Positive article about evolution of admin profession:

Bloomington, IL Pantagraph
Circ. 49,202
Wednesday, April 21, 2004

Evolution of career noted
Luncheon honors professionals

By Kathy McKinney
kmckinney@pantagraph.com

BLOOMINGTON -- When Carole McCubbins of Heyworth began her career, secretaries who worked with computers typed on keypunch machines to produce rectangular cards to file away information.

Today, as a legal secretary with State Farm Insurance Cos. in Bloomington, McCubbins still uses a computer, but not paper cards, to file information. She also organizes her bosses' time and schedules and "mediates" between the attorneys and their callers.

McCubbins was one of 100 administrative professionals and their bosses who attended the annual McLean County Chamber of Commerce Administrative Professionals' Luncheon Tuesday at the Interstate Center in Bloomington.

As McCubbins' duties have changed to include much more than answering the phone and typing, so has the name of the day honoring them from Secretaries Day to Administrative Professionals Day.

The name change was a good idea, said McCubbins.

Today, the position demands good written and verbal communication skills, as well as critical thinking and decision, according to the International Association of Administrative Professionals.

Toni Kendrick of Bloomington, an executive secretary at State Farm for 12 years, said options have increased for those in her profession.

When she started her career, Kendrick said, secretary "was all you could do. We didn't have the other options women have today."

When she started working, she said, "We had typewriters and Dictaphones. Everything now is on the computer. And phones are so different. Now they show you who's calling."

"As you change and grow and move up, you meet all different people," Kendrick said.

Her first typewriter was electric, said Stephanie Kohler of Carlock, who has been in the profession about 20 years. "You had to type seven copies at a time, and I worked for attorneys who wanted everything perfect.

Everything has greatly improved," said Kohler, who has been at State Farm for six years.

"It's hardly the same job," said Georgia Downer of Heyworth, a 20-year veteran of the field, mentioning the additional tasks required, the planning and organizing, but also increasing autonomy to make decisions.