By Sunny Nunan, Founder, Admin Awards & Beacon January 15, 2024 On Martin Luther King Day, we celebrate the towering legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose relentless pursuit of justice and vision of a more equitable society continue to inspire generations today. Yet, in the shadow of Dr. King’s monumental legacy, there remains a remarkable yet overlooked unsung hero whose contributions were pivotal not only to his journey but also to the broader Civil Rights Movement: Maude Ballou, Dr. King’s first personal secretary. In the pages of history, where the powerful voices of charistmatic leaders often drown out their silent partners, Ballou emerges as a figure of resilience, courage, and unwavering dedication. Her story weaves through the tapestry of the Civil Rights Movement, not as a flamboyant banner, but as a crucial thread holding it together. Ballou was a woman of remarkable strength and intelligence, a strategic partner

To read this interview in Executive Support Magazine visit: https://executivesupportmagazine.com/profile-sunny-nunan/   Sunny Nunan is the CEO and Founder of the Admin Awards in the USA, created in honor of her mother, a life-long administrative professional Can we start with a little background information? Where are you from and what is your background? I’m from a small town in New Jersey, Phillipsburg. The daughter of an electrician and a secretary, I’m the youngest of five kids. Grandparents all came over on the boat from Italy. I’m a proud first-generation college graduate and my background is in sales and marketing with a BA from the University of North Texas. I started my career at the database marketing company Epsilon, then went to work in sales for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines before going to D Magazine to help launch DCEO Magazine, which is where I realized my passion for business and entrepreneurship that

An Interview with Alanna Disque, Executive Assistant, West Monroe and Winner of the 2022 Dallas Fort Worth Admin Awards Spirit Award   What is your current job title and company? What does your company do? I am an Executive Assistant at West Monroe, a digital services firm. Our motto is ‘Don’t do digital, be digital!’ West Monroe partners with Fortune 1000 companies in multiple industries such as financial services, private equity, consumer & industrial products, energy & utilities, healthcare & life sciences, and high-tech & software to help them digitize their operations. We have a unique approach to doing this by working in multi-disciplinary teams that blend the traditional management consulting with digital design and product engineering. I am based in our Dallas office, run by our office leader, Adam Gersting. What’s your favorite tool, tip, or hack? The Outlook to-do bar.  A must for every assistant. Dragging an email

An Interview with Eric Chapman, Executive Assistant, PAN Communications and Winner of the 2022 Greater Boston Admin Awards Colleen Barrett Award for Administrative Excellence   When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused what do you do? It’s no surprise that as an Executive Assistant with multiple balls in the air at all times while also moving mountains on a daily basis, things can get a bit overwhelming. During these times, I always make sure to check in with myself; am I eating, am I sleeping, how’s my anxiety, am I exercising, etc. and when something feels off, I know I need to regroup. This feeling of being overwhelmed is combated with breathing exercises & meditation, 15-minute walks for fresh air, and visually writing out lists so I can see high priority vs. low. I also make sure to get in a good workout either during lunch hour or after work. Sometimes

Every morning that an Admin’s feet hit the ground they start their impossible.So you can imagine how excited we were when Toyota Motor North America came to us with the idea for a new Admin Award, the Start Your Impossible Award.  After all, Toyota executives see first-hand how their Admins achieve the impossible day every day they come to work – and make it look easy.We sat down with Toyota Motor North America and Lexus executives and their administrative partners who they regard as “the soul of the organization” to learn more about the Admin environment at Toyota. In this Roundtable you’ll learn: What an Admin’s career path looks like at Toyota  Why Toyota leaders expect their Admins to pursue professional development Why it’s important for Toyota Admins to be networked, internally and externally How technology is increasing the importance of the role, not diminishing it How a brand-new Toyota Admin created an internal

