New postmaster named for Shackelford County
Amy Boyett Price has been named postmaster for Shackelford County and now oversees operations at both the Albany and Moran post offices.
Price, who has worked at the Albany office for the past six years and has ten years of experience with the postal service, officially learned of her new role following an interview held Tuesday, March 11. She received the offer that same afternoon.
“I’m responsible for everything here in Albany and in Moran,” she said, noting that mail volume in the county is substantial—far more than most residents might realize.
The Albany post office handles an average of 1,200 pieces of Delivery Point Sequence mail per day, not including flats, raw letters, or packages. Mondays are especially busy, with volume reaching more than 3,200 letters and 700 packages. During peak season—between Thanksgiving and the New Year—the package count regularly reaches 500 to 800 per day.
“People don’t realize the volume that comes through this office,” Price said. “Even other offices are shocked by how much mail Albany receives. We get more than towns twice our size.”
Price also noted that much of the public may not fully understand the effort involved in sorting and processing mail. “Some think it just arrives ready to be placed in boxes, but there’s a lot more to it,” she said. “We handle raw letters, flats, and packages that require extra sorting.”
The new postmaster replaces Daniel Schonviesner, who served for a year before transferring back to Farwell, where he had previously lived. Before him, Laura Gilbreth served as postmaster for nearly 30 years, beginning her career in Moran after being a carrier in Breckenridge and Cisco before taking over the Albany office.
“I come from a long line of postal workers,” Price said. “My grandfather, Don Boyett, retired as a postmaster in Rising Star, and also served as postmaster in Moran. My father worked as a carrier before moving to the oilfield. My husband has been with the postal service for 25 years in Abilene, and my father-in-law is a retired postmaster and postal auditor.”
Price said her goal is to return the local post office to the positive, community-focused atmosphere that existed under Gilbreth’s long tenure.
“There are a lot of changes going on in the postal service right now,” Price said. “But we want to make it feel like it did when Laura was here—when everyone was happy. That’s the goal.”
In addition to day-to-day operations, the postmaster is responsible for increased reporting, surveys, and communication with the Fort Worth regional office.
“There’s more paperwork now,” Price said. “I report to Fort Worth every day about something, and we have regular meetings to stay on top of the changes.”
She asked for patience from local customers, especially as new policies and adjustments are implemented.
“We’re working hard,” she said. “There will be some changes we can’t control, but we’re doing our best to keep things running smoothly.”
