NATIONAL SECRETARIAL 

ADVISORY COUNCIL 

AND 

ORGANIZATIONAL SECRETARIAL 

ADVISORY COUNCILS 

ANNUAL REPORT - 1997 

Prepared by 

NATIONAL SECRETARIAL ADVISORY COUNCIL 

AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE U.S. 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

August 1997 
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in its programs on the 

basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, and marital or 

familial status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require 

alternative means for communication to program information (Braille, large print, audio tape, etc.) 

should contact the USDA Office of Communications at (202) 720-5581 (voice) or (202) 720-7808 

(TDD). 

To file a complaint, write the Secretary of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, 

DC, 20250, or call (202) 720-7327 (voice) or (202) 720-1127 (TDD). USDA is an equal employment 

opportunity employer. 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 

NATIONAL SECRETARIAL ADVISORY COUNCIL 

ANNUAL MEETING ............................................................................................... 1 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS ............................................................................................ 1 

 Home Page.......................................................................................................... 1 

 Quick Reference Guide for Secretarial/Clerical Personnel................................... 2 

Newsletter ............................................................................................................2 

 Partnership in Excellence Reports ....................................................................... 2 

Teleconference Calls ........................................................................................... 5 

FY-98 GOALS ......................................................................................................... .5 

AFM STRATEGIC PLANNING................................................................................. 5 

USDA HONOR AWARDS ......................................................................................... 5 

SECRETARIAL RECOGNITION PROGRAM ..........................................................6 

REE ESTABLISHES SECRETARIAL COUNCIL ..................................................... 7 

ORGANIZATIONAL SECRETARIAL ADVISORY COUNCILS 

ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT ...................................... 8 

 Accomplishments ................................................................................................. 8 

 Goals .................................................................................................................... 9 

BELTSVILLE AREA.....................................................................................9 

 Accomplishments ............................................................................................... 10 

 Goals .................................................................................................................. 11 

MID SOUTH AREA ..................................................................................................11 

 Accomplishments ............................................................................................... 12 

 Goals................................................................................................................... 12 

MIDWEST AREA...................................................................................................... 13 

 Accomplishments ............................................................................................... 13 

 Goals................................................................................................................... 14 

NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL LIBRARY ............................................................. 14 

 Accomplishments ............................................................................................... 14 

 Goals................................................................................................................... 15 

NATIONAL PROGRAM STAFF...............................................................................15 

 Accomplishments ............................................................................................... 16 

 Goals....................................................................................................................17 

NORTH ATLANTIC AREA ..................................................................................... 17 

 Accomplishments ................................................................................................17 

 Goals................................................................................................................... 19 
 NORTHERN PLAINS AREA.................................................................................... 19 

 Accomplishments ............................................................................................... 19 

 Goals................................................................................................................... 20 

 OFFICE OF THE ADMINISTRATOR ..................................................................... 20 

 PACIFIC WEST AREA ............................................................................................. 21 

 Accomplishments ................................................................................................ 21 

 Goals.................................................................................................................... 22

 SOUTH ATLANTIC AREA ...................................................................................... 22 

 Accomplishments ................................................................................................ 22 

 Goals.................................................................................................................... 23

 SOUTHERN PLAINS AREA..................................................................................... 23 

 Accomplishments ................................................................................................ 24 

 Goals ................................................................................................................... 24
NATIONAL SECRETARIAL 

ADVISORY COUNCIL 

ANNUAL MEETING 

The National Secretarial Advisory Council (NSAC) held its annual meeting April 29-

May 1, 1997, in Albany, California. The Council was hosted by PWA Representative, Libby 

Fouse, and Dr. Antoinette Betschart, Director of the Western Regional Research Center. New 

Council member Janet Ferst, Secretary to the Administrator, ARS, was welcomed to the 

Council. Guests attending were Andrea Peele and Sherrill Murray, Human Resources 

Division (HRD), Greenbelt, Maryland. Andrea provided a training session on team building 

skills and Sherrill led a meeting on secretarial recognition issues. Focus Reports were given 

on the Partnership in Excellence Program, Area Organizational Councils, the REE Secretarial 

and Clerical Program Results Team, and Secretarial Recognition Programs. The NSAC 

worked in depth on the Quick Reference Guide for ARS Secretarial/Clerical Personnel, met 

with WRRC secretaries and clerical staff for roundtable discussions, and also toured the 

Center. 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS Home Page 

A subcommittee of five members worked to enhance and further develop the draft 

NSAC Home Page. It was agreed that the project required resources outside the Council to 

implement this initiative. 

Three subcommittee members attended a training session in Greenbelt, Maryland, 

conducted by Scott Finke, AITD, to learn how to convert text documents to HyperText 

Markup Language (HTML) and then edit those documents. In addition, Scott presented 

information on how the Internet works and how home pages are constructed. As a result of 

this training session, the NSAC Home Page was redesigned, updated and Agency approval 

attained. The address of the NSAC Home Page is http://www.ars.usda.gov/afm/nsac or 

access from the ARS Home Page.
Quick Reference Guide for ARS Secretarial/Clerical Personnel 

A subcommittee was formed for the secretarial handbook for ARS. The final product 

titled Quick Reference Guide for ARS Secretarial/Clerical Personnel will list references, cross 

references, points of contact for specialized expertise, and Agency acronyms. A target 

release date of early FY-98 was set for distribution to all ARS secretarial and clerical 

personnel. 

