Administrative Professionals Week! Posted on April 27, 2016 by Grounded Strategies Share this post Happy Administrative Professionals Week! Of course, we think you should celebrate them everyday, but still take a special moment this week to celebrate the Administrative Professionals that you know. Originally called National Secretaries Week, this celebration started in 1952, to recognize “the secretary, upon whose skills, loyalty, and efficiency the functions of which business and government depend.” This week of celebration and thanks was originally a part of a movement to recognize the work of administrative staff, grow the field, and support the professional development of those who work in the sector. It was originally called the National Secretaries Association. It in Topeka, Kansas in 1942 during WWII in response to a lack of skilled office workers. In 1954, the NSA went international, opening a chapter in Canada. The first man joined the organization in 1967. In 1998, the name was changed to the IAAP (my personal theory is they were sick of people confusing them with the National Security Agency). Today, the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) is a professional association for administrative professionals. Just as there are professional organizations for lawyers, nurses, accountants or teachers, the “IAAP strives to ensure individuals working in office and administrative professions have the opportunity to connect, learn, lead, and excel.” At GTECH, Kristen (you might remember her from our International Women’s Day Blog) is actually a shared Administrative Coordinator. That means that she not only coordinates our administrative work, but also does the same for Landforce. She’s got a Bachelors degree in Sociology, as well as a Masters in Human Resource Management. She keeps us running (literally and figuratively) and is always willing to lend a hand when you need something – regardless of what you need. “Kristen is truly a professional and is always ready and willing to drop what she is doing, and help us through any last minute details we are pulling together. She is kind, passionate and never complains about the countless questions we have for her. We are lucky to have Kristen running our office, her talent and abilities are too many to count.” -Ian Brown She’s invaluable to the work that we do, and is always more than willing to help any or all of us in whatever way she can. “Kristen goes above and beyond most people’s ability to multi-task – she can see all of the details and the big picture at the same time.” – Lydia Yoder Back to this quote again: “the secretary, upon whose skills, loyalty, and efficiency the functions of which business and government depend.” It might seem outdated in 2016, but it’s premise still rings true. The Administrative Professionals of the world are still performing the often thankless tasks that are essential for all types of entities. From the incredibly thankless job of keeping offices stocked with supplies (and coffee) to assisting with last minute printer issues to ensuring employees have health insurance and keeping track of benefits and timesheets – Office Managers, Administrative Coordinators and Executive Assistants are the ones you can always call on for help, and who somehow seem to have the answers to your unanswerable questions. Do you know a great Administrative Professional? Let us know in the comments section!