Mailing Industry CEO Council Applauds House Government Reform Committee Action on Postal Reform Cites Vital Role of Mail in American Economy WASHINGTON, May 13 /PRNewswire/ -- The Mailing Industry CEO Council commended the work of the House Government Reform Committee in adopting the "Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2004." As a leading mailing industry group whose members are leaders of a cross-section of companies that depend on the postal system, the CEO Council has been steadfast in its call for postal reform legislation as essential for the mailing public and the American economy. Because the U.S. Postal Service is the linchpin of the much larger $900 billion mailing industry with 9 million workers that drives over 8% of the U.S. gross domestic product, postal reform legislation is vital to ensure the continued viability and success of the Postal Service. The aim of postal reform is to ensure that the Postal Service can continue to fulfill its obligations to deliver mail to every home and business in the country into the 21st Century. "The Congress has begun the important and necessary process of delivering comprehensive postal reform legislation," said Michael J. Critelli, Chairman and CEO of Pitney Bowes Inc., and President of the Mailing Industry CEO Council. "The U.S. Mail is critical to commerce and serves as a vital channel for business. Postal reform is required to allow the USPS to grow the mail as a vital communications medium, foster new opportunities for public-private partnerships to acheive increased efficiencies at the U.S. Postal Service, and allow the postal system to act as an engine for economic growth for the U.S. economy," continued Critelli. "The Mailing Industry CEO Council is asking Congress to do two things," said Judy Marks, President, Lockheed Martin Distribution Technologies, and Chair of the CEO Council's Legislative Subcommittee, "to encourage the U.S. Postal Service to continue to promote reforms available under existing law and to pass a comprehensive postal reform bill this Congress. Today the House Government Reform Committee took an important step toward making comprehensive postal reform a reality in this Congress," continued Marks. The CEO Council is advocating eight core principles of postal reform: promoting the growth and value of mail; creating a customer-centric U.S. Postal Service; maintaining universal access and universal service at affordable prices; promoting public-private partnerships to growth mail volume and enhance efficiencies; achieving price stability through predictable and responsible rate adjustments; stimulating public-private collaboration to maximize innovation; enhancing the management performance of the Postal Service; and strengthening the governance of the USPS by incorporating corporate best practices. The Mailing Industry CEO Council is a sixteen-member non-profit organization whose main objective is to provide senior executive input to proposed reforms, promote industry standards, and promote the vital role of mail in industry and commerce. The CEO Council actively supports postal reform efforts. The membership of the Mailing Industry CEO Council includes: * Michael J. Critelli, Chairman and CEO, Pitney Bowes Inc., and President of the CEO Council; * Gary M. Mulloy, Chairman and CEO, ADVO, Inc., and Secretary/Treasurer of the CEO Council; * Cathleen Black, President, Hearst Magazines; * C. Hamilton Davison, Jr., President and CEO, Paramount Cards Inc.; * T. Michael Glenn, Executive Vice President, FedEx Corporation; * Richard Hochhauser, President and CEO, Harte-Hanks, Inc.; * Judy F. Marks, President, Lockheed Martin Distribution Technologies; * Ann S. Moore, Chairman and CEO, Time Inc.; * Charles D. Morgan, Company Leader, Acxiom Corporation; * William Novelli, CEO, AARP; * William Nuti, CEO, Symbol Technologies; * Thomas O. Ryder, Chairman and CEO, The Reader's Digest Association, Inc.; * David M. Sable, Vice Chairman and President , Wunderman; * Charles Schellhorn, President and CEO, DST Output; * Michael P. Sherman, Vice Chairman, Crosstown Traders, Inc.; and * Richard Srednicki, Executive VP and CEO, Card Services, J P Morgan Chase Contact: Gary C. Battaglia 203-351-6984 DATASOURCE: Mailing Industry CEO Council CONTACT: Gary C. Battaglia, +1-203-351-6984, , for Mailing Industry CEO Council

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