Newsletter 

A subcommittee of four members was formed to develop an NSAC Newsletter. 

Sample formats were reviewed. The first draft newsletter has been approved by the Council 

members. The newsletter will be issued in September 1997. Future issues of the newsletter 

will be included on the Council's Home Page on the Internet. 

Partnership in Excellence Reports 

Administrative Financial Management (AFM) - The AFM Secretarial Advisory Council 

is working to provide better communications and customer service through training, 

networking, and information exchange meetings in support of the Partnership in Excellence 

program. The Council has three teams that are putting together plans for cross-training, 

networking, better communications, training, updated reference manuals on correspondence 

and office procedures, and organizational charts in order to provide better services to 

customers. Everything the AFM Secretarial Advisory Council is working on is being done in 

support of the Partnership in Excellence program. The Council is excited about the 

accomplishments of the three teams established from the first annual AFM secretarial 

meeting. The work is more challenging and time-consuming than predicted, but is creating 

enthusiasm and dedication between the team members and most of the AFM secretarial staff.

Beltsville Area (BA). A Subcommittee was established by the Beltsville Area 

Secretarial Advisory Council (BASAC) to set up an orientation program for secretaries and 

office automation clerks in the Beltsville Area. The Subcommittee will provide training 

opportunities and establish a "Buddy System" whereby new employees shadow a seasoned 

secretary for 2-3 days. They are working with the Beltsville Area Mentoring Program 

Committee to increase secretarial participation. As the Subcommittee scratches the surface in 

initiating new ideas, they are committed to providing the necessary tools and knowledge to 

enhance job satisfaction to BA secretarial and clerical personnel. 
Mid South Area (MSA). Copies of the Partnership in Excellence, sample handout, 

and examples of other information packets were distributed to all MSA Secretarial Council 

members for discussion, development, and implementation of a mentoring program for 

secretaries. It was the consensus of the MSA Secretarial Council that orientation will be 

provided as new secretaries are hired. The assignment of mentors will be on the agenda for 

discussion at the Fall 1997 MSA Secretarial Council meeting. 

In 1997, the Mid South Area Office provided orientation to one new secretarial 

employee from Auburn, Alabama. The employee met with respective MSA staff members at 

Stoneville, Mississippi, to discuss organizational structure, office protocol, procedures for 

correspondence, filing, manuscripts, Research Personnel Evaluation System, budget, RMIS, 

and CRIS. The employee also met with staff members responsible for budget, personnel, 

computer, procurement, travel, and property. During the orientation, the employee was 

encouraged to communicate and network with peers and to be an active member of the Unit's 

team. Discussions helped the employee understand the overall operation of the Research 

Unit, the Mid South Area, ARS, and USDA. 

Midwest Area (MWA). It is the policy of the Midwest Area to appoint all new hires 

with a mentor for a 1-year period of time. Initial contact is by phone; after that time, it is 

strongly recommend that the mentee's location pay for the mentor to travel and spend a day 

with the employee in a working environment. After the initial visit, all other contact is by 

phone or GroupWise®. In the case of local personnel, contacts are made by phone or face-toface. The mentors are selected by the Area Director's Secretary based on experience and 

knowledge of employees in the Area. 

National Agricultural Library (NAL). The NAL Secretarial Advisory Council 

(NALSAC) has developed a "NAL Secretarial Orientation Overview/Checklist" for new 

secretaries and clerical support staff. This overview can also be used for current support staff 

employees who did not receive a formal orientation when first reporting to NAL for work. 

The purpose of this initiative is to increase communication and efficiency throughout NAL. 

The NAL Director, Pamela André, has urged supervisors to use this plan in their work units 

when necessary. 

National Program Staff (NPS). The NPS Organizational Secretarial Advisory Council 

(OSAC) plans to initiate and implement the Partnership in Excellence mentoring program. 

Through this program, staff can share their expertise as resources in the areas of RMIS, 

Word Perfect 6.1, Internet, Harvard Graphics, travel (foreign and domestic), InForms, and 

other suggested areas. Currently, the Administrative Officer meets with new employees using 

a developed employee orientation for NPS. The new support staff employee is given a copy of 

the National Program staff Secretarial Handbook which was developed by the Secretarial 

Procedures Handbook Committee, NPS-OSAC. After the initial orientation, the employee meets 

with the Associate Deputy Administrator's (ADA) secretary for a more thorough introduction to 

support activities. The ADA secretary remains the point of contact for questions concerning dayto-day activities. Secretaries throughout the NPS are knowledgeable in these various areas and 

are called upon for their expertise.
North Atlantic Area (NAA). In the Area's quest to ensure that secretaries have an 

opportunity to be fully trained in the key aspects of their positions, understand and appreciate 

how they fit into the overall operation of their organizational unit and ARS as a whole, the 

Partnership in Excellence program was implemented in the NAA. For four days during the month 

of April, four new secretaries were brought into the Area Office for orientation and training. The 

agenda included meetings with the Area and Associate Area Directors; Area Administrative 

Officer; Area Budget and Fiscal Officer; Area Contracts Specialist; Area Agreements Specialist; 

Purchasing Agent; Area Computer Specialist; and the Area Travel Clerk. The video, Science in 

Your Shopping Cart was viewed, and excellent feedback was received from the newly hired as to 

the contributions and research being conducted by the Agricultural Research Service. Training 

was provided on ARS correspondence and the RMIS system. Each new secretary also spent an 

afternoon "Shadowing" a senior secretary. Feedback was excellent from both the participants and 

their supervisors. 

