COMMUNIQUÉNATIONAL NE WSLET TER Special Edition

2018-2019National Board Director Elections

Candidate Biographies•Proxy Notice•Annual General Meeting Proxy Form•

ASSOCIATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONALSASSOCIATION DES PROFESSIONNELS DE L’ ADMINISTRATION

MAY 2018

2018-2019

National BoardDirector Elections

NOMINEES

At each Annual General Meeting, the members shall elect from the members of the Association who have been members in good standing for not less than two years for National board positions. The 2018 Annual General Meeting will be held on June 2, 2018 in Kelowna, BC.

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National Director - PresidentKatherine Vaillancourt

Candidates forNational Director-Vice PresidentCharlene Hands-Lourie, QAAEvelyn Serbout

National Director - TreasurerWendy Neelin, QAA

National Director - SecretaryMichelle Hunnam

National Director - RegistrarBridget Cochrane, QAA

National Director - Public RelationsChrisy Burton, QAA

National Director - Past PresidentJackie Pontin

I am honoured to be nominated for a second term as National-Director President for AAP. I first became a member of the Association in 2010 and have been active on the National Board since 2013. My first role was serving as National Director-Treasurer from 2013-2016. Through this role, I was able to connect with all members of AAP through membership renewals and new member ac-tivations. In 2016, I was nominated for the position of National Director-Vice President & MAL Liaison. In this role, I was able to build relationships with our members from all across Canada, help with the development of the new branch in Moncton, and focus on the national sponsorship program. In 2017, I was nominated as National-Director President. This position has enabled me to gain a better understanding of the current state of the administrative profession on both a local and national scale. From this, a Member Engagement Taskforce has been formed to investigate our current state and identify future opportunities for long-term growth and sustainability for our Association. Being part of the Na-tional Board has become an integral part of both my professional and personal career. It has enabled me to be a better advocate for our profession. It has also allowed me to better connect with my peers at local, national and global levels. The relationships formed and the camaraderie built between our board members is something that I will always cherish. It has taught me that with respect for one another, teamwork and professionalism, we can accomplish anything together.

I have been truly lucky to have held various administrative roles within the govern-ment, non-profit and corporate sectors supporting Directors, VPs and C-Level Executives. I currently work as an Executive Assistant for the Chief Procurement Officer at Samuel, Son & Co. located in Hamilton, Ontario. I have supported teams in Finance, Human Resources, Marketing & Communications, Public Af-fairs and Corporate Reputation. I have an Hon. Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto specializing in Historical & Cultural Geography, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Political Science.

I am excited to work with all of you over the next year. With the upcoming launch of our new brand, our organization has begun its transformation. I am a big believer in positive change and would be proud to represent our Association on a local, national and global scale. AAP has enabled me to become a better ad-ministrative professional. I look forward to continuing this journey with all of you and am happy to be part of this change movement for our organization.

Candidate Bio

Katherine VaillancourtNational Director - President

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Charlene Hands-Lourie has been employed at the City of Hamilton for 29 years. During this time, she has gained twenty seven years’ experience as an Administrative Assistant and two years’ experience as a Senior Project Manager for Continuous Improvement. She is a graduate from the Mo-hawk College, Office Administration – Executive Program. Over the years she has continued on her educational journey by attending night school at Mohawk College to obtain a diploma in Travel and Tourism and Qualified Administrative Assistant designation. Charlene has recently completed the Lean 6 Sigma Green Belt Program at McMaster University.

Charlene has been a member of the Association of Administrative Profes-sionals since 2012. During this time, she volunteered as the Hamilton Branch Professional Development Day Coordinator and has held the po-sition of Hamilton Branch President for the past three years.

Charlene is passionate about endorsing the role of administrative support, at all levels, and how valuable the role is within any size of an organization. To continue to support the Administrative Profession, Charlene sits on the Office Administration Advisory Board for Mohawk College.

Why is being part of the National Board important to me?

My experience as the Hamilton Branch President has been a very fulfill-ing and rewarding opportunity. Being part of the National Board as Vice President, would provide me with an opportunity to continue with a strong voice, endorsing all levels of the Administrative Profession. I take great pride in mentoring and assisting my peers, personally and professionally. Helping others build their careers and move forward in their journey as an Administrative Professional, is a wonderful feeling and experience.

Candidate Bio

Charlene Hands-Lourie ,QAACandidate - National Director - Vice President & MAL Liaison

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For Election

Candidate Bio For Election

My name is Evelyn Serbout and I am currently the volunteer Director VP & MAL Liaison since June 2017. I am a member of Calgary branch. I have been with the Association since 2003. I have held various positions in the branch level before until I became the President of Calgary in 2011.

I stayed in this position for 5 years and during my tenure I have numerous accomplishments such as helped built the membership from 35 to 75; helped built the financial standing from $5,000 to over $24,000; helped gained more sponsors for the branch which resulted in many donations both in products and monetary funds; implemented the Membership Fee Subsidy Program (MFSP) offered to members who lost their job due to the strain of economy but still wished to remain as member with the branch; initiated the ‘executive board members only personal develop-ment’ training through the help of a professional facilitator, training was based from the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People book of Stephen Covey. The training helped built the camaraderie and culture that Calgary branch executive board now proudly has. Since I took the Director VP & MAL Liaison position in 2017, I helped introduced MAL’s membership certificate; wrote ‘contents and guide’ for creation of MAL newsletter, created mapping process showing an easy to follow step by step guide explaining what’s needed in forming a new branch.

Being a part of the National is very important to me because I know I have more to help and to offer in providing better related learnings, meaningful experiences and rewarding developments for the Association, not only in our country but where ever I can find administrative professionals like me. I have more plans and initiatives in mind that I know will help our MALs find more value in being a member. As administrative professional, I give high regards to my position at work, in the community, but most espe-cially with the Association. I have very strong commitment and deep pas-sion to my Association and my continued support and active participation since 2003 is a strong indication and validation of my passion.

Evelyn Serbout

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Candidate - National Director - Vice President & MAL Liaison

Candidate Bio

I am excited to continue in the role of Director-Treasurer of the National Board for a third term. My first term was a major learning curve as this role was completely out of my comfort zone, my second term was spent getting comfortable with the role as I investigated innovative ways to improve on the processes, and my third term will be to implement and streamline the new processes.

That is why being a part of the National Board has been so important to me over the years. It has allowed me to step outside the box and take on challenges that are not within my skillset. My friends and colleagues continually inspire me to be a collaborative professional, embrace the changes that lie ahead, and teach me to look at all experiences with an open and sometimes different perspective.

Being a member of the National Board is a very rewarding experience and I hope others will see it as the same wonderful opportunity that I always have.

Wendy Neelin, QAANational Director - Treasurer

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Candidate Bio

I have been a part of the Toronto Charter Branch of the Association of Ad-ministrative Professionals since 2014. I started my career at a Bay Street Law Firm working for an Equity Partner and Associates. I then took a posi-tion as an Executive Legal Assistant to an SVP and his Legal Department within a privately held company. I proceeded to expand my expertise and gain more experience as an Executive Assistant by working for several VPs and their respective teams. I am now currently working for a small Toronto firm as a Senior Legal Assistant, supporting the Executive Committee and other senior lawyers.

I have been serving on the National Board as the Director-Secretary since 2016 and it has been an absolute pleasure working alongside such power-ful and motivated women. Being a part of the National Board has provided me with a superior skill set that I can apply to my career and personal life.

The Association to me means support, encouragement, friendship, and development. These are the four words that come immediately to mind when I think about the Association. Before I became a National Board Member the Association provided me support when I needed someone to listen. I was encouraged to step out of my comfort zone and attend a professional day workshop. I have made friendships along the way and have developed professionally and mentally. I look forward to continuously learning and developing along with the Association and its Members.

