AUSPL – 1981 to 2022
Ray DeLeo, S. Lawrence Schlager, Samuel Dattel and Jerry Frankel chartered the Association of United States Postal lessors in 1981. AUSPL held its first annual conference in Chicago that year and has been actively involved in improving the postal investments of its members since that time.
In response to the extreme inflation of the late 1970s and early 1980s, the USPS developed and rolled out the Lease Amendment Program (LAP). The AUSPL was an important participant in the development and implementation of the LAP. Under the LAP, postal lessors were able to negotiate certain lease changes to increase the maintenance obligations of the USPS. In return, the USPS received certain other favorable lease modifications. The exchange allowed participating lessors to avoid inflationary increases in maintenance costs that had made their leases uneconomical. For example, the USPS would now be changing HVAC filters and light bulbs in their facilities, rather than lessors.
Unfortunately, not all Lessors understood the opportunity the LAP offered in long term financial benefits, and some failed to enroll their facilities in the program. Several owners/lessors who owned a large number of facilities or were very active in building within the New Leased Construction program of the USPS, banded together to facilitate constructive discussions with the USPS to design a more favorable lease arrangement.
From AUSPL’s inception until the late 1980s, Ray DeLeo and his partner, Merritt Meyer, managed the AUSPL from DeLeo’s offices in Providence Rhode Island. At that time, a former GSA employee, Al Iudicello, was president of AUSPL. Mr. Iudicello operated AUSPL from his office in California until 1993, when Samuel Dattel became AUSPL’s President and moved the operation to his Memphis offices.
Under Mr. Dattel’s leadership, the membership grew from very few in 1993 to over 1000 members. A significant amount of the growth was due to the AUSPL Insurance Program, which was established by Samuel Dattel and Rick Austin in 1994.
In 1997 when Gary Poelstra was elected president, operations were moved to Costa Mesa, CA. Gary Poelstra and Rick Austin collaborated to enhance the insurance program in the late 1990s, again increasing AUSPL’s membership.
The AUSPL offices were relocated to Scottsdale, Arizona in 2011, when Terry Phillips became AUSPL’s President. Terry administered the transition to the new offices and the new staff.
Morgan Wolaver followed as AUSPL president from 2012 to 2016. Morgan expanded the legislative program and lobbied members of Congress, promoting the interests of the lessors that owned the national network of leased postal offices. To support the lobbying effort, a Political Action Committee, the AUSPL PAC, was formed in 2014/15. The AUSPL PAC continues to work with members of Congress and keep the Association and its membership informed of legislative activities concerning the Postal Service.
Gary Phillips served as president from 2016 until 2019. During that time, Gary was instrumental in increasing the educational offerings AUSPL provides to its members. In that regard, AUSPL added workshops to the AUSPL Annual Conference, developed Regional Meetings, expanded educational offerings available on its web site and established a social media presence through Facebook and Twitter.
Mark Dattel, guided AUSPL through the difficult circumstances created by the Covid-19 pandemic and the political upheaval at the USPS that came with the appointment of PMG DeJoy. Conferences and Regional meetings were, of necessity, postponed, but by 2022 were back on track. During Mark Dattel’s time as President postal reform legislation was passed, opening new opportunities for lessors.
In April of 2022 Keith LaShier became the new AUSPL president. Keith’s expertise in all things postal will provide extensive information and insight for the challenges and growth ahead.
The AUSPL continues evolving to meet the growing needs of its membership and the changing USPS.