Hand officially takes over as Gainesville postmaster

Gainesville has a familiar face behind the counter at the local post office, as Crystal Hand has officially taken over as postmaster, replacing longtime postmaster Jeff Elliott, who recently retired.

Hand, who grew up in Ozark County, said she is happy to be back serving the community where she lives and where she spent part of her childhood.

She attended junior high school in Thornfield before transferring to Gainesville High School. Her family later moved to Arizona during her junior year, and she graduated from high school there in 1996.

The following year, Hand began what would become a 30-year career with the U.S. Postal Service, starting as a rural mail carrier.

She returned to Missouri in 2009 to be closer to family and worked as a postmaster relief employee at the Zanoni Post Office from 2009 to 2011. She transferred to Gainesville in 2011, where she worked as a clerk until 2016.

Hand then moved into management, serving as a customer service supervisor in West Plains from 2016 to 2023. She was promoted to postmaster at Caulfield in 2023, a position she held until this spring.

She returned to Gainesville in March 2026 as officer in charge, a temporary leadership role and was officially promoted to Gainesville postmaster effective July 25.

After three decades in the Postal Service, Hand said one of the things she is most excited about is being able to work in the community where she lives.

“I’m happy to be back working in the community I live in,” she said.

Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her four grandchildren, particularly exploring the creeks and lakes around Ozark County, places she remembers enjoying herself while growing up here. One of their favorite activities is searching for arrowheads and cool rocks. “We mostly come home with cool rocks, but that’s OK. We have fun,” she said.

Hand took over the Gainesville postmaster position from Elliott, who served in the role for more than a decade before retiring.

Elliott was appointed Gainesville postmaster June 30, 2012, although he initially continued serving as officer in charge at the Forsyth Post Office. He began working full time in Gainesville in the spring of 2013. His postal career began in 1993, when he was hired as a clerk in Springfield. Before coming to Gainesville, Elliott served as postmaster in Kissee Mills, Hartville and Squires. 

The Gainesville post office, located at 203 Elm Street, is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday with a 1-2 p.m. closure for lunch. They are also open from 9 to 10 a.m. Saturdays. For more information, call the post office at 417-679-4112.