 
future employees could have the same opportunities for personal growth 
that Dan had been blessed with. His passion for being a postmaster and 
his professional commitment to a successful USPS have been 
unassailable. In 2019, Dan led a successful UPMA convention and 
followed up on his commitment to building and growing a dynamic 
association by having record attendance at the Congressional Summit in 
early 2020. Hundreds of postmasters who came to Washington under Dan's 
leadership last year to advocate for postal reform and their benefits. 
About a month after that successful summit, the COVID-19 public health 
crisis struck. Dan immediately jumped into action, communicating to 
policymakers on Capitol Hill the dire situation the USPS was in and the 
need for supplemental funding to provide PPE and ensure the timely 
delivery of the unprecedented volume of packages from local stay-at-
home orders. In the summer of 2020, Dan and his wife, Karen, traveled 
the country to a number of UPMA state conventions, demonstrating his 
commitment to the vitality and success of the Association. Even though 
the 2020 national convention welcomed only a fraction of its usual 
attendance, Dan made sure that postmasters continued to come together 
and be recognized for the essential work they do. In the fall of 2020, 
as postmasters throughout the country prepared for record vote-by-mail 
turnout, Dan was a steady voice to his members assuring them that 
postmasters and postal employees would rise to the challenge. I was 
proud to meet with my local postmasters from Southern Illinois during 
this year's Congressional Summit and thank them for the essential 
service they do every day. Madam Speaker, I am proud to recognize Dan 
Heins for his leadership as president of the United Postmasters of 
America. I also recognize his wife, Karen, a true partner to Dan whose 
steadfast support has helped him achieve his success. As a new 
president takes office, I know that a solid foundation has been built 
by UPMA because of the work of President Dan Heins.

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