You've Got Mail

            I grew up in a small town very similar to Mansfield in New York state. During high school, my family moved back to Pennsylvania, outside of Philadelphia but over the past five years, Mansfield has become my home. Edgard “Gardy” Domench, head of mail services at MU moved here in 1991 from Puerto Rico and for the past 22 years, Mansfield University and the  community have been his home.

            “My move here was originally going to be short term but now Mansfield is my home.” Gardy, told me many times. “ I applied to work at the university once a week for six months. My first job here was as a custodian and then I began working in the mailroom part time. I had never thought of a career in mail services.”

            When I first came to Mansfield, I was a student in the biology program never thinking of a career in a communication field. I even remember laughing when Communication Department chair, Dr. K. Sue Young, said I would fit in well with the department. My meeting with her was only to get paperwork signed for a course approval for my semester abroad.

            I studied in Finland, a small Scandinavian nation of only 5.5 million. Yes, the entire country has fewer people than Manhattan!

            “I’m an outsider,” Gardy said, referring to the fact he immigrated to the US from Puerto Rico, “But I always feel welcome here. Mansfield is a little family, I’ve had the opportunity to get to know people from all departments on campus and that’s something special.”

            Gardy also earned a degree here in 2002. Mail services is a department that serves everyone on campus. They’re the middle man for letters and packages for campus and they deliver to all offices and academic buildings as well as service to all students.

            “We just transitioned to a central mailroom on campus but it seems to be working well.” Gardy explained. “We’ve had a lot less complaints about the mail from both students and parents since we made the switch and we’re working on more changes to offer more services to students. We currently sell stamps and can send packages priority mail for students but I’m working to offer packaging supplies and money orders so we’ll function as a full post office for campus.

            He said that he’s trying to get FedEx, UPS and USPS drop boxes placed near Pinecrest Manor where the office is located so students don’t have to walk into town to return packages through the most common carriers.

            I asked Gardy for a piece of advice he would give to students, as I have asked many of the individuals I’ve met with while writing this blog. He said simply: “You have to show them you want to work.”