New postal chief has mail in his blood

Matthew A. Valdivia became postmaster of the Marysville Post Office during a ceremony Friday.

Valdivia, 33, takes the place of Chris Tracey, who transferred to the Sacramento District.

An employee with the U.S. Postal Service for the past nine years, Valdivia was postmaster of the Live Oak Post Office for two years.

Previously, he worked as a postal supervisor in Chico, Oroville, Paradise and Yuba City; the officer in charge in Olivehurst; and as acting manager of postal operations for the 959/960 zip code area.

Now moving his residence to Marysville, he's already lived all over Northern California, he said, because of his father Alex Valdivia's career in the Postal Service. The senior Valdivia recently retired.

Valdivia attended middle school in Yuba City, graduated from Paradise High School and attended Butte College.

Asked about upcoming changes at the local post office, Valdivia said, "We're adjusting all the routes to ensure more efficient delivery and more service."

That includes permanent routes rather than routes with substitute carriers, he said, and working to deliver mail to businesses before noon.