Jocelyn Pope and Lee Lauren.
The Waikato branch of Association of Administrative Professionals NZ is going from strength to strength, with a full calendar of events drawing increasing interest from members.
Waikato president Beth Jobin has worked hard on boosting participation from administrative professionals since taking on the job in October last year, and is seeing the work pay off with their September meeting at Waikato Innovation Park drawing 33 registrations.
Speaker Senga Allen, managing director of Everest, talked about dealing with prickly people, and it is that relevance to members that Jobin wants to continue.
The AAPNZ includes personal assistants, executive assistants, office managers, administrators, receptionists, secretaries, accounts and payroll officers in its membership.
Sharon Christian and Cathy Forde.
Jobin took on the Waikato presidency, as part of the Group Management Team, after it had been left vacant for several months, and has helped reinvigorate the organisation.
She has introduced fresh ideas, including holding more social functions to give opportunities for networking.
Also upcoming is the introduction of a book library.
Wintec students will be sponsored to attend the monthly meetings and social gatherings, participate in Group Management Team meetings and gain experience helping with events.
She is inviting influential Waikato business people as speakers, and rotates the rooms they use so members can experience different venues with a view to potentially then using them for their own organisations.
Senga Allen and Kathryn Wade.
Next month will see Jobin delivering a hands-on session on a graphics programme.
“It’s about opening up different opportunities, supporting local businesses and supporting people like Senga and getting them in to talk about their business as well.”
Jobin says taking on the group president role was an opportunity for her to develop personally. “It gives me the opportunity to be creative, which I don’t necessarily get in my own job, and to meet new people and share my knowledge and skills as well.”
Hayley Giles from Tainui Group Holdings won a copy of Mystery Creek Magic, a book marking 50 years of the NZ National Fieldays Society.
Branch member Jocelyn Pope said she is enjoying the networking with the opportunity to get to know a lot of the other EAs around town, some of whom she has a business relationship with.
Pope, who is executive assistant to Waikato Regional Council chief executive Vaughan Payne, also appreciates the learning opportunities and keeping her skills up to date.
Lee Lauren, a Wintec office manager, has been an AAPNZ member for five years and said she values the insights she gets into how to deal with different situations from the presentations and seminars.
For her, the Senga Allen address was a highlight for the year. “They’re all interesting. It seems to be growing so that’s good, but we need more people.”
With Jobin at the helm, that is sure to happen.
