Excellent news coverage of IAAP Zanesville Chapter's
Administrative Professional of the Year. Nice job of providing source material
and quotes by local chapter members.
Mitchell named local Administrative Professional
of the Year
By Kiesha Jenkins
Staff Writer
ZANESVILLE -- Across the country today, businesses will be honoring their unsung
heroes: Administrative professionals.
Today marks the 52nd annual Administrative Professionals Day. The first was held
in 1952, when it was then known as Professional Secretaries Day, as an effort to
recognize secretaries for their contributions in the workplace.
In 2000, the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP), a
nationwide organization that offers networking and educational opportunities to
administrative professionals, changed the name to Administrative Professionals
Day to keep pace with changing job titles and responsibilities.
Locally, administrative professionals are a vital part of the city's workforce
and one woman has been named the best of the best by the Zanesville Chapter of
the IAAP.
Bonny Mitchell, an administrative assistant at Muskingum Area Technical College
and a resident of Buffalo, was chosen by a panel of judges from Colgate
Palmolive as the local Administrative Professional of the Year.
Marcie Hawkins, the Ohio Division Corresponding Secretary of the IAAP, said
Mitchell was nominated for the recognition by her supervisor Rebecca Ament,
director of developmental education at MATC.
"A panel of judges read through five nominations and chose her," Hawkins said.
Ament said Mitchell has been her administrative assistant for two years.
"She works in the Tech Learning Center at the front desk," Ament said. "It's her
responsibility to meet all the students, faculty and community members who come
through the door."
Ament added that Mitchell is very warm, responsive and helpful to people who
come to the Learning Center. She said she was happy to hear that Mitchell had
won.
"I was just very thrilled," Ament said. "I feel she deserves this recognition."
Mitchell was also excited to hear that she had won.
"It was a very overwhelming experience," she said. "I've only been in this
position for two years, and it's a very satisfying feeling to know that I have
been able to accomplish all that I have in two years."
Mitchell began working as an administrative assistant in the Learning Center in
1999 while working toward an associate degrees in administrative office
technology, a degree she says has been very beneficial to her success. She
joined the Zanesville Chapter of the IAAP in 2000.
Today, in addition to working full time at MATC, Mitchell is also pursuing her
second associate degree in administrative office management through MATC, and a
bachelor's degree in applied business management through Franklin University in
Columbus.
Hawkins and Mitchell agree that Administrative Professionals Day is important in
the workplace.
"It's a great way to recognize the people who are the front line ambassadors for
their organizations," Hawkins said.
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