VP RETIRING. Gary McCurdy, VP, Eastern Area Operations, announced he will retire from USPS effective Jan. 4. He began his Postal Service career in 1973, received a Vice President's Award in 1997 and the Postmaster General Award in 1999. He assumed leadership of the Eastern Area in September 2001. In that position, he is responsible for postal operations in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Delaware, Kentucky, North Carolina, most of South Carolina, southern New Jersey and parts of Virginia and Indiana.

PMG Jack Potter saluted McCurdy's commitment to USPS. "In every position he has held, Gary has been dedicated to providing the best service possible to our customers," he said. "His equally strong focus on employee and communication issues has supported his achievements throughout a distinguished career. I wish him every success in the future.

"The Postal Service is an incredible organization," said McCurdy. "Its people do amazing things every day. They should be proud of what they do, and we should make sure America knows their story." McCurdy will become an executive VP with credit card issuer and financial service company MBNA in Wilmington, DE.

COMPUTER SECURITY DAY. USPS will observe Computer Security Day this Thursday, Nov. 21. The day is set aside to reinforce the need for good information-security practices at home, work and anywhere, anytime someone uses a computer. As part of its efforts to protect the safety and security of employees, customers and the nation's mail, USPS is working to ensure information security. Special information about Computer Security Day is available at the IT web site http://it.usps.gov (not accessible outside Postal networks).

HOLIDAY SEASON MESSAGES. As always, USPS will be making the holidays more convenient for customers. Post offices and other postal outlets not only make it easy for customers to mail their holiday cards and packages, but also provide convenient services and great gift ideas. Stamps, products and shipping services can also be found at www.usps.com, while stamps are available from thousands of convenient locations, such as supermarkets, convenience stores, ATMs and other sites. USPS holiday print advertising will feature the value of Priority Mail and Express Mail services.