Northern Plains Area (NPA). The NPA does not have a Partnership in Excellence 

Program in place at this time. 

Pacific West Area (PWA). In June 1996, the PWA Secretarial/Program Support Advisory 

Council conducted a survey among all PWA clerical employees to determine training needs. 

Based on the results of this survey, the Council developed a proposed training program to be 

implemented by the Area Office in conjunction with their already established RL/SY Training. 

Program. The proposed training program was submitted to the Area Office in August 1996, just 

prior to the reassignments of the Area and Associate Area Directors. At the Council's February 

1997 meeting, Associate Area Director, Art Schipper, stated he is supportive of the proposed 

Partnership in Excellence program and hoped it would be implemented soon in PWA. 

South Atlantic Area (SAA). The SAA does not have a Partnership in Excellence

program; however, establishing a program is one of the SAA Council's primary goals for 1997-

98. 

Southern Plains Area (SPA). The SPA does not have a Partnership in Excellence 

program in place at this time. 

Teleconference Calls 

Quarterly calls were held to discuss issues and plan methods and processes towards 

achieving the goals set. 

FY-98 GOALS 

• Enhance the NSAC Home Page. 

• Develop and distribute the NSAC Newsletter. 

• Finalize and distribute Quick Reference Guide for ARS Secretarial/Clerical Personnel. 
• Work with HRD staff to develop training programs for secretarial/clerical 

personnel using the information in the NSAC Training and Planning Guide for ARS 

Secretarial/Clerical Personnel (1996) as a reference. 

AFM STRATEGIC PLANNING 

In June, the NSAC was invited to respond to six Strategic Planning Questions 

developed by Administrative and Financial Management (AFM). Nine members were present 

and participated in the meeting. Presentations were made by AFM Division representatives 

on how their divisions were responding to the specific charges identified in the Strategic 

Plan. NSAC responses were discussed, compiled, documented and forwarded to John 

Espenschade for inclusion with other responses to be reviewed by the AFM Council. 

USDA HONOR AWARDS 

The National Secretarial Advisory Council earned the 1997 Honor Award for the 

category, "The Secretary's Award for Support Personnel." The Secretary's Honor Awards 

are the most prestigious awards the Department can give and 

recognize outstanding contributions to agriculture, to the consumers of agricultural 

products, and to the ability of the Department to serve rural America. The 1997 Honor 

Award Ceremony was held on Wednesday, June 11, 1997, at the Andrew 

Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C., with a reception in honor of award recipients 

immediately following. Ms. Angela V. Marchetti (NSAC Co-Chair) accepted the award on 

behalf of the Council. In addition, the Council attended a buffet luncheon at the ARS 

Administrator's Office honoring all ARS honorees. Each member of the Council received a 

certificate signed by Secretary Glickman with the citation "For outstanding efforts to 

promote professionalism and excellence in the secretarial and clerical occupations in the 

Agricultural Research Service." 

SECRETARIAL RECOGNITION PROGRAM 

The Headquarters Secretarial Recognition Program has been modified to include all Area 

Office and Area Administrative Office Secretaries who are not eligible to receive the award in 

their Area. NSAC and Human Resources Division developed new guidelines for the revised 

recognition program. 

Several Areas have had recognition programs in place for some time and some Areas 

have recently implemented their own recognition programs. Winners for 1996-1997 are: 

• Beltsville Area Secretarial/Clerical Employee of the Year, 1996 - Claudette Joyner, 

GS-0318-08, Secretary to the Director, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, 

Beltsville, Maryland. 

• Headquarters Secretary of the Year, 1996 - Patricia McGarvey, GS-0318-08, 

Secretary, Office of the Deputy Administrator, AFM, Washington, D. C. 
• Mid South Area Secretary of the Year, 1996 - Linda L. Deer, GS-0318-06, 

Secretary, Food and Feed Safety Research Unit, Southern Regional Research 

Center, New Orleans, Louisiana. 

• Midwest Area Secretary of the Year, 1997 - Deborah K. Bitner, GS-0318-06 

Secretary, Biopolymer Unit, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, 

Peoria, Illinois. 

• Northern Plains Area Secretarial Award, 1997 - Polly L. McMichael, GS-0318-

06, Secretary, Cereal Crops Research Unit, Red River Valley Agricultural 

Research Center, Fargo, North Dakota. 

• Pacific West Area Secretary of the Year, 1997 - Elisabeth "Libby" Fouse, GS0318-07, Secretary to the Director, Horticultural Crops Research Laboratory, 

Fresno, California. 

• Southern Plains Secretary of the Year, 1997 - Ruth Treat, GS-0303-07, Program 

Coordinator, Plant Science and Water Conservation Research Laboratory, Stillwater, 

Oklahoma. 

