Wakefield postmaster honored

By CHARITY SMITH

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Wakefield - Wakefield postmaster Drew Tikkanen has been named the "2019 Engagement Leader of the Year," for the Greater Michigan District of the U.S. Postal Service.

"I was very shocked when this happened," Tikkanen said. "I was not expecting it. Especially one out of our whole district. I didn't know they had this kind of thing until they presented me with it."

Tikkanen said she was presented the award Thursday via a surprise Zoom presentation from the district manager in Grand Rapids, Krista Finazzo. Her direct supervisor, Dwayne Wisuri, in Ishpeming, had told her he was "stopping by to do some things."

"I thought he was just auditing things, or checking things out," she said. "He pulled out his computer and opened up a Zoom meeting and (Finazzo) was on there to present me the award. I cried," she said.

According to Tikkanen the award is presented annually to someone in the district who is an engaging person, who gets the office working well together, who goes above and beyond, who puts a lot of effort into everything. The award recipient is nominated by postal employees.

Tikkanen has been a postal employee for nine years and has been the postmaster overseeing the Wakefield, Ramsay, Marenesco and Bergland post offices for the last three years. She's in charge of 10 employees.

A fellow local USPS employee Wendy Savola said she has nominated Tikkanen for the award for the last two years.

"The woman never says no. There is no job that she won't at least try. When someone to asks her to do something. She is the most positive person that I know. She works on building people up. ... She is just an all around very nice person, caring, kind, generous," said Savola. "She's patient she's got a great since of humor. She is very organized."

Tikkanen said her biggest thing is just involving the employees and treating them like you want to be treated.

"I just want to keep this momentum going that we have here in our office, cause we have such a great crew here. ... I know a lot of offices and just businesses and places in general if you don't have a good work environment you are going to be crabby, your not going to be feeling it and I just try to keep things light and airy and happy and positive around here, because who wants to go into a crabby workplace."

She says she takes things day by day, and they try to bring up good news that is going on in the world or an inspirational quote to start each day. Friday's inspirational quote of the day she said was: "Keep on keeping on."

"This award means the world to me," Tikkanen said in a USPS award announcement. "I am honored and blessed beyond belief. I love what I do. I have an amazing crew in my office and I strive daily to make our office a positive work environment."

On Friday morning, a pair of Tikkanen's customers told the Daily Globe she is "a blessing," and said that they "love her."