GALVESTON, Texas (April 22, 2015) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers named Susan Martin the 2015 Administrative Professional of the Year during a ceremony today to highlight the essential role administrative professionals play in supporting the district’s mission.
Martin was one of four candidates selected for her distinguished performance and outstanding meritorious service to the district.
“Susan’s initiative, resourcefulness and untiring efforts to achieve perfection in all phases of her duties resulted in increased efficiency and exemplary handling of administrative matters,” said Valerie Miller, chief of the Programs Management Branch for the USACE Galveston District. “Due to her willingness to meet the mission, Susan has expedited transmittal and routing of critical project documents in order to help meet urgent deadlines and is always positive and upbeat with her work. I cannot say enough about the wonderful job she is doing for us.”
The district observed April 19-25 as Administrative Professional Week to honor those who do so many unseen tasks that support the district’s mission on a daily basis.
"It’s important to honor the work accomplished by our clerical, administrative support and secretarial staff,” said Equal Employment Opportunity Manager Dr. Rose Caballero, USACE Galveston District. “The success of all our projects and other work products depends heavily on the dedication and work ethic of individuals in these fields.”
Administrative Professionals Week is observed annually in workplaces around the world to recognize the important contributions of administrative support staff and is one of the largest workplace observances. U.S. Secretary of Commerce Charles Sawyer first proclaimed it as “National Secretaries Week," which was held June 1–7 in 1952, with Wednesday, June 4, 1952 designated as National Secretaries Day. The name was changed to Professional Secretaries Week in 1981 and became Administrative Professionals Week in 2000 because of the expanding responsibilities of those in administrative support positions.
“Administrative professionals’ responsibilities are continually changing and often require the advanced knowledge and expertise in communications, computer software, office technology, project management, organization, customer service and other vital office management responsibilities,” said Col. Richard Pannell, commanding officer of the USACE Galveston District. “With administrative support across the federal government shrinking, administrative personnel are taking on more responsibilities with fewer resources and remain an integral part of our team.”
The USACE Galveston District was established in 1880 as the first engineer district in Texas to oversee river and harbor improvements. The district is directly responsible for maintaining more than 1,000 miles of channel, including 250 miles of deep draft and 750 miles of shallow draft as well as the Colorado River Locks and Brazos River Floodgates. Its main missions include navigation, ecosystem restoration, emergency management, flood risk management and regulatory oversight. The Corps also supports a robust Regulatory Program that interacts with the local community through a variety of public outreach opportunities.
For more news and information, visit www.swg.usace.army.mil. Find us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/GalvestonDistrict or follow us on Twitter, www.twitter.com/USACEgalveston.
Release no. 15-019