REE ESTABLISHES SECRETARIAL COUNCIL 

Cecelia Stortzum, ARS Human Resources Division, gave a report on the REE (Research, 

Education and Economics) Secretarial and Clerical Program Results Team, of which she was a 

member. The final report of the team was presented in a brochure entitled, "No More `Justa' 

Secretary." As a result of this report, REE has established a Secretarial Advisory Council. Janet Ferst, 

Secretary to the Administrator, and Mary Silva, Secretary to the Director of the National Agricultural 

Library, will represent ARS on the REE Council. 
ORGANIZATIONAL SECRETARIAL 

ADVISORY COUNCILS 

ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL 

MANAGEMENT 

Current members of the AFM Secretarial Advisory Council are: 

Joyce Craig - Co-chair 

Mary Goleski - Co-chair 

Pat Berry 

Clarice Fleming 

Linda Simpson 

Sheila Tucker 

Angie Marchetti - Technical Advisor 

Accomplishments 

The AFM Secretarial Advisory Council recently formed three focus groups. The first 

team is focusing on orientation and training; the second team put together a Correspondence 

Sample and Reference Manual; and the last team is concentrating on better telecommunications 

systems for AFM. 

• The Correspondence Team compiled the new AFM Correspondence Samples and 

Reference Manual and obtained the approval of the Deputy Administrator, AFM, to 

make distribution to all AFM secretarial and clerical staff. This manual was distributed 

and training was provided at the AFM Secretaries Annual Meeting in May. 

• The Telecommunications Team presented the results of their findings to the Deputy 

Administrator, AFM, and as a result, voice mail has been implemented in AFM. 

Policies, standards, and guidelines for use of the voice mail system were developed by 

the AFM Voice Mail Policy and Standards Team, which included two members of the 

AFM Secretarial Advisory Council. 

• The Orientation and Training Team is working on information obtained from 

questionnaires sent to support staff and management regarding cross-training, 

informational meetings and workshops, shadowing and peer-networking, and 

improved cooperation between management and support staff. The Team is using the 

information derived from the questionnaires to institute programs in support of the 

Partnership in Excellence mentoring program. The plan is to provide improved 

orientation and training, information-sharing documents, more individual guidance 
on the job, and organizational information to secretarial and other clerical staff in 

AFM. 

• Sponsors Bimonthly Brown Bag Lunches for AFM secretaries to provide a forum 

where new information is shared, important issues are discussed, and secretaries 

have the opportunity to keep in touch and share ideas. 

• A member serves on the AFM Team tasked to revise the performance appraisal 

program. 

Goals 

• Continue holding bimonthly Brown Bag Lunches for AFM secretaries. 

• Continue developing the Partnership in Excellence program for AFM 

secretarial and clerical staff. 

• Provide assistance and participate on the Move Project Team which will 

coordinate all aspects of the AFM relocation to the new Beltsville office complex.

BELTSVILLE AREA 

The Beltsville Area Secretarial Advisory Council (BASAC) was established by Dr. K. 

D. Murrell, Area Director, in March 1995. Each BA Center/Institute/ Division is represented 

by one member and meetings are held monthly. Current members of the Council are: 

Claudette Joyner, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center - Co-Chair 

Judith Holland, Livestock and Poultry Sciences Institute - Co-Chair 

Carol Appelbaum, Facilities Management and Operations Division 

Janet Gates, Natural Resources Institute - Recorder 

Denise Hackley, Plant Sciences Institute 

Nadine Hiers, U.S. National Arboretum Elaine 

McGuire, Technical Advisor 

Accomplishments 

Secretarial Workshops. An All Hands Meeting for all BA Secretarial and Clerical Support 

Personnel was held on December 5, 1996. Stephen Pollard, Records Management Office, AFM, 

AITD, Information and Analysis Branch and Maggie Kukis, Records Appraisal and Disposition 

Division, National Archives, shared information regarding records management and in particular 

records/file retention. The new BA Associate Director, Phyllis Johnson, was introduced and 

spoke on how competent secretaries have contributed to the development of her career. Mary 

Clements, Employee Development Section, HRD, informed everyone of the existence of the 

Smart Center in Greenbelt and its benefits to ARS employees. Carolyn Violett, Personnel 

Specialist, HRD, spoke on the subject of classification/upgrading and answered numerous 

questions. 
National Secretaries' Day Observance. A one-half day workshop was held in conjunction 

with the BA Civil Rights Office on April 23. Secretaries from AFM, NPS and NAL were invited. 

Pat Frick, Policy, Innovation and Employee 

Development Branch, HRD, gave an overview of the Conflict Resolution Program. A 

seminar "How to Think Outside the Box" was presented by Sue Feltz from SkillPath® 

Seminars. 

Newsletter. The BASAC Flyer was published in June 1996 and March 1997. The 

publication is designed to keep secretarial and clerical staff informed of what is happening in the 

Beltsville Area. Subjects such as highlights on what BASAC is 

doing, articles on specific offices at BA (Director's Office and the Facilities Management and 

Operations Division), articles of interest to working women in general, a how-do-I column on 

helpful tips, an up-to-date list of the Impact Line and information on training from secretaries 

who have taken a particular course and want to recommend it to others, etc. Copies are 

distributed to all BA secretaries and the Beltsville Area Leadership Team. 

