Penner retires, Gicker named acting director of USPS stamp services

By Michael Baadke

Mary-Anne Penner, the director of stamp services for the United States Postal Service, retired as of Jan. 31.

William J. Gicker Jr., who most recently served as the USPS creative director and manager of stamp development, has been named acting Stamp Services director.

Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan appointed Penner as acting head of the U.S. stamp program on April 11, 2015. The promotion was made official one year later, on April 20, 2016.

Penner began her Postal Service career in 1984 as a manual distribution clerk in Hyattsville, Md., moving to USPS headquarters in 1999 as a marketing specialist.

As head of the nation’s stamp program, she signed off on several innovations in U.S. stamp production, including the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse forever stamp that reveals a hidden moon when warmed by human touch (Scott 5211), the 2018 Frozen Treats stamps with a scratch-and-sniff aromatic coating (5285-5294), three different dollar value stamps employing optically variable ink (5295-5297), and the Art of Magic souvenir sheet stamps coated with a lenticular lens that simulates image movement (5306).

Gicker began his USPS career in 1998. His experience in the stamps division has included work as art director and designer on numerous projects, including the 2015 Gifts of Friendship set of four (Scott 4982-4985), the 2016 Madonna and Child stamp (5143), and the 2017 Barn Swallows envelopes (U696).

Gicker served as art director for two announced 2019 projects: the Alabama Statehood stamp, and the Frogs set of four.

The director of stamp services oversees stamp development, stamp products and exhibitions, the Stamp Fulfillment Services division, the Dulles Stamp Development Center, and the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee.

The position reports to the vice president of marketing.

The Postal Service has also assigned Terri L. Basinger to the position of manager of Stamp Fulfillment Services.

After starting as a letter carrier in 1988, Basinger has held several positions including supervisor of cancellation services, operations manager, and manager of stamp production.

She has been acting manager of Stamp Fulfillment Services since July 2018.

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