Luann Miller started in the Kalona Post Office about a month ago as Officer in Charge, filling in for postmaster Gae Walton who is currently out of the office on leave. Miller said she’s been extremely impressed with the Kalona Post Office staff — they’ve made the transition into her new position comfortable and smooth.

“The team here is magnificent. I could not ask for a better team. The carriers, they just take care of things. And the same with the clerks — they’re fantastic, they just take care of things,” Miller said. “If something comes in the mail and it has the wrong address on it, they’re talking with each other to find out whose route it’s on and what address should be on it. They’re going above and beyond to make sure the mail gets where it needs to go, even if it’s not addressed correctly.”

Miller started working for the Post Office in 2017, when she was a clerk in the Deep River, Iowa office. From there, she moved to working as a clerk in the Brooklyn, Iowa office, then to Sigourney, which is her hometown. After that, she was assigned a detail position in the District Office where she served as the Business Services Network Representative before moving to a Supervisor position in Washington, Iowa. And now she’s in Kalona, serving as Officer in Charge.

“There are some things in that whole track that I had not done before, so I’m kind of learning the ropes with that,” Miller said. “And the team here is so fantastic, taking care of things, that it gives me time to learn the stuff I haven’t learned before.”

Miller said working at the post office in a smaller town allows the staff to get to know their customers — and to learn the best way to help them. In other offices, there might be more turnover, but in Kalona, the post office employees are seasoned; they know the community and its addresses and its residents.

“Gae has done a fantastic job of getting her foot in the door with [knowing the community,” Miller said. “She’s developed some good relationships and has helped them build their businesses. She did all of that leg work that was the hard part, so now I can just step in and help out.”

Miller said the job’s challenges and the opportunity is presents to learn new things is what she loves about working for the post office.

“I’m the type of person who always likes to learn,” she said. “I like to look at each new challenge as an opportunity to learn something new.”

When she’s not at the post office, Miller and her husband Wayne buy old homes, fix them up and then rent them out through a business called Rental Rebuilds.

“We are out there to buy a home that needs to be fixed up and give it some TLC,” Miller said. “We like being able to find somebody a home who maybe otherwise couldn’t find a home. We’re careful about vetting our tenants, but we do have single mothers who are raising children or traveling nurses. The homes that we have are either at a bus stop or close to one and also in close proximity to a grocery store and other necessities.”

Miller said she invites the community to come say hello at the post office. She works the window Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., which she enjoys because it gives her a chance to get to know new faces.

“I love to meet people; I love to learn about them. What are their interests? If they have a home business, is there a way we can help them? My wheels are always turning, thinking about how we can help them to get cheaper shipping or some kind of mailing that would help their business.”