The Impact Line. Information on the Impact Line is published in the BASAC Flyer. New 

ways need to be explored to ensure that all secretaries are aware of available help. 

Partnership in Excellence. A Beltsville Area Secretarial Advisory Council (BASAC) 

Subcommittee was established to set up an orientation program for secretaries and office 

automation clerks in the Beltsville Area (BA). This subcommittee is working on the following 

items: 

• Development of Desk Reference Binders. This binder would contain information and 

step-by-step procedures for duties specific to the position, providing readily available 

access to pertinent job information. 

Development of this resource would not only assist a new employee in 

becoming acquainted to the office, but would also serve as a guide to 

temporary employees or those on a detail assignment. 

• "Buddy System." New employees would initially spend 2-3 days with a seasoned 

secretary and that individual would be available to assist the new employee on an 

as-needed basis thereafter. This idea will be adopted by Institute Secretaries for a 

trial period. 

• Training. Coordination has been completed to establish training in the upcoming 

year for RMIS. Additionally, efforts have been made with the BA Travel Office 

to implement a program as well. Due to upcoming personnel issues, completion 

of the travel training program may be delayed. The Subcommittee and Institute 

secretaries attended an in-house overview of the Smart Center located in 

Greenbelt. A hands-on look at the resources available from the Smart Center was 

made and passed on to other BA secretaries. Subcommittee members and Institute 

secretaries encourage use of this resource. 

• Inclusion of a Partnership in Excellence column in the BASAC Flyer 

(newsletter). Recommendations were made to incorporate information from the 

Partnership in Excellence Subcommittee into the BASAC Flyer, allowing the 

Subcommittee a vehicle in which to disseminate training and related information. 
• Opening Doors to Informal Training Opportunities. Some of the BA Institutes hold 

monthly workshops that cover a variety of subjects for their secretaries. Opening 

the door to all BA secretaries will allow for an enhanced learning opportunity and 

promote the exchange of information between secretaries. 

• Inclusion of a BASAC representative on the Beltsville Area Mentoring 

Program (BAMP) Committee. A meeting will be held with the Chair, BAMP, 

to introduce the idea. 

Goals 

Procedures Manual. Work is well underway for the attainment of this goal. The 

proposed date for an up-to-date Procedures Manual has been postponed due to the 

reorganization of the Beltsville Area Service Centers. When this manual is 

completed, a workshop will be held to present it. 

MID SOUTH AREA 

The Mid South Area Secretarial Council was formed in May 1996. Members of the MSA 

Secretarial Council are: 

Patricia Brown, Stoneville, Mississippi – Chair 

Paula Brodofsky, Stoneville, Mississippi 

Wanda Hildreth, Auburn, Alabama 

Betty Hoogerwerf, New Orleans, Louisiana 

Cynthia Sandefer, Oxford, Mississippi 

Sandra Warren, Stoneville, Mississippi - Technical Advisor 

Accomplishments 

• Held scheduled conference calls. 

• Distributed NSAC Training and Planning Guide for ARS Secretarial/Clerical 

Personnel to all secretarial/clerical personnel in the Mid South Area. 

• Implemented the Partnership in Excellence program. 

Established a mailbox (GroupWise®) for all secretaries and their supervisors so that 

information from the MSA Council can be sent more efficiently. 

Continued to keep lines of communication open among secretarial and clerical 

employees in the Mid South Area. 
Goals 

• Conduct a meeting of the MSA Council and all MSA secretaries in Fall 1997. 

• Rewrite/revise Charter to extend the length of the terms of the members. 

• Develop a MSA Secretarial Handbook. This will be done after the National 

Council distributes the Quick Reference Guide for ARS Secretarial/Clerical 

Personnel. 

MIDWEST AREA 

The MWA Program Administrative Support Task Group (PASTG) met twice in person, 

and held three conference calls over the past year. 

Current members of PASTG and the Locations they represent are: 

Sherri Buxton, Peoria, Illinois -- Co-Chair 

Lori Wilson-Voss, Ames Campus Locations, Iowa - Co-Chair 

Sandy Groneberg, St. Paul and Morris Minnesota, 

 and Madison, Wisconsin 

Alice McCain, Urbana, Illinois and W. Lafayette, Indiana 

Susan Ohlendorf, National Animal Disease Center, Ames, Iowa 

Shirley Runge, Peoria, Illinois 

Jean Sparks, Columbia, Missouri 

Karen Sussman, Columbus, Coshocton and Wooster, Ohio and E. Lansing, Michigan 

Marcia Jenkins, Peoria, Illinois - Technical Advisor 

Accomplishments 

• Developed and disseminated an issue sheet to all clerical employees to bring 

issues of concern to the Area Directors. 

• Implemented the Midwest Area Secretary of the Year program in 1997. Ms. Deborah 

K. Bitner, NCAUR, Peoria, Illinois, was selected as the first Midwest Area Secretary 

of the Year. The award was presented by the 

Area Director's secretary, Sherri Buxton, at the MWA Research 

Leader/LAO Leadership Conference Awards Banquet. 

• Disseminated quarterly newsletter to all clerical employees; the PASTG was also 

encouraged by the Directors to forward these newsletters to Research Leaders. 

• Participated in the RL/LAO Leadership Conference by giving a presentation 

to RL's and LAO's and conducting a poster session. 

