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The A-Team

Celebrating Duke's 2,200 administrative professionals in April

Working@Duke staff

admins
Administrative professionals day is april 24. we celebrate all administrative professionals at duke, including, from left: Harriett Crawford, Angie Reid, Caroline Flinn, Rodney Coffin, Mitchell Hadley, Lisa Jordan and Mary Greenway.

Mason Plumlee's monster dunks graced newspaper pages this year, but the key statistic behind many of those plays was the pass that led to the score - the assist.

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While not grabbing as many headlines, the assist plays a critical role in team success. In schools and departments across Duke, "the assists" are from an all-star team of 2,200 administrative assistants who have taken on even more responsibility since the Great Recession. Instead of merely handling phone calls, greeting visitors and scheduling meetings, the daily tasks of these office professionals are now multi-faceted.

"Because of the recession, many administrative staff saw their jobs become more broad and technical than ever," said Ray Weikal, communications specialist with the International Association of Administrative Professionals. "Staff are now planning and running meetings, mastering project management software and even becoming responsible for website maintenance and administration."

Nationally, there are more than 4.1 million secretaries and administrative assistants, according to Department of Labor statistics, and 8.9 million people working in various administrative support roles.

At Duke, at least 2,200 employees fill these positions, ranging from administrative secretaries to administrative and executive assistants. Programs through Duke's Professional Development Institute support their ever-changing roles and help staff develop office administration and technical skills for career opportunities within Duke.

Rodney Coffin couldn't pass up the yearlong Office Staff Development Program in 2011. It was a chance to build skills for a new job and succeed in the evolving workplace. "I saw it as a great opportunity to grow," said Coffin, staff assistant with the Office of Research Support.

Administrative Professionals Week, one of the largest workplace observances outside of major holidays, is April 21-27. To celebrate the contributions of Duke's staff, here are seven administrative professionals who offer a breadth of talents and experiences at Duke: