Great image-enhancing article for our profession and excellent publicity for IAAP Pueblo Chapter:

Pueblo, CO Chieftan
4/21/04
Circ: 50,950

It's not Secretaries’ Day as workers take on more

By JEFF TUCKER
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN

Hundreds of secretaries, clerks and administrative assistants will go to work today as their profession's association celebrates Administrative Professionals Day, what used to be called Secretaries' Day.

According to city numbers, there are 8,790 people working under the office and administrative supports occupations in Pueblo, with an average wage of $25,810.

Of that number, 990 people work as secretaries, legal secretaries, medical secretaries, executive secretaries and administrative assistants, quietly keeping the offices of Pueblo running efficiently.

In fact, one might say that without administrative professionals, some offices would spiral into chaos, or at least create more headaches for the boss.

"Because of a lot of the changes, a lot of employers don't have their right hand man, so a lot of those duties are passed to their secretaries," said Linda Kelly, of Pueblo's chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals. "I think the guys are seeing it, too. Many of them are just too busy with their own work to handle some of these things."

The notion that the word secretary has been changed to "administrative professional" is more of a nod to the job description than to political correctness.

Kelly, who works for Horizon Communities, said that the job has grown from taking dictation and answering phones to, in some cases, managing an entire office.

Kelly said she works to set up conference calls, manage other lines of communication and go over the company's books.

Kelly said much of the changes that have come to the profession have been the result of advances in technology and corporate downsizing.
As employers look for more ways to save money, duties get shifted and secretaries have been taking on more responsibility.

"Normally, an employer would hire a bookkeeper and now we get to do all of that," she said.
Not that it's a bad thing. The ability to handle more tasks has made the secretary's job more diverse and the international association recognized that fact in 2000 when it changed its name to the International Association of Administrative Professionals.

"Few of us are even referred to as secretaries anymore," Kelly said.

There has been a chapter of the group in Pueblo since 1955.

Frances Litchfield was one of the charter members of the organization and has seen how the changes in the economy affected the changed in the international organization.
Litchfield said some of the biggest changes she saw was the revision and rewriting of the group's charter at its international conventions.

But the biggest help came from the networking and support the group provided.

"I worked for a long, long time," she said. "Of course, back then, we were just called secretaries, but it has been a really worthwhile organization."

Despite the fact that there are nearly 1,000 secretaries employed in Pueblo and more than 8,000 in the office and administrative support occupations, a group that once had as many as 150 members has dwindled to about a dozen members.

Still, Kelly said the group provides value to those who join and she said it does its best to encourage employers and potential members to join.

The traditional celebrations today are welcome, Kelly said. But added that she encourages employers to get memberships to the IAAP for Administrative Assistants Day.

Other suggestions beyond flowers and meals are new business cards and even software packages for work.

Even though today is their day, the IAAP members will be working tonight at the KTSC auction.

"It's kind of what we give back to the community," Kelly said.

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