ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., -- The District presented its first Administrative Professional award this year to Ms. Toni Brown from the Santa Rosa Lake Project April 24, 2013. This is a new Community of Practice award and will be presented annually.
Brown was one of nine administrative professionals from the District nominated for the award.
According to Brown’s award citation, she has “exemplified professionalism with all those she has contact with locally, within USACE and outside the government.” She was also recognized for continually seeking to improve the quality of her work by insuring that all projects and assignments are completed in a timely fashion. Her ability to work with others and her resourcefulness has insured that all project missions, deadlines and functions are successful.
When Project Ranger Bob Mumford retired this past year, Brown, without hesitation, stepped up to help with the visitor assistance program until the vacancy was filled.
As a result of Brown’s hard work, the project continues to operate efficiently with the greatest savings in time and money--a positive reflection for any employee in public service.
World War II brought an increased need for skilled administrative personnel, particularly in the United States. The National Secretaries Association was formed to recognize the contributions of secretaries and other administrative personnel to the economy, to support their personal development and to help attract people to administrative careers in the field. Until the 1990s, office assistance was considered a “female” role.
In 1981, the association's name was changed to Professional Secretaries International and it changed names again in 1998 to the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP). These changes in name reflected the changing nature of the tasks, qualifications and responsibilities of the members of the organization. The IAAP’s vision is "to inspire and equip all administrative professionals to attain excellence."
The first National Secretaries Week was organized in 1952 in conjunction with the United States Department of Commerce and various office supply and equipment manufacturers. The Wednesday of that week became known as National Secretaries Day. As the IAAP gained international recognition, the events became known as Professional Secretaries Week® and Professional Secretaries Day®. In 2000, IAAP changed the names of the week and the day to Administrative Professionals Week and Administrative Professionals Day to keep pace with changing job titles and expanding responsibilities of the modern administrative workforce. Many work environments around the world observe these events.
Today’s administrative professional must be a good information manager and possess good data management skills. Between scheduling appointments and meetings and organizing projects and conducting research, these tools are essential. Additionally, the job requires them to handle the travel arrangements for staff, and sometimes guests. Managers depend heavily upon this individual. A good administrative assistant can bring the continuity that holds everything together.
Often, an agency will position this professional as the central information source. All relevant information flows from/through this individual. The administrative professional becomes a key team player in the office. An office that has a highly skilled professional in this position can expect to have increased success and efficiency.