If there’s one thing Administrative Professionals must master it’s resiliency. And as Clint Bruce sees it, that’s a skill, not a personality trait. And one that anyone can attain. As the world fluctuates between back to normal and anything but, you might find yourself in a frustrating state of limbo that might be even more challenging to you than the early days of the Pandemic. There’s never been a better time to understand and develop mental toughness and there’s nobody better to lead this discussion that Clint Bruce, Former Naval Special Warfare Officer (SEAL), Naval Academy grad, NFL Player, Entrepreneur and Family Man. Our discussion with Clint will help you raise the bar on your mental toughness in ways you never thought possible as he shares “some things I’ve learned along the way” on the ball-field, battlefield, boardroom, and breakfast table. Here’s what we covered with Clint: The 5 PursuitPoints…

Embracing big-picture thinking isn’t a title – it’s a mindset. We sat down with an extraordinary group of Admin panelists who spoke on the Power of the Strategic Partnership: – Major difference between serving as an Administrative Professional and one who also serves as a Strategic Partner – How do you prepare yourself to become a Strategic Partner? – The skills and attributes necessary to be successful as a Strategic Partner – How do you help Executives understand how you can serve them as a Strategic Partner?  – Best piece of advice for someone wanting to make this transition  We captured this useful advice and anecdotes in an informative Whitepaper and via the Event Recording. – Kathleen Earley, Executive Assistant to the President and CFO Emeritus, Salesforce – Jackie Ludwig, CEO, LUMINI Network – Yulanie Türkekol, Chief of Staff and Executive Assistant to President and CEO, Chaos Free, Inc. – Rob Wu, Executive Business Partner, Google

In times like these, it is unclear what the future of work will look like for Administrative Professionals – at home, at the office or a mix of both? We sat down with an extraordinary group of Admin panelists who spoke on: – Pros and cons of in office, remote and hybrid work environments – How to build a strong case for a remote work structure as an Administrator – How to make remote workers feel included and connected  – How to navigate COVID-19 in the workplace We captured this useful advice and anecdotes in an informative Whitepaper and via the Event Recording. Moderated by: Colleen Affeldt, Managing Director – RGT Wealth Advisors – Christine Gooch, Executive Assistant, Novartis – Melinda Vail Goodnight, Executive Assistant, Southwest Airlines – Meredith Hayes, Executive Assistant, DaVita – Alice F. Howard, Sponsorship Coordinator, Toyota – Kathleen Robinson, Executive Assistant, Marvell Semiconductor     The Future of Work Whitepaper 1:

The career path to a Chief of Staff sometimes isn’t as clear cut as one would like but we know Administrative professionals are interested in learning how to get there. We had an extraordinary group of Admin panelists who spoke first-hand about their path to Chief of Staff while offering up useful advice and anecdotes. Topics covered included: – How do the roles of Chief of Staff and Executive Assistant differ? – What to expect in the Chief of Staff role – and is it the career path you really want? – How do you make the transition internally? – How do you prepare for the Chief of Staff role? – Advice for those considering a Chief of Staff role – Which three phone apps can you not live without? Moderated by: Hallie Warner, Chief of Staff to the Founder and CEO – Adam Hergenrother Companies – Ashley Wood, Chief

The following roundtable discussion covered the Admin’s Impact on Employee Morale and Company Culture. This lively discussion covered the following topics: – How Administrative Professionals lead by being brave, especially when leadership is the source of bad culture – How Admins drive and influence culture rituals that create connection in any work environment, including remote – How Admins can inspire culture by being their authentic selves – How Admins drive business outcomes by influencing teams around company values – What Admins have tried that didn’t work in improving employee morale and creating a great culture, that we all can learn from! Moderated by: Cynthia Young, Retired Executive & Culture Builder – UT Southwestern, Ambit Energy & Southwest Airlines – Nan Barry, Managing Director, Southwest Airlines – Robin Guido, Executive Assistant, Salesforce – Erica Young, Executive Assistant, Whiting Turner Contracting Company – Jillian Hufnagel, Slim.AI, Head of Culture – Nancy Nordberg,