My name is Donna Graham-DiLacqua and I’m a customer relations manager in Philadelphia for the Postal Service’s Delaware-Pennsylvania 2 District.
When I’m not at my USPS job, I teach voice lessons to aspiring entertainers, drawing on my lifelong career as a performer. My long-term goal is to start a music therapy program with my daughter for students with autism.
At 11 years old, I embarked on a musical theater career when I was cast as the orphan Duffy in the original production of “Annie” on Broadway. During the run, I commuted to New York City from Philadelphia, where I lived with my mother, father and two younger brothers.
The show produced so many great memories and opportunities. We performed for President Jimmy Carter at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, and had a playdate at the White House with the president’s daughter, Amy.
I also performed at the Tony Awards and the 1976 Milliken Breakfast Show at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City with a cast that included Angela Lansbury, Robert Morse and Tommy Tune.
In addition to my Broadway run, my body of work includes modeling, acting in national TV commercials, voiceovers and jingles.
After I married and had my daughter, I looked for a career change and USPS offered outstanding opportunities for a solid career path with excellent benefits. I began as a letter carrier in 1997 before moving into management three years later.
At first, I tried to keep quiet about my life on the stage in “Annie,” but my postal colleagues found out and have had fun with it. Once after a challenging day on the job, they broke out singing “Tomorrow” to boost morale.
My professional theater background and training has helped shape my strong public relations and exemplary interpersonal communications skills. I know how to effectively communicate and foster relationships with a diverse group of customers. I think this experience helps me to represent the USPS brand well.
When I’m not working or teaching, I enjoy spending time with my husband and my daughter, who is also a performer, along with my mom and my stepdaughter’s family, which includes my three young grandchildren.
I appreciate that my career at USPS has allowed me to pursue outside passions. I advise anyone interested in working for this organization that there’s a fit for you here. Your career really is yours. You can do whatever you want to do.