Smithsonian Institution
News
Office of Public Affairs
Aug. 15, 2005
Media only: Allison Gallaway
(202) 633-5509
National Postal Museum Announces New Leadership for Advisory Council
The Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum announced that John Nolan will succeed
James Pehta as chairman of the National Postal Museum Advisory Council. Ed Gleiman will
serve in the newly created role of vice chairman. Nolan recently retired from his position as
deputy postmaster general; Gleiman is former chairman of the Postal Rate Commission.
“Jim Pehta has been part of the National Postal Museum since its inception,” said
National Postal Museum Director Allen Kane. “He has done a terrific job as chairman of the
Museum Advisory Council and the museum is deeply grateful. We look forward to Jim’s
continued involvement with the museum.”
The National Postal Museum is charting an ambitious course over the next several years
that will include extensive renovations to the museum’s history galleries and greater emphasis on
outreach programs to attract visitors, build the museum membership program and increase
utilization of museum spaces for meetings and events. Over a two-year period, attendance at the
National Postal Museum increased more than 40 percent.
“John Nolan and Ed Gleiman bring a wealth of knowledge, energy and postal industry
experience to the table. With them at the helm, the Museum Advisory Council will play a vital
role in shaping the future of the National Postal Museum,” Kane said.
Pehta participated in the selection process and was pleased with the results.
“I couldn’t be happier with the appointments of John Nolan and Ed Gleiman. Their
proven leadership skills will bring a new dimension to the Museum Advisory Council in its
support role for the Postal Museum,” Pehta said. “This is a major move forward for the museum
and the council as the museum undertakes a transformation of its exhibits.”
Nolan started his career with the United States Postal Service, where he advanced from
being a management intern to running the world’s largest post office as postmaster/general
manager of the New York division. Nolan spent more than 10 years with Merrill Lynch before
returning to the U.S. Postal Service to serve as deputy postmaster general, a position he held for
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five years. Before his retirement, Nolan served on the National Postal Museum Coordinating
Committee, which is a governing board comprised of representatives from the U.S. Postal
Service and the Smithsonian Institution. He has also served on a number of industry and nonprofit boards and executive committees, including the U. S. Postal Service Board of Governors,
the National Postal Policy Council and the Princeton Regional Scholarship Foundation.
Gleiman is currently a member of the National Postal Museum Advisory Council and
served on the museum’s Winton S. Blount Advisory Council. He was appointed chairman of the
Postal Rate Commission by President Clinton in 1994. Prior to that, he served as staff director
and chief counsel of the Subcommittee on Federal Services, Post Office and Civil Service of the
Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs and as a senior policy advisor to then-Sen. David
Pryor (D-Ark.). Gleiman also worked for 10 years on the staff of a subcommittee of the U.S.
House of Representatives Government Operations Committee. He now heads his own public
policy and government relations consulting firm, EJGConsulting.
The National Postal Museum is devoted to presenting the colorful and engaging history of
the nation’s mail service and showcasing the largest and most comprehensive collection of
stamps and philatelic material in the world. It is located at 2 Massachusetts Ave. N.E., across
from Union Station. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For more information
visit the museum’s Web site at www.postal.si.edu.
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