Joseph F. Thekkekara is sworn in as Richmond’s new postmaster Wednesday in the Old House Chamber at the State Capitol. Previously a postmaster in Texas, Illinois and New York communities, he is the 34th person to hold the title in Richmond since the beginning of the postal service around 1778. He is surrounded by family, from left, son Jason, wife Annie and son Justin as the oath of office is administered by Linda Malone, U.S. Postal Service vice president for the Capital Metro area, which stretches from Baltimore to Atlanta. Mr. Thekkekara started his career as a mail carrier in 1988. He succeeds Harold G. O’Connor, who was postmaster for 11 years before being removed in 2016 and retiring earlier this year in the wake of a scandal over management efforts to reduce carrier overtime pay by changing time cards.
