  
|
Posted By Elizabeth Harris, FSDA,
Thursday, May 5, 2022
Updated: Monday, May 2, 2022
|
CDFA Spotlight Series
SDA is committed to encouraging and supporting personal growth, and professional development of individuals working in the AEC Industry. One way SDA delivers on this commitment is offering the CDFA credential. Reaching CDFA status includes passing an exam that covers five core areas of the AEC Industry business: project management, marketing, finance, office administration and human resources. SDA's Certification Committee works diligently to provide study materials and resources that will aid in preparing for the exam. However, it still takes commitment and effort on the part of each individual. To acknowledge those who have reached CDFA status, and to inspire others to follow in their footsteps, the Certification Committee is pleased to spotlight these accomplished individuals.
Spotlight: Alysha Peck, CDFA on Overcoming Anxiety and Reaching Goals
Alysha Peck is an Administrator with the architectural firm Cuningham at their Denver, Colorado office. She has been a member of the SDA Denver Chapter for7 yearsand served as chapter secretary and director.
What motivated you to earn your CDFA certification?
I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it, it has been a goal of mine since I joined SDA. I was very motivated by all the people around me getting certified, not only for CDFA but architecturally licensed as well.
Did you have any concerns, or fears, about taking the exam?
Yes, I have always struggled with test anxiety. I have the hardest time remembering anything I have studied as soon as the test starts. I hadn't taken a test in many years, so I was very nervous about how I would handle it.
How did you address or overcome your anxiety?
I had so much support from other SDA members and coworker, I felt confident I would overcome the anxiety and do well.
What study tools did you find most useful?
I recorded myself reading and I had friends quiz me. I also spent time highlighting and truing to associate the material with my everyday job duties.
What section of the exam was the most difficult for you?
Human Resources - there are numerous terms to remember that I don't use daily in my role.
Did you have a CDFA mentor help you with the material?
Yes! Anne McNeely introduced me to other members that were also studying for the CDFA so we could form a study group. She gave me advice on what strategy worked best for her and encouraged me every step of the way.
Was your employer supportive of your CDFA goals and accomplishments?
Yes! They highly encourage all administrators to become certified! CDFA is recognized in yearly reviews and treats it the same as any other professional licensure or certification.
How did you, and your firm, celebrate your achievement?
They celebrated my achievement by posting on LinkedIn, Facebook and our internal company website. I had co-workers reaching out to congratulate me!
What is your top tip to someone considering the pursuit of a CDFA designation?
Make sure you carve out plenty of time to study! Use all your resources! Don't expect to know everything from on-the-job experience.
What has obtaining your CDFA meant to you?
I am so relieved to have my certification I feel as though my last 9 years as an administrator has paid off and my career path has strengthened immensely. I am more knowledgeable about the A/E industry.
Tags:
CDFA
Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
|
|
Posted By Administrator,
Tuesday, April 26, 2022
Updated: Monday, April 25, 2022
|
Thoughts on Professional this Administrative Professionals Week
by Kelly Loughran
I like to think I am a proud administrative professional. That being said, I have a visceral reaction to administrative professionals day. There is no tangible evidence for this feeling. Who doesn’t love a good celebration?!
Who started this nonsense and why…
“In 1942, the National Secretaries Association was formed in order to recognize the contributions of administrative personnel to the economy, support their development, and attract workers to the field. During their first year as an association, they created National Administrative Professionals Day. Admin Professionals Day has been celebrated since 1952, when Secretary's Day was part of National Secretaries Week, promoted by the National Secretaries Association that was founded in 1942. Since 2000, the celebration has been called Administrative Professionals Day, and is part of Administrative Professionals Week the last full week of every April.”
How did we evolve from here?
We can certainly tie the evolution to the social mores and politics of women and minorities being valued in the workplace to the 1960’s and 70’s. In the 1970’s women's liberation groups fought for equal rights. “This related to increased numbers of women demanding that secretaries be respected in the workplace. Encouragingly, the National Secretaries Association at the time reported that half of its members aspired to work toward management positions, and more training courses covered advanced topics. As computers became commonplace in the workplace, secretaries' roles evolved even more, moving from beyond taking notes with shorthand writing to including much more diverse duties.”
The goal of an administrator, at any level, is to keep the business moving forward. Administrators wear many titles, every day. On the whimsical side, “Queen Schlepp” comes to mind. We are problem solvers, educators, communicators, translators and Administrative PROFESSIONALS.
This my friends may be where my visceral reaction lies. Are we considered PROFESSIONALS, working in an industry surrounded by technical professionals? In the AEC industry, the non-technical staff is considered support (we keep the business moving forward but don’t necessarily bring in clients, revenue). These departments include marketing, accounting, office services and administration. Is one any more professional than the other? I don’t know of a marketer’s or accountant’s day, though there is a pencil a day-go figure. Accountants can become licensed, which makes them professional, marketers have certifications, as do administrators. Are marketers and accountants considered more professional than administrators, or more specifically administrative assistants or is it all simply my interpretation?
Does Administrative Professional Day/Week/month bring our profession forward or single us out for the wrong reason? We strive to be acknowledged for our worth, skills and for being integral parts of a company along with their projects. Does Administrative Professional day celebrations do that or appease us for another year?
I do not have the answer, yet. Though I’d be willing to explore options with a series of blog posts. I do know that we have come a long way as a profession and we will continue to evolve.
As for how I feel about Administrative Professional Day/Week/month/year after writing this blog, I’m a work in progress. I will say that this April 27th, I will try to embrace whatever is planned, not overthink it and relish in the praise. Care to join me?
Tags:
Administrative Professionals Day
SDA National Committee
Permalink
| Comments (3)
|
|
|
Posted By Elizabeth Harris, FSDA,
Tuesday, April 19, 2022
Updated: Tuesday, April 19, 2022
|
 Grow Your Chapter
2022 Membership Recruitment Ideas
Susan Lankey, CDFA, researched some fun and interesting activities that you can use to grow your chapter and increase networking. Check them out below!
Virtual Ideas:
Challenge Attendees with a Virtual Escape Room - Paruzal Games has a version with a host, so they would take 3-10 people and "explore" the rooms and solve the puzzles. Consider a facilitator no matter whom you went with.
Pre-Event Photo Contest - Encourage participants to share something personal about themselves or details about their careers.
Rotating One on Ones - Let everyone know that this will have one on one sessions, just so they're aware & not overwhelmed. You would break out people in Zoom, first session is 5 mins, next one is 4 mins, 3 mins & then lastly two (switching out people each time). This is a real quick way to connect.
Virtual Scavenger Hunt - Like a real scavenger hunt, but things that would be in someone's house. So break out people in teams, and have them search all the items out.
Two Truths & a Lie (This could also be an ice breaker, but it can be time-consuming with a lot of people are on the call).
In-Person Ideas:
Giving Back" ideas
Build A Bike
Hospital Art
After School Snack Sacks
Sites with other great ideas: www.Impact4good.com www.wildydifferent.com
"Activity" ideas
Meet up, go for a walk/hike, talk about what needs to be discussed for the meeting, and then go out for drinks/snacks.
Host a private class, such as pilates/yoga
There are always drink and food meetings! Who doesn't like trying out snacks, wineries or breweries?
What other ideas do you have for networking and growing your chapter? Share them in the comments below so we can all #GrowWithSDA!
This post has not been tagged.
Permalink
| Comments (2)
|
|
|
Posted By Lisa Jolley,
Monday, April 11, 2022
Updated: Monday, April 11, 2022
|
6 Ways to Honor Your Administrator
Administrative Professionals' Week is April 25-29, 2022. Administrative Professionals' Day is April 27, 2022
Administrative Professionals’ Day is quickly approaching and although it might not be on your radar, rest assured your Administrative Professional is aware. What do you do?
Administrative Professionals often take on more tasks than almost anyone else in the firm. They wear many different hats and have multiple responsibilities to keep the firm moving ahead. Administrative staff, while often viewed overhead, function as income multipliers by keeping billing staff on tasks that generate more revenue.
When viewed in that light and reflecting on all your Administrative Staff does to keep the firm on track, I’m sure you are motivated to recognize your staff!
Administrative Professionals’ Day is a day to honor the staff that is typically under-appreciated and over worked. Here are some great ways to honor your administrator:
1) Show them you recognize them as much a professional as your just as you do your Architects / Engineers with an SDA membership. Gifting a membership to SDA shows that you recognize their position and how important it is to have a network of professionals supporting them as well as allowing them the opportunity to grow professionally and an opportunity to become a Certified Design Firm Administrator (CDFA).