• Visit each MWA Location to present training, and promote participation in the 

PASTG activities. 
• Developed a Standard Office Procedures (SOP) Manual and disseminated copies to 

secretaries, section heads and location administrative officers for comments. 

Goals 

• Incorporate review comments of the SOP Manual at the June 9-12, 1997 meeting of 

the PASTG at East Lansing, Michigan. 

• Distribute the SOP Manual by the end of FY-97 to each employee PASTG represents. 

• Establish a Home Page for PASTG on the Internet. 

• Explore possibilities of making the newsletter and SOP Manual accessible through the 

Internet on the PASTG Home Page. 

NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL LIBRARY 

The National Agricultural Library (NAL) Secretarial Advisory Council (NALSAC) 

continues to work toward its goal of ensuring that NAL has highly skilled professionals working in 

partnership with management to meet its secretarial and administrative needs. 

Council members for 1996-97 are: 

Ann Palmes, Technical Services Division – Chair 

Phyllis Bickerton, Information Systems Division 

Gail DeAtley, Public Services Division - Recorder 

Shirley Evans, Office of Director 

Mary Silva - Technical Advisor 

Accomplishments 

• Held three all-hands meeting to improve communication and share information 

among the secretarial support staff. 

• Invited secretarial councils from the National Program Staff, Beltsville Area, and 

Administrative and Financial Management (AFM) to NAL for an overview of NAL 

services, a tour, and technology demonstrations. 

• Sponsored three no-cost, on-site career development classes for secretarial staff and as 

space permitted for all NAL staff. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Advanced MyersBriggs Comprehension and Team Building were presented by the AFM Human 

Resources Division staff. 

• Chaired a committee that developed a secretarial and administrative support 

handbook. This handbook has been a valuable resource for all NAL staff. 
• Developed a formal orientation program for new secretaries which was approved 

for implementation by the NAL management team. 

Goals 

Work with the USDA Target Center to schedule a briefing on work station ergonomics for 

NAL staff. 

• Continue quarterly all-hands meetings for NAL secretarial and clerical staff. 

• Meet periodically to work on updates to the Handbook. 

• Continue sponsoring career development opportunities. Proposed classes include 

Proofreading, Listening Skills, Business Writing, and "Promotable You." 

• Explore establishing a NAL Secretarial Recognition Program. 

• Study the possibility of establishing a Home Page. 

NATIONAL PROGRAM STAFF 

Current members of the National Program Staff-Organizational Secretarial 

Advisory Council (NPS-OSAC) are: 

Cathy Lonaberger - Chair 

Barbara Zapp - Vice-Chair 

Susan Avery - Recording Secretary 

Catherine White - Executive Secretary 

Committee Chairs are: 

Beth Lloyd - Building 005 Security 

Kathy Martin - Training/Career Enhancement 

Catherine White - Support Staff Restructuring 

Accomplishments 

In November 1996, NPS-OSAC submitted a Plan of Work for the year which was 

approved by Dr. Richard L. Dunkle, Acting Deputy Administrator. 

Significant items on the Plan of Work included: 

• Initiate and implement the National Secretarial Advisory Council's Partnership in 

Excellence mentoring program. Through this program, staff can share their 

expertise as resources in the areas of RMIS, Word Perfect 6.1, Internet, Harvard 

Graphics, travel (foreign and domestic), InForms, and other suggested areas. 
 Currently, the Administrative Officer meets with new employees using a developed 

employee orientation for NPS. The new employee is given a copy of the National 

Program Staff Secretarial Handbook which was developed by the Secretarial 

Procedures Handbook Committee, NPSOSAC. After the initial orientation, the 

employee meets with the Associate Deputy Administrator's (ADA) secretary for a 

more thorough introduction to support activities. The ADA secretary remains the 

point of contact for questions concerning day-to-day activities. Secretaries 

throughout the NPS are knowledgeable in these various areas and are called upon 

for their expertise. 

• Implement a pilot program for wearing ID badges on a voluntary basis in Building 

005. 

The Security Committee has been very active in promoting safety awareness 

throughout Building 005. Dr. Dunkle signed a memo encouraging employees in 

Building 005 to wear their Government ID badges as a deterrent to thefts which 

had been occurring in the building. Additionally, at the request of the Security 

Committee, foundation shrubs were trimmed back and lighting outside of the 

building was increased to aid in safety awareness. 

Subsequent to the preparation and submittal of the Plan of Work, the NPSOSAC 

prepared the NPS Support Staff Restructuring (SSR) Report. To accomplish this task, NPSOSAC hosted a brainstorming session of all support staff employees in NPS concerning the 

restructuring of the support staff within NPS. The outcome of several meetings with the 

support staff resulted in a report submitted to Dr. Dunkle outlining. a proposed model to be 

used by Dr. Dunkle and his management team as they further defined the steps to be taken in 

the restructuring process. Function areas of the NPS support staff were identified. 

Subcommittees then researched and submitted reports to HRD on these functions. These 

reports have become the basis for much of the classification work being done for the 

restructuring. 

Goals 

• Continue to be involved in promoting training and career enhancement 

activities. 

• Continue the security awareness program in Building 005. 

• Review the current charter of the NPS-OSAC for expansion to include all support 

staff employees. 
NORTH ATLANTIC AREA 

Current members of the NAA Council are: 

Diane Koch, Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania - Chair 

Prunella Brashich, Plum Island, New York 

Phyllis Davis, Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania 

Lorraine Greene, Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania 

Teri Anne Jordan, University Park, Pennsylvania 

Denise Madden, Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania 

Joyce Smith, Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania - Technical Advisor 

Accomplishments 

• Continue mentoring, shadowing and orientation as part of the NAA Secretarial 

Advisory Council's (NAA SAC) activities, and this year the orientation has been 

expanded to include clerical employees at the various locations. The orientation 

includes a session with the Area and Associate Area Director's secretaries to 

acquaint new secretaries with the NAA Secretarial Handbook and other resource 

materials that should be available to them at their desks. This includes an in-depth 

review of formal and informal correspondence, foreign correspondence and RPES 

case write-ups along with general information. Sessions are also scheduled with each 

of the sections of the Area Administrative Office which lets the participants get a 

feel of the different operations that go on within the Area. Training in RMIS is 

provided with hands-on experience followed by a day of "Shadowing" a secretary in 

the daily operations of an office. 

• Distribute minutes of conference calls/meetings to all secretaries, clerks, and 

Research Leaders in NAA and shared with the National Secretarial Advisory 

Council. 

• Selected the second rotating member for the NAA SAC allowing for a smooth 

and effective transition without disruption to the Council. 

• Distributed updates to the NAA Secretarial Handbook. These addenda are then 

distributed to all NAA secretaries, clerks, and other Agency personnel who have 

handbooks. 

 

• Drafted and made several revisions of a proposed NAA SAC Newsletter. 

Implementation of the Newsletter has been delayed due to changes in leadership 

in the Area Director's office. 

• Formed a subcommittee to handle Resource Assistants listing and volunteers to 

serve as resource assistants are being solicited. This resource will give location 

secretaries a point of contact if initial contacts are not available. 
• Formed a Subcommittee to put together instructions for using GroupWise® mail 

on the LAN/WAN and through the Internet. Work is on-going with Area Computer 

Specialist to put together generic instructions for distributions to NAA secretarial 

and clerical employees. 

• Prepared and sent a questionnaire regarding concerns of secretarial staffs (job 

satisfaction, working relationships, etc.) to all secretarial and clerical employees in 

NAA. The NAA SAC have received the responses and the results will be 

summarized and distributed to the Area secretaries, clerks, Research Leaders, 

supervisors, management personnel, etc. 

• Participated in the Leadership Conference in Dover, Delaware March 31-April 2, 

1997. This Conference involved Area Management, Research Leaders, Center 

Directors, Administrative Staff and Secretaries. Headquarters personnel were 

invited to speak and/or provide training. A session on "Business Writing. for 

Professionals" was presented by Mr. Richard Spencer, SkillPath® Seminars, to all 

the secretaries. Dr. Horn was a guest speaker to the Conference and made a 

personal appearance to speak directly with the secretaries and answer any questions 

they had. Dr. Horn told the group that he felt their jobs were very important to this 

Agency and to keep up the good work. 

• Drafted a "Welcoming Packet" for new secretarial employees. 

Goals 

• Work with the Area Director and Administrative Officer to publicize the call for 

nominations for the "Secretary of the Year" award for NAA. 

• Continue developing and distributing the NAA SAC Newsletter. 

• Conduct a face-to-face meeting with all NAA SAC members in late 

Spring/early Summer 1997. 

NORTHERN PLAINS AREA 

The Northern Plains Area Secretarial Advisory Council (NPASAC) was formed in 

1996 by volunteers who were solicited from the Area. Although volunteers were numerous, 

the committee was limited to five members plus the Technical 

Advisor. The first meeting was held in September 1996 in Fort Collins, Colorado. At this 

meeting the NPA was divided up with each Council member representing identified 

locations. This will enable each Council member to participate in the activities of the 

Council and be a "local" contact for their identified locations. They are also responsible for 

dissemination of NPASAC information to Area secretaries. 

The Current council members are: 

Kathleen Aragon, Laramie, Wyoming 
Louise Dalton, Fort Collins, Colorado – Chair 

Sandy Mathewson, Manhattan, Kansas 

Sharon Peterson, Grand Forks, North Dakota – Recorder 

Jan Preston, Lincoln, Nebraska 

Sue Thornburgh, Fort Collins, Colorado - Technical Advisor 

'Retired June 30, 1997. 

Accomplishments 

• Prepared and distributed the Council Charter throughout the Area. 

• Assisted in preparing the Secretarial Breakout Agenda for the 1997 Leadership 

Conference. Topics included: striving to prevent added stress on the job; time 

management and priorities; being informed and keeping others informed; and 

putting education and training to work. Upon completion of the breakout sessions, 

the secretaries finalized a report which was presented to the entire conference. 

• Requested to review nominations for the NPA Secretarial Award and make a 

recommendation to the Area Director. However, since a committee member was 

nominated for the award, the NPASAC did not actively participate in the selection 

process. 

• Established a directory of volunteer resource secretaries to serve as mentors to 

other secretaries in specialized areas, i.e., RMIS, PCTARE, SIMP TRAV, etc. 

• Prepared a "Welcome Letter" to be sent to newly hired ARS secretaries. 

Goals 

• Establish a mentoring program as well as provide adequate orientation and basic inhouse training for all newly hired secretaries. 

• Provide assistance to the National Secretarial Advisory Council. 

Promote recognition and promotions for ARS secretaries. 

• Identify outside training courses and encourage networking among 

secretaries. 

• Devise a means of keeping secretaries informed of new procedures. 

• Advise management of matters concerning the secretarial profession. 

• Keep secretaries involved in the secretarial portion of NPA Leadership 

Conferences. 
OFFICE OF THE ADMINISTRATOR 

The Office of the Administrator does not have an Organizational Council, but plans to 

work very closely with the NPS OSAC which has represented their interests in the past. 

PACIFIC WEST AREA 

The PWA Council changed its name to Secretarial/Program Support Advisory Council 

to provide greater representation throughout the Area. The Council continues to work toward 

their goal of ensuring that PWA has highly skilled professional secretarial/program support 

staff working as part of the location leadership team to meet the program/administrative goals 

of the Agency. The PWA Council conducted meetings at the following ARS locations: 

Corvallis, Oregon and Phoenix, Arizona. At the Phoenix meeting the Associate Area Director 

established a new/permanent position titled "Area Office Representative." 

Current Council members are: 

Tammy Durfee, Pullman, Washington - Co-Chai 

Patti Speckman, Riverside, California - Co-Chair 

Linda Aarstad, Prosser, Washington 

Barbara Ballengee, Shafter, California – Recorder 

Veronica Cullum, Albany, California 

Monta Whitehurst, Albany, California 

Libby Fouse, Fresno, California - Technical Advisor 

Accomplishments 

• Sent 15 welcome letters to newly-hired secretaries and clerks. 

• Added a Secretary Corner to Quakes, the PWA Quarterly Newsletter, to pass 

information to secretaries throughout the Area. 

• Established a mentoring program. Six secretaries are willing to serve as mentors 

and they were identified in the December issue of Quakes. 

• Conducted a survey of all secretaries and clerks in PWA on training needs and, as a 

result, developed a secretarial training program that was submitted to the Area Office 

for approval and implementation. 

• Assisted in developing the PWA Employee Recognition Program which was 

implemented late in 1996. 

• Developed an Application for Membership to the PWA Council, which was sent 

Area-wide. A replacement member to the Council was selected from the applicants. 
• Drafted the PWA Secretarial Handbook which was sent to and reviewed by the 

Associate Area Director. 

• Responded to requests from the National Council throughout 1996. 

Goals 

• Finalize the PWA Secretarial Handbook and make distribution by late 

1997/early 1998. 

• Develop and implement an electronic newsletter for secretarial/program support 

personnel. 

• Participate in the development of a PWA Leadership or Secretary 

Conference for 1997. 

• Involve more PWA secretarial/program support personnel in Council activities 

through the use of Technical Subcommittees. 

SOUTH ATLANTIC AREA 

The South Atlantic Area Secretarial Council (SAA/SAC) held its second meeting in 

Athens, Georgia, August 1996, with newly appointed Area Director, Dr. Roger Breeze. The 

SAA/SAC plans to hold their 1997 meeting in Tifton, Georgia. 

The Area Director appointed two new Council members in 1997. 

Current members are: 

Susan Mewborn, Athens, Georgia – Chair 

Patricia Fields, Clemson, South Carolina 

Rhonda F. Harper, Athens, Georgia 

Migdalia Malave, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico 

Sabrina Whitley-Ferrell Raleigh, North Carolina – Recorder 

Peggy Zelonka, Gainesville, Florida 

Kay Carr, Tifton, Georgia - Technical Advisor 

Accomplishments 

• Prepared the SAA Directory with Mission Statements and distributed it 

 throughout the Area. 

• Distributed the NSAC Training and Planning Guide for ARS 

Secretarial/Clerical Personnel to secretaries and supervisors. 

• Implemented the Secretary of the Year Award Program. 

• Conducted a survey via e-mail to identify what additional training was most 

desired and began plans for the utilization of the SAA Athens Training Facility. 
• Made arrangements for the secretaries from the Tifton, Dawson, and Byron 

locations to meet in conjunction with the 1997 SAA/SAC meeting, and to 

participate in a training session on foreign travel and VS-COM by two Area Office 

specialists. Survey results indicated that this would enhance job performance and 

improve productivity and morale. 

Goals 

• Prepare SAA Secretarial Handbook to complement the Quick Reference Guide for 

Secretarial/Clerical Personnel assembled by the National Secretarial Advisory 

Council. Reference materials will be consolidated into one Handbook, making a 

great resource tool for all secretaries, especially new Agency secretaries. 

• Plan for an Area-wide secretarial training/meeting in Athens, Georgia in 1998. 

• Implement the Partnership in Excellence program and establish mentors for the South 

Atlantic Area. 

SOUTHERN PLAINS AREA 

The Southern Plains Secretarial Council members are: 

Ruth Treat, Stillwater, Oklahoma – Chair 

Pat Agold, Kerrville, Texas 

Lola Albright, Boonesville, Arkansas 

Sherry Dewald, Woodward, Oklahoma 

Eilene Gibