Postal Regulatory Commission appoints first chief data officer

The watchdog responsible for overseeing the U.S. Postal Service has named Russell Rappel-Schmid as its first chief data officer.

He joins the Postal Regulatory Commission after serving as chief data officer for the state of Alaska and previously worked on the data analytics team at USPS’ Office of Inspector General.

Earlier in his career, Rappel-Schmid worked as an audit manager at USPS OIG and also previously was a member of the U.S. Marine Corps.

At the Postal Regulatory Commission, he will oversee the watchdog’s data management and compliance with the OPEN Government Data Act. Under the act, federal agencies must publish all their information as open data using standardized formats.

His appointment comes also as the regulatory body introduces a beta version of a service performance data dashboard designed to make postal data more accessible and usable. It is currently seeking public feedback on the tool, which displays national-level service performance results.

Commenting on Rappel-Schmid’s appointment, PRC chairman Michael Kubayanda said: “I am excited to welcome Russell Rappel-Schmid to the Commission.” He added: “With his experience implementing data initiatives and his knowledge of the postal sector, Russ is well-positioned to lead the Commission’s emergent open data efforts, and to support the Commission as it continues to provide transparency and accountability of the postal system.”

As chief data officer, Rappel-Schmid will report to the commission’s Secretary and Chief Administrative Officer Erica Barker.

The OPEN Government Data Act made permanent key aspects of the May 2013 Open Data Policy, which was enacted by the Obama administration.

The PRC is the independent federal agency responsible for overseeing operations at USPS.