2) Reward their hard work with a bonus, I mean who doesn’t like a bonus? This would be a great time to tell them that you recognize their contributions to the team and that they should share in the accomplishments of the work.
3) The recent pandemic has made it more difficult to execute the standard appreciation lunch, but this can still be done using social distancing protocols or even by sending the administrative professional’s lunch to their house and hosting a virtual lunch that everyone attends together.
4) This is also a great opportunity for the team or the firm to each take a moment to thank / praise your administrative staff for all that they have done to make each day a success or to point out moments where the administrative staff went above and beyond to help meet team deadlines, goals or expectations. This can be done with a nice greeting card that everyone signs (this can be done electronically now). The team might decide to take contributions to include a gift card to a local restaurant or for something relaxing.
5) Maybe the firm is too large or just doesn’t acknowledge days like this, but that doesn’t mean the team or individuals can’t take on the task themselves.
6) Do all these items feel like too much work? I bet your administrator would also feel honored by flowers from the store, a bag of their favorite candy / chocolate, a donut from the donut shop next door, or even a word/words of affirmation on a post-it note stuck to their computer screen. Virtual ideas: a quick email that says “I appreciate You, Thank You for all You Do” or an instant message that says “You are The Best” …. Any of these would bring a smile to my face and make me feel appreciated.
What are some other ways that would make you feel honored on Administrative Professionals Day? Share them in the comment box below.
Tags:
Administrative Professionals Day
Membership
SDA National
Permalink
| Comments (2)
|
|
|
Posted By Elizabeth Harris, FSDA,
Monday, March 28, 2022
Updated: Monday, March 21, 2022
|
 SDA Awards Committee
The National Awards Committee sets criteria, encourages submittals, and facilitates the selection of winners for all national awards presented at EDSymposium each year. This includes the Star Award, Best in Class Program, Best in Class Membership, and the Lifetime Achievement Award.
The National Awards Committee for 2021-2022 is comprised of the following members:
Laura Heck has been a member of the Minneapolis/St. Paul chapter for nearly seven years. Her days are spent as a project coordinator at LHB within their Housing Studio. After hours, she is often in her studio space with a knitting project and a cup of tea, or on a walk with her energetic dog, Juno.
Emily Moline Meyer, CDFA is the Client Engagement Manager at Bernardo Wills Architects in Spokane, WA. She is the Seattle Chapter President in 2022, and is currently studying for her MBA. In her free time (ha!), Emily enjoys gardening, filming beauty tutorials, taking long walks, CrossFit, and the endless renovation projects in their groovy 70's home.
Natalie Newman, Marketing Data Systems Coordinator with ECORP Consulting, Inc.,has been an Orange County chapter member since 2003 and has continuously served on her chapter board since 2004. She also chaired the first annual Canstruction Orange County Design-Build Competition in 2008. On a National level, Natalie has served as National Communications Chair (now MarCom), as National Awards Committee Chair and a Co-Chair, and served as the National President during the 2015-2016 term. When not busy with SDA, Natalie can be found with her face in a book or doing something artsy like painting, jewelry making, creating essential oil blends, planting succulents and loves camping on the beach.
Kim Celenza, Associate and Marketing Manager at Perkins Eastman joined the New York Chapter of SDA in 2013. Kim served as NY Chapter President for the 2018, 2019, and 2020 terms, and co-chairs SDA New York’s Marketing/Public Relations committee. Currently, she is serving as SDA National VP, SDA National Membership Committee Chair, member of the SDA National MARCOM committee, and ExCom Liaison to the Awards committee. In her "free" time, she enjoys cooking, reading, and spending time with her pup Arthur.
We have volunteer opportunities for individuals who have graphics skills to update logos and social media announcements, presentation skills for the awards information webinar and awards ceremony, or editing and proofreading skills for awards documentation. We’re looking for individuals with a passion for celebrating our member’s achievements.If you would like to be a part of this this creative committee, please contact Laura Heck at Laura.Heck@LHBcorp.com
Tags:
Awards Committee
SDA National Committee
Permalink
| Comments (0)
|
|
Blog Home
All Blogs
RSS