We observed Administrative Professionals Day at my workplace. TimeAndDate.com has some history about how this day came to be.

The first National Secretaries Week was organized in 1952 in conjunction with the United States Department of Commerce and various office supply and equipment manufacturers. The Wednesday of that week became known as National Secretaries Day. As the organization gained international recognition, the events became known as Professional Secretaries Week® and Professional Secretaries Day®. In 2000, the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) announced that names of the week and the day were changed to Administrative Professionals Week and Administrative Professionals Day to keep pace with changing job titles and expanding responsibilities of the modern administrative workforce. Many work environments across the world observe this event.

I am a member of  IAAP and teach Business Technology, a program that prepares students for careers as administrative professionals. I know the great value an administrative professional can bring to an office or organization.

I am lucky to work with some great administrative professionals, not the least of whom is Kanani Yamada, who manages our Business Education and Technology Division office where I work.  Not only does she manage our office but she also manages the Hospitality Division office.  She is doing the work of two employees and doing it with poise and professionalism. I am so lucky to work with such a pleasant, positive, and hardworking human being. She makes me look forward to coming to work at Hawaii Community College.

To show a small measure of appreciation for all Kanani does for us, we ordered lunch from Aloha Mondays on this Wednesday. Our order met the $65 minimum for free delivery. So convenient for a busy workday!

Peppercorn Seared Lemon Salmon served with a Mediterranean Couscous Salad and Grilled Sage FlatbreadKulana Grass-Fed Cheese Steak Sandwich served with Bell Peppers & Onions, Melted Provolone Cheese, Crispy Onion rings, and BBQ Sauce.Miso Butterfish Cold Soba Salad served with Shiitake Mushrooms, Wakame, Ogo Namasu & Shredded Daikon and a Ponzu Sauce.Peanut Butter Pie. In retrospect, we should have ordered only one serving of this pie for four of us instead of one for each of us.  It was huge and could have been shared among four people. We ended up taking home leftovers from our delicious lunch. Spending time together on this Administrative Professionals Day with people we love to work with, eating good food, supporting local businesses is a win/win situation for me.  Living Hilo Style.