We are proud to announce our two winners for this prestigous award:
US Winner:
DeskDemon Announces Winner of Management Support Fellowship
Those who know the job the best, voted for the best…
and the winner is Marie Herman from Fermilab National Accelerator Lab

The winner of this prestigious award, Marie Herman said: "It is such a great honor to be selected for this award. I am particularly pleased because it reflects the opinions and vote of confidence of my peers. This is a tremendous accomplishment and I am very honored that I was selected."
Marie supports the Head of the Technical Division as well as several Associate Heads and other Headquarter staff. It is normal for Marie to deal with meeting coordination, travel arrangements, PowerPoint presentations, and proofreading as well as traditional admin tasks. Some of Marie's achievements include being asked to train others in her company on computer skills, review and recommending changes to an internal suggestion box project that in turn lead to a better final product. Marie mentors her peers and has successfully conducted workshops and seminars. Marie regularly contributes to DeskDemon’s forum boards and helps many with her Microsoft Office knowledge. She truly is an unsung hero of the admin world.
In addition to the first prize of $15,000, a further $2,500 has been awarded to the person who nominated her, Lisa Olson, adding an extra dimension to the exciting build up to the finals.
DeskDemon, launched in August 2000, is the world's largest online community specifically designed for Executive Admins, Executive Assistants, Secretaries, Administrators and Office Managers. Since its foundation the company has gained a deep understanding of its audience and continues to provide them with invaluable information and resources, hosting a community through which ideas can be shared and exchanged.
Its illustrious campaign to identify the industry's overall winner of the Management Support Fellowship Award kicked off in August 2007, with the first of 10 monthly competitions to find its 'Admin of the month'. The Awards culminated this month in the crowning of the ultimate winner, selected from the 10 monthly finalists during a four-month voting campaign which drew millions of votes from across the industry.
The Management Support Fellowship Awards are special not just because they celebrate the vital role of the Management Support professionals but because the winners have been elected by their peers. The opportunity to participate in the campaign was heightened by the prospect of being nominated and ultimately voted for by fellow management support personnel all across the US - attracting hundreds of applicants for each monthly selection and resulting in an impressive voting count throughout the campaign.
The profiles of the 10 finalists have appeared as a regular feature on the pages dedicated to the Awards at DeskDemon.com. Visitors could get a quick overview of all nominations from a summary of each candidate's credentials, and could rank their favorites and view the highest scoring nominees as the voting progressed.
Each monthly winner received a $500 cash prize and her nominator $100. The top prize of $15,000 is unprecedented in the industry.
The winner of the Management Support Fellowship Award 2008 is set to become a true ambassador for the secretarial community and can expect to address conferences, Webinars and industry events.
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Read what others had to say about Marie: (Due to space we couldn't include all responses) |
| Michelle Marie's endless energy and contributions to the admin community and IAAP have proved to be a valuable resource over the few years I've known her. I appreciate the brainstorming chats she hosts and the transcripts she posts for us. Keep up the great work and good luck. Colleen Neill Marie is a great source of information on many topics regarding communication, technology, leadership and mentoring just to name a few. Teresa Tidwell CAP Marie, I appreciate what you have done for members of IAAP! You certainly portray the "professional" in Professional. Carol R Marie is well deserved of this award. She is polished, professional and a techno-goddess. Tisha Duggan CPS/CAP Marie has demonstrated leadership in the face of challenge by leading Interchapter Chats on behalf of the IAAP (International Association of Administrative Professionals) even though they did not understand the significance of these chats. Marie is a strong leader. Dianne Seeks CAP Marie is a shining example of being proactive. She is an inspiration and mentor to many members of IAAP and I feel fortunate to have made contact with her. Good luck Marie! Teresa Henderson, CAP Marie is one of the most organized and intelligent Administrative Professionals I have ever had the privilege of being associated with. I have learned so much from her "Chats" through IAAP and stand in awe of her ability to create a message, written or oral, and get her point across in a concise, effective, and efficient way. Sheri Brogni, Owner, Champion Administrative Resources Marie is a role model for leadership. She is passionate about sharing information that will help all administrative professionals and "raise the bar" for excellence. April Kelsey CAP Marie is most deserving of this award. She has hosted the IAAP Brainstorming Chats for quite a while now, and I have benefited from each and every one. Her comments on the IAAP website foum are always useful and well thought out. She has a cheerful, positive attitude toward our chosen career and will go out of her way to answer any questions. Judith A. Yannarelli CPS/CAP Marie's my friend and no one deserves to win more. She is an inspiration to administrative professionals. Marie is the best representation for the award and I fully expect that she will be the winner. Nancy Riesbeck I cannot agree more with your "Key Nuggett" -- never lost the thirst for knowledge! Marie is a professional of professionals when leading very large on-line IAAP brainstorming chats! Mary L Marie is an outstanding professional with superb skills. She is definitely a "people" person and capable of getting a large group involved and excited about participating in group efforts and learning opportunities. Bobbie Frye Marie deserves to win. She has done a great job hosting the forums. Marlene Kollmeyer Because of Marie's many activities at work and being devoted to IAAP and the betterment of its members through web chats, she deserves the appreciation from many. Nadine Baker Marie is most deserving of this award! She's a leader and has done a great deal to promote collaboration and shared learning in IAAP. She is a wonderful asset to any organization. Theresa Yagielo Marie is an extraordinary person and so awesome in the administrative field. Her ideas are so visionary. She motivates and inspires many. |
And for the UK:
Over the last twelve months, the UK secretarial community has recognised the achievements and accomplishments of outstanding individuals who support the Nation’s bosses - the unsung heroes of the office. Nearly 100,000 of you voted nationally for PAs, secretaries and administrators working in all points of the United Kingdom, from Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales and, in the end, it was Debbie’s accomplishments, communications skills and achievements that most impressed her peers.
A delighted Debbie explains how the award has already impacted not just on her own role but also her colleagues too.
“Taking part in the UK Management Support Fellowship Award has been an amazing experience. The competition was incredibly strong, and I know that any of the ten finalists would have been worthy winners, they are all exceptional PAs and from their profiles and their comments page, you can see how highly valued each one is in their own company. For myself, I have been bowled over by the support from my colleagues around the world. The award has raised the profile of all the PAs here at G4S, as each manager has seen the recognition that our most senior managers have given me, and realises the value of their own hardworking assistants.”
As Executive Administrative Manager and PA to the Group CEO and the Group COO of G4S, (formerly Group 4 Securicor), the largest security provider in the world, Debbie’s role is enormously varied.
Managing her Executive’s busy travel schedules, organising meetings with VIPs and liaising with offices around the world is just the tip of the iceberg for Debbie when she arrives at the Gatwick located HQ. Managing her time is imperative as she juggles many of her own projects, deals with calls, completes vast amounts of general office tasks daily and assists in the recruiting and training needs of the best PA candidates for her company. No mean feat, considering G4S is the largest employer in the FTSE100.
With just two years in the job, Debbie has quickly impressed her bosses with her organisational skills, ability to prioritise and sense of humour – much needed key strengths as she joined the company immediately following a merger and office relocation.
Nick Buckles, Group Chief Executive Officer, G4S Plc is delighted that Debbie has been recognised by her peers for this award:
“Debbie has made a significant impact since she joined G4S. She has all the skills that I expect from a top notch PA, but what sets her apart is her positive attitude, calm manner and endless good humour which combine to create a great atmosphere in the office. In a relatively short period of time she has built strong relationships around the Group and I know that many people will join me in congratulating her on winning this award.”
Debbie believes that the three most important skills she brings to G4S are relationship building, multi-tasking and prioritising. She adds the ability to read minds, read upside down, type like lightening, use Google like a pro, have a memory like an elephant, a sense of humour and a healthy dose of perspective are also keys to her success.
Debbie’s personality and continuing pursuance of excellence has already gained her recognition amongst her colleagues and co-workers Worldwide, and now with the achievement of winning the DeskDemon Management Support Fellowship Award, her considerable accomplishments are now recognised by her peers across the UK.
As winner of DeskDemon’s Management Support Fellowship Award, Debbie receives the stunning grand prize of £10,000 and coaching from Castalia PA Executive Coaching. Debbie will also be featured as the cover story in an upcoming PA Enterprise issue, DeskDemon’s digital magazine sent to over 70,0000 PAs secretaries and administrators.
DeskDemon would like to thank everyone who voted and participated in these awards.
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