A Special Delivery for the Middleburg Post Office: 20118

A Special Delivery for the Middleburg Post Office: 20118

By Leonard Shapiro

Tina Brooks’ 35-year career journey began when she learned how to drive tractor trailer and large box trucks to and from the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Merrifield facility in Fairfax County. The final leg is her new role as the recently appointed postmaster at the Middleburg post office.

Postmaster Tina Brooks

Photo by Leonard Shapiro

Tina grew up in Marshall, graduated in 1976 from Fauquier High School and raised three now adult children along the way. She also held a wide variety of postal positions, many of them in a supervisory role, and some that included working in or running area post offices in Catharpin, Round Hill, Waterford, Hume and Little Washington.

When she began with the USPS in 1988, she was only the second woman to drive those big trucks, and she eventually became a transportation supervisor overseeing about 100 of her former driver colleagues.

Coming back to Middleburg earlier this year was the perfect move for a woman who’s first job before she joined the postal service was working at the old Middleburg Training Track. Her daughters were members of a local pony club at Glenwood Park, and while she never rode herself, “I always wanted my kids to do it. I’ve definitely spent a lot of time around Middleburg.

“I’m excited to be here,” she said of her move to the town’s bustling facility, with 1,800 post office boxes and another 1,000 rural route patrons. “I wanted to be close to family. We have more than three generations in this area, so it’s a great fit.”

She and Ken Quinn, her Middleburg postmaster predecessor, had once worked together at Merrifield. While she never spoke to Quinn specifically about replacing him, when he retired last year and the job came open “I just decided it would be a great place to finish my career.” Not that she’s doing that any time soon. “I got my kids horses and bought a farm, so I still owe a little money,” she added with a smile. “And I think I still have a little bit to offer.”

Surely there’s plenty to be done. The Middleburg branch has been operating shorthanded lately, missing a clerk and a carrier, leaving three clerks, two regular carriers and one substitute carrier. That means the new postmaster helps with sorting and getting the mail into all those boxes, and works the front counter in addition to all her normal administrative duties.

There are other challenges, as well. The explosion of on-line shopping has increased the number of packages to be delivered, and Middleburg’s aging postal vehicles are getting more obsolete by the day, rarely with enough room to daily handle all those boxes large and small. Still, she is hardly complaining. “I’ve got great employees,” she said. “They’re all hard-working and very respectful of our customers. Everyone knows what they’re doing and they like doing their jobs. It’s just a great situation.” She listed other plusses, as well. “I’m seeing old friends and meeting new people,” she said. “Everyone has welcomed me.” And driving tractor trailers is no longer in her job description.