By Khalida Sarwari
The Campbell post office made history last week when it officially appointed the city’s first Filipino postmaster. At a ceremony welcoming Ramon Sanchez, who has served as interim postmaster following the retirement of his predecessor, Joe Cole, there were plenty of family members and homemade Filipino food to mark the momentous occasion.
“Everybody was proud,” the 58-year-old Sanchez said of his family, which includes an older sister, three older brothers and one younger brother. His mother, who is 86, was also there, and a sister-in-law made sugar and rice cookies depicting Sanchez’s portrait and the U.S. Postal Service logo.
For Sanchez, his family has been a cornerstone of many of the major decisions he has made in his life–including leaving his hometown of San Pablo City in the Philippines in 1984 to come live with his sister in Sunnyvale. In those early years, he worked part-time for semiconductor company Advanced Micro Devices, but in 1987 his brother introduced him to the postal service, and after that there was no looking back.
Sanchez began his 25-year tenure at the Campbell post office as a letter carrier, followed by a stint as a clerk before he was promoted to supervisor in 1991. He held that position until January 2011, when he took over Cole’s position as postmaster.
“This is my home,” Sanchez said. “Professionally, I grew up here in the Campbell post office. I know most of my employees–we all grew up together.”
The Campbell office is also where, coincidentally, Sanchez met his soulmate: his girlfriend of nearly 20 years, Vicki, who is now retired.
But home is also in San Pablo City, and that’s where Sanchez would like to return to one day when he retires.
“Hopefully I’ll retire in good health,” he said. “The ultimate goal is to go back home and enjoy life as much as I can.”
San Pablo City is less than two hours away from the ocean, and that’s important for Sanchez, who is an avid scuba diver and has explored the waters of Mexico and Hawaii.
For now, Sanchez is focused on the task at hand: managing a 67-member staff at the Campbell post office.
“I want to continue providing the best service for the community and to provide my employees the best and safest environment to work in,” he said.
While many branches around the country have been affected by declining mail volume and significant financial losses, the Campbell office has managed to remain profitable.
While acknowledging that the Internet is “killing us big time,” Sanchez said he can’t imagine the end of the U.S. Postal Service because so many people are dependent upon its services.