Michelle HunnamNational Director - Secretary

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Candidate Bio

With more than 20 years of administrative experience in increasingly chal-lenging positions working with senior management, Bridget Cochrane be-lieves that developing new skills is an ongoing process – and she practices what she preaches. Throughout her career, she has not just learned on the job, but has sought out further opportunities to keep moving to a higher level of accomplishment. That’s why she not only joined the Association of Administrative Assistants but founded a branch in Fort McMurray, Alberta. She now proudly serves as National-Director Registrar on the National Board. She is a very strong advocate for the Association and works dili-gently, recruiting new members, students and building relationships with our existing Educational Partners and engaging other school to participate in our professional designation program, QAA.

The reason why the being on the National Board is important to Bridget is that she has an opportunity to make a difference to those who wish to persue further education and to make lasting relationships with students and other members. It provides a chance to promote the Association and engage with external stakeholders to ensure our designation remains cur-rent and cutting edge on the National stage – which is important to flourish as an Association for years to come.

Bridget Cochrane, QAA, PACENational Director - Registrar

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Candidate Bio

Thank you for the nomination of National Director – Public Relations.

I have been an active member of the Association of Administrative Pro-fessionals Edmonton Branch since 1996. I am currently the Past Presi-dent for the Edmonton Branch and have had the opportunity to hold various other positions on the Edmonton Branch Executive Committee (President, Vice President, Secretary, Public Relations, and Program/Fa-cility). I have also been a part of the National Board as the Edmonton Branch President for 8 years and the Nominations Constitution Chair for 1 year. In May 2003, I received my QAA designation and strongly believe in lifelong learning and our motto Professionalism Through Education.

Being a part of the National Board is important to me as it allows me to be more connected to the Association, offers new challenges, allows me to be a part of the decision making as the Association continues to grow and moves forward with their rebranding and offer more opportunities for our members. I truly enjoyed being a part of the National Board for 9 years as it allowed me to form new friendships, be a part of the decision-making process for the Association and expand my networking oppor-tunities with members across Canada. Also, enables me to continue to use some of the strong technical skills that I am very familiar with, i.e., website management (Open Text and Word Press), social media applica-tions and Google Suite.

I truly enjoy my ongoing involvement with the Association and look for-ward to the new challenges ahead as the Association continues to grow. I am very passionate about the Association and continue to value the knowledge and learning experience I have gained through the many years being involved with the Association.

I would be honoured to serve in the role as the National Director of Public Relations.

Chrisy Burton, QAANational Director - Public Relations

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As of May 15, 2018, there will no longer be an election for the role National Director - Public Relations as one of the candidates has withdrawn her nomination for the role. There will still be an election for the role of National Director - Vice President & MAL Liaison

Should you wish to change your proxy vote for the elections, you may do so by resending a new form. The latest form sent in (by signing date) will be the proxy that will be accepted. Please note that all proxies must be received by Friday, June 1, 2018 - 5:00 pm local time. Kindly send your fully executed proxies to contact@aaa.ca no later than the deadline. Any proxies received after this time will be null and voided. Please ensure that your proxy is signed and dated prior to electronic submission.

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The Association envisages itself being widely recognized, both by its professional peers and by the broader business community. Its members will demonstrate, through consistently excellent performance in the work place, the value of the professional designation Qualified Administrative Assistant. This designation will become important criteria in the hiring and promotion of key personnel.

The Association’s mission is to assist members in the continuing development of administrative skill, underlying knowledge, and professional growth, thus enhancing employment opportunities and contributions to both the workplace and the community.

Professionalism Through Education

Vision

Mission

Motto

ASSOCIATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONALSASSOCIATION DES PROFESSIONNELS DE L’ ADMINISTRATION

Rhonda Scharf,CSPCertified Speaking Professional

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