On Administrative Professionals Day, Duke Celebrates the Power of Connection

A growing peer network is helping nearly 1,000 administrative staff thrive through support and learning

Three women in an atrium.
From left to right, Denise Crespo, Angel Scott and Nathalia Davis are members of the steering committee for Duke's Administrative Professionals Affinity Group. Chernelle Jones, not pictured, is the fourth member of the groups leadership team. Photo by Travis Stanley.

When Angel Scott started working as an Administrative Coordinator at Duke in 2021, it took time for her to find her footing.

She was adjusting to a new field and new home while, due to the pandemic, her on-site workspace for Duke University Health System Corporate Human Resources was nearly empty.

 “There was a big learning curve,” she said. “I needed to find people I could connect with and learn about the resources that were available. It was really challenging.”

A few months after arriving, a colleague suggested Scott check out the Administrative Professionals Affinity Group (APAG), which was created in the summer of 2021 as a connection point for the nearly 1,000 administrative staff at the university and health system.

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APAG has grown organically to include around 2,300 members representing 14 different administrative roles across Duke. A resource for information, encouragement and professional growth, the group provides a supportive network for staff members.

“That’s where I found my community,” said Scott, who now serves as APAG’s treasurer.

Administrative Professionals Day on April 23 is an opportunity for the Duke community to recognize and thank administrative staff who provide support to individuals and teams across the university and health system.

APAG, one of Duke’s 17 Employee Resources Groups that provides a sense of community, grew from the early days of the pandemic, when remote and hybrid work arrangements left colleagues scattered. Despite working closely with leaders and teams, administrative professionals often felt isolated in their roles.

Members of APAG welcome new Duke colleagues at a recent in-person orientation event. Photo courtesy of Nathalia Davis.

At the time, Nathalia Davis, Executive Assistant for Duke Health Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Rhonda Brandon, had spent more than a decade at Duke building a network of colleagues she could lean on for advice and support. She worried that many administrative professionals joining the pandemic-era Duke workforce would have a harder time making similar connections.

Davis, along with former Duke Health administrative colleagues Sarah Woodard, who retired in 2024, and Maggie Drumwright, an Administrative Coordinator with the Duke University School of Medicine, hatched the idea of creating an affinity group for administrative professionals. They envisioned it as a way for administrative colleagues across Duke to provide guidance and affirmation.

“In our roles, it often feels like we’re supposed to know everything,” Davis said. “Obviously, one person can’t know everything, but the whole group can.”

The group’s first step was creating a Microsoft Teams channel where members could ask questions about topics like submitting check requests, reserving meeting rooms or connecting with specific Duke leaders. The channel quickly became – and remains – a fast-moving conversation where members share what they know.

“I’ll have a question every day,” said Administrative Specialist in the Office of the Vice President of Neurosciences Martha Olson. “I’m pretty seasoned, but I still take advantage of it.”

Before long, APAG launched its website, which features links to key Duke policies and resources, stories about career development topics and a list of answers to frequently asked admin-related questions.

The group also began holding monthly virtual events known as “ROARing Chats” – inspired by the group’s mantra of “Recruit, Orient, Activate and Retain” – where group leaders facilitate discussions on career-related topics such as how to craft a strong resume and how to present yourself professionally.

Nursing Support Office Administrative Coordinator Olivia Ramirez Salinas has leaned on APAG for support as her new team has grown. Photo courtesy of Olivia Ramirez Salinas.

APAG also created the Power Book, a downloadable online document  packed with information about life at Duke, including step-by-step guides for using key software programs and maps of campus. APAG joins in-person orientation events to offer a personal welcome to new administrative professionals.

And to help both new team members or ones looking to grow their skills, the group offers a peer coaching program where experienced administrative professionals provide one-on-one guidance and support for 90-day stretches upon request.

“Everyone needs a community, right?” said Denise Crespo, an Administrative Specialist with Duke University Health System and APAG’s Membership Chair. “All professions need a community that’s there for you in good times and bad and everything in between. Admins need that support, too.”

APAG’s value became clear earlier this year when Duke University Health System’s Administrative Support Office formed a centralized team to manage HR, compliance and onboarding for nursing units. As the team grew from inside and outside Duke, leaders turned to APAG to help support new staff.

“We needed to partner with somebody that understands where we’re coming from,” said Nursing Administrative Support Office Administrative Coordinator Olivia Ramirez Salinas, also a group member. “It was really nice to have APAG extend a supporting and encouraging hand to all of these new admins. I was really grateful we were able to get that connection.”

Recognize the contributions of an administrative professional at Duke who helps your unit function at its best by sharing words of appreciation on the Making a Difference blog.

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