Every day, students line-up outside the Post Office to pick up their parcels, not knowing about all the work required to get those packages to them. Behind the scenes, the auxiliary services department is the backbone of the school’s parcel management system. 

Mr. Joe O’Connor, manager of auxiliary services, has been a member of the school community since 1986. He originally worked in the now-closed printshop before moving into his administrative role. Even before the Post Office and Central Receiving merged last year, Mr. Joe O’Connor had always worked closely with Ms. Brenda Cudney, supervisor of the post office. 

The post office handles mail for individual community members and for some departments. According to Ms. Cudney, “Mail starts to arrive around ten in the morning and comes all day long. Our heaviest time is between 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.” 

Other major deliveries are processed by auxiliary services. Mr. O’Connor said, “Our team has a hand in almost everything that is purchased and comes through the receiving area, so it’s not just [postal] mail that we deal with.” 

Mr. Mike Reilly, central receiving and purchasing associate, takes the lead on all non-USPS shipments that arrive at the school. Mr. Reilly said, “Of everything delivered to us, 90% goes through my fingertips.” Mr. Reilly said, “While Mr. O’Connor and Ms. Cudney work more in the front of the house, I’m more of a manager of the back of the house.”

When asked about his favorite part of the job, Mr. Reilly answered, “It’s really assuring that the community has the necessary products to do their job. Whether it’s for our housekeeping, facilities, alumni and development, or I.T. departments, I love doing what I can to support them.” Outside of central receiving, Mr. Reilly also coaches Boys Thirds Basketball. He said, “Not only does having a team eager to get better make it easier for me, but I love getting to work with the guys.” 

Beyond working with the post office, Mr. O’Connor enjoys helping students through overseeing the E&R Laundry service on campus. “Whether it be something as small as helping someone find a missing article of clothing, I love trying to resolve issues for other people.”

Students can learn more about the auxiliary services by taking a tour or volunteering. Ms. Cudney said, “We used to have student workers come help us sort letters, and it was a great way for students to look behind the scenes and understand what goes on. You really don’t realize what the post office does until you’ve gone there to see what they do.”