Wanda Tye, who is deaf, has grown in her role as a mail clerk at Fort Rucker to now be the “face” of the U.S. Army Post Mail and Distribution Center. She is the 2020 Team Member of the Year because she is a shining example of GCE’s values who loves helping others.

Wanda and her supervisor, Leamon Sullivan, started working at GCE at about the same time. He said they “grew up together” at GCE. At first, she worked in a secluded corner workstation, but with encouragement from Leamon, Wanda took an opportunity to interact more with customers at the front window. A humble, timid person by nature, she discovered that it was exciting to meet people who knew sign language, and she enjoyed the interaction.

Wanda follows the mantra, “It’s only mail until it’s your mail,” taking seriously this important work. She tracks express, certified and registered mail including hospital medical records, evidence for criminal investigations and court documents. In all, Wanda helps meter an average of $4,000 in postage on mail throughout the month. She also delivers to about 84 mail stops on base. Wanda pulls her weight and then some.

A task she pays special attention to is redirecting mail for service members who have relocated. Personal mail is a prized possession for soldiers serving away from loved ones, so she researches the address database and forwards those special messages to the right people.

Wanda strives for ownership but isn’t ashamed to ask someone to write down a request or explain it further. In casual conversation one day, she and Leamon were discussing how to use some spare dry erase boards. They decided to install one near the front window where Wanda greets customers and it has been a big hit. While some people know sign language, others feel more comfortable using the board. They also have a poster of the sign language ABCs on the wall and people enjoy learning how to sign.

Wanda pushes herself to step outside her comfort zone. Wanda knows what her regular customers need before they ask. She has received several ICE comments (Interactive Customer Evaluation) for the level of service she provides at Fort Rucker.

She loves her job and trusts her team. They celebrate on special occasions, and she never feels left out. A woman of few words, Wanda said, “These past 10 years have been good.”

If you want to work with a great team of people like Wanda, take a look at our careers site.