Government affairs

Contact / about

NALC’s Department of Legislative and Political Affairs:

• Engages members of Congress on issues affecting letter carriers and the U.S. Postal Service by lobbying on Capitol Hill
• Monitors state and federal legislative activities
• Helps to elect candidates who bring strong voices for letter carriers to Washington, regardless of political party

NALC members are welcome to contact the department for assistance with:

• Preparing to visit your members of Congress in Washington, DC, or in their district offices.
• Helping to elect pro-letter carrier candidates through NALC’s political action committee, the Letter Carrier Political Fund.
• Signing up for NALC robocalls.
• Learning how your branch can help advance NALC’s legislative agenda.

To reach the department, please call 202-662-2833. If you wish to contact a specific member of the Department of Legislative and Political Affairs, see below.

Meet our staff

Kori Blalock Keller, Chief of Staff

In March 2014, Kori Blalock Keller was hired as the Department of Legislative and Political Affairs’ legislative director and as political advisor to NALC’s president. Prior to coming to work for NALC, Keller worked for 10 years for a transportation union as its spokesperson for communications and legislative affairs. Since coming to NALC, Keller has helped fend off the repeated legislative attacks on letter carrier jobs while promoting the need for real postal reform that will allow the U.S. Postal Service to innovate and grow. As the director of the department, Keller oversees its staff and also sets NALC’s legislative, political and grassroots priorities. She became chief of staff in December 2022.

Brent Fjerestad, Special Assistant to the President for Legislative & Political Organizing 

Fjerestad is a member of Branch 491, Sioux Falls, SD and began working as a PTF letter carrier career in January 1999. He got involved as a steward in 2001, and was also involved in his branch as vice president, HBR and trustee. Brent also worked for Region 7 as a regional organizer, regional food drive coordinator, as well as a district safety lead and Carrier Academy facilitator. Brent served in the South Dakota Air National Guard and graduated from Leadership Academy in 2010, a member of Class 10. He served as president of the South Dakota State Association of Letter Carriers from 2009-2017, until his appointment to legislative and political organizer in 2017, which covered Regions 3, 5, 6, 7, 10 and 11. He served in that capacity until he was appointed as special assistant to the president for legislative and political organizing by President Renfroe in December 2022.

John Beaumont, Legislative and Political Organizer, Regions 1, 2 & 4 (AZ, CO, WY)

Beaumont, a member of San Francisco Branch 214, has served as president of the California State Association of Letter Carriers. He has supported multiple campaigns, most recently serving as NALC’s lead for the 2016 get-out-the-vote efforts in Nevada, and he will continue to work with several Western states.

Matt Tanner, Legislative and Political Organizer, Regions 3, 4 (AR & OK), 6 & 8

Tanner, a member of Lansing, MI Branch 122, has served his branch as an alternate steward, steward, food drive coordinator, secretary, vice president and president. He graduated from the Leadership Academy in 2014.

Anthoney Mitchell, Legislative and Political Organizer, Regions 5, 7 & 10

Mitchell served Independence, MO Branch 827 as a steward, e-Activist coordinator, sergeant-at-arms, and president before transferring to Kansas City, MO Branch 30 in 2012. He has held several positions with the Missouri State Association of Letter Carriers and served as an LPO assistant and community service assistant at NALC Headquarters. 

Eileen Ford, Legislative and Political Organizer, Regions 9 & 13

Ford is a member of Roswell, GA Branch 4862. She began working as a PTF in Roswell in 1996. After serving as a trustee, branch secretary, treasurer, steward and vice president for her branch, she took office as branch president in 2015. She has also served the union as a letter carrier congressional liaison (LCCL), city carrier assistant (CCA) organizer, local business agent, route adjustment district lead, Georgia state food drive coordinator and state executive board member. Ford graduated from the Leadership Academy in 2014.

Marc T. Ashmon, Legislative and Political Organizer, 11, 12, 14 & 15

A second-generation postal worker, Ashmon began working as a letter carrier in Linden, NJ, as a part-time flexible (PTF) in 1995 and joined Linden Branch 2876. He was elected branch trustee in 1999, branch vice president in 2003 and branch president in 2011, a position he held until his appointment as LPO. Ashmon graduated from the Leadership Academy in 2013. He also has served NALC in other ways, including on the route evaluation and adjustment team and as New Jersey state food drive coordinator.

Learn more about your congressional representatives

Click here to get contact information for your representatives in the House and Senate, and to find out where they stand on NALC’s legislative priorities.