Local, homegrown, and locally educated, Vanessa Cobb is back home and making history as the first black woman to be sworn in as Tallahassee’s 33rd Postmistress.
To the south of the city – in Cobb’s own backyard – her friends, family, colleagues and even some well-known Tallahassee politicians gathered in front of the Tallahassee Main Post Office at 2800 S. Adams St.
The event featured a welcome sign to Cobb and balloons in red, blue and white – the colors of the United States Postal Service. Guests sat on decorated seats or stood in the shade of the few trees on site.
Among those in attendance: City Commissioner Curtis Richardson, U.S. Rep. Neal Dunn, Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell, Leon School Superintendent Rocky Hanna, Leon County Property Appraiser Akin Akinyemi and Gadsden County Commissioner Kimblin NeSmith. Richardson, Dunn, Hanna, Akinyemi and NeSmith are all candidates in next Tuesday’s primary election.
After the pomp and circumstance of Thursday’s ceremony, however, Cobb faces serious challenges: Mail delivery remains a sore spot for many residents. In addition to letters and packages arriving weeks late, there are other complaints about intercepted checks, stolen gift cards and more.
Cobb must now oversee an audit of the facilities as part of a plan to improve the postal service. Auditors discovered serious problems at the region’s postal facilities, including improper package scanning and dilapidated buildings.
Before her swearing-in this week, the Tallahassee Democrat asked for the opportunity to interview Cobb, which postal officials denied. And after the event, a reporter tried to ask Cobb questions but was rebuffed.
However, Derrick Watson, USPS sales manager in Tallahassee, said during the ceremony that Cobb’s “plan to strengthen our relationships between our employees and the community is the critical step to address these challenges together.”
Richardson told the crowd “how proud we are of you, and I have to admit, I’ve known your family for years and watched you grow up here on the south side,” Richardson said. “We want to thank you for everything you’ve contributed and everything we know you’ll continue to contribute.”
Dunn, who was the driving force behind the recent audits, later added: “I am confident we have the right person for the job and I cannot think of anyone better suited to the position.”
In fact, Dunn did not hide the bad news in the audit reports.
“The Postal Service Inspector General has uncovered some unacceptable delays and processing problems, and now we want to address them,” Dunn said. “I’m glad we were able to get the Postal Service Inspector General to look into this — but the work isn’t done yet.”
Cobb herself acknowledged that “there have been some difficulties here in Tallahassee,” but said she was confident she could handle the task.
“I promise … the community that I will strengthen our relationship between my employees and the community so that we can provide the best possible service to our customers,” Cobb said, echoing Watson’s words.
Arianna Otero is City Solutions Reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat. Reach her via email at [email protected] or via Twitter/X: @ari_v_otero.
