Do you embody leadership in the admin profession? Do you have an outstanding partnership with your executive team? Do you work for an employer that champions the profession?

An IAAP Award may be in your future!

General Overview

IAAP Awards recognize outstanding leaders, partners, and employers within the administrative community. There are three award categories offered each year: The Achievement Award, The Partnership Award, and The Employer Award. Winners are selected by a committee of IAAP volunteers who determine which applicants most closely align with IAAP Awards Criteria. If you believe that you or your employer qualify for one of these awards, please review the information below. 

We honor the winners each year at our annual Summit during the Awards Gala.

Candidate Criteria

All candidates for the IAAP Awards are expected to align with the core values of IAAP.

Innovation: We embrace creative solutions and adaptive mindsets to advance the administrative profession, leveraging technology and forward-thinking strategies to prepare administrative professionals for the future of work. 

Collaboration: We cultivate a vibrant, supportive community where administrative professionals and stakeholders connect, share knowledge, and partner to advance the profession and uplift one another, recognizing our collective strength. IAAP and IAAP Foundation work together to amplify our impact and shape the future of work for administrative professionals around the globe. 

Inclusion: We champion diversity and create a welcoming space where all feel a sense of belonging, are valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives and talents, ensuring every voice is heard and enriching our global community. We strive to give all administrative professionals access to the resources they need to develop and grow. 

Global Perspective: We value the interconnectedness of administrative professionals across cultures and borders. We strive to cultivate a community that enriches our understanding and appreciation of diverse practices, enabling administrative professionals to thrive in a worldwide business landscape and share best practices on a global scale. 

Advocacy: We actively promote, empower, and educate administrative professionals to advocate for themselves and others. Our advocacy promotes the vital role administrative professionals play in business, shapes the future of work, and elevates the profession globally. We are mission-driven, place people over profits, are governed by elected members, and exist for the public good.

All award applicants must have been an active IAAP member for one year or longer.  At least one employee of potential Employer Award winners must be an active IAAP member.

Award Information & Applications

The  Achievement Award

The IAAP Achievement Award applauds and acknowledges excellence in the profession. Achievement Award applicants must meet the below criteria:

• Embody authenticity by staying true to your personality, values, and spirit, standing with integrity and confidence.
• Foster collaboration, inclusion, and a global perspective within the IAAP community and the administrative profession.
• Demonstrate commitment, dedication, and enthusiasm in advocating for and mentoring administrative professionals.
  
• Support the evolving administrative profession through innovative thinking and steadfast actions that drive continued success.

The Partnership Award

The IAAP Partnership Award is awarded to an Administrative Professional/Executive team that exemplifies strategic alignment and shares accountability. Partnership Award applicants must meet the below criteria:

• Build a cohesive and united partnership rooted in trust, with authenticity and transparency in both action and communication.
• Foster an inclusive environment where every administrative professional feels valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives, with access to resources and opportunities for growth.
• Demonstrate commitment, dedication, enthusiasm, and decisiveness in supporting each other's professional and personal goals, aligned with company strategy, goals, and mission.
• Serve as an example of a strong, influential partnership that elevates the profession and is respected and sought after both inside and outside of the organization.

The Employer Award

The IAAP Employer Award is awarded to an employer that has developed a workplace culture that maximizes the full potential of their administrative professionals. The recipient must demonstrate effective employee support by developing career tracks and supporting the career goals of their administrative professionals. In addition, the employer must demonstrate their commitment to employee wellness, engagement, and retention. Employer Award applicants must meet the below criteria:

• Exhibit commitment to their administrators, unafraid to stand with integrity and confidence in support of the admin community's goals.
• Exhibit community engagement through employee involvement in volunteer opportunities and championing diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
• Committed, dedicated, enthusiastic, and decisive in their advocacy of their organization’s admins.
• Foster a collaborative, globally minded workplace that supports innovation and professional growth by providing learning opportunities, external training, and pathways for career advancement, including credentialing.
  

Award Winner Honors

Award Winners will Receive the Following: 

• All expenses paid package to attend Summit including transportation & hotel accommodations.*
• Partnership & Employer Award winners will receive two Summit packages
• Recognition to all awardee at Summit   
• A photo feature in OfficePro Magazine
• An award plaque to commemorate the achievement
  

*If the winner is unable to attend Summit, they will still receive onstage recognition during the Awards Gala. Award winners are not required to attend Summit in order to receive the award and recognition, but are encouraged to attend if possible. IAAP will provide a similar valued package to attend another IAAP event within one year of announcement of the award. However, onstage recognition will only occur at Summit.

*Important Application Information: Interested applicants will complete a two-step process: written application and a zoom interview. 

Applications are now closed and will reopen in Spring of 2026.

Questions

Staff Contact: Danelle Hermesch

Email: danelle.hermesch@iaap-hq.org