Sharpening the national union’s administrative operations and the wise and efficient use of union resources remain top priorities for Secretary-Treasurer Jane E. Broendel.

A member of Davenport, Iowa Branch 506, Broendel had served three years as assistant secretary-treasurer when NALC President Vincent R. Sombrotto appointed her secretary-treasurer in February 2002 to fill a vacancy. She was overwhelmingly elected in nationwide balloting later that year to her first four-year term, then was re-elected by acclamation twice—at the 2006 convention in Las Vegas and again at the 2010 convention in Anaheim.

As secretary-treasurer, Broendel manages both the Finance and Membership departments and is responsible for organizing national conventions and other national events.

Broendel became NALC’s first female resident national officer when she was elected assistant secretary-treasurer by acclamation at the 1998 Las Vegas Convention. She served on the National Board of Trustees from 1995 to 1998, which gave her the distinction of being the first woman to sit on the NALC Executive Council.

Broendel holds a bachelor of science degree in dietetics from Illinois State University and did post-graduate work in nutrition at the University of Iowa. She decided to pursue a career as a letter carrier in 1984 and joined the NALC two days after she started carrying mail.

“Within five months, I was actively involved because it didn’t take me long to see how the union assisted letter carriers,” she said. “The support, education and representation offered by the union motivated me—and so did witnessing others’ difficulties with management on the workroom floor.”

Broendel filled many roles in Branch 506—Employee Involvement facilitator, steward for five years, branch trustee for 12. She was treasurer of the Iowa State Association of Letter Carriers from 1989 to 1997, and also served as a state legislative liaison.

Noting that difficult days lie ahead for the postal community, Broendel said, “It is now more essential than ever that all letter carriers, their families and friends become active in the legislative process.”

“As secretary-treasurer, my focus is on improving financial and administrative operations as well as assisting branch and state association officers in their fiduciary and administrative duties,” she said. “This will entail communicating more effectively and providing educational opportunities.”

As secretary-treasurer, Broendel reviews and approves insurance and lease agreements and is responsible for providing fiduciary officer training. She serves on the NALC’s Committee of Appeals and, by virtue of her office, she is an NALC delegate to AFL-CIO conventions. Additionally, she has served as a vice president of the AFL-CIO’s Union Label and Service Trades Department since 2009.

Broendel, who has written in The Postal Record on the importance of signing up new hires and non-members, also lists organizing and strengthening NALC’s legislative machinery among her objectives.

She is married to F. John Miller and is the mother of a daughter, Katherine, and a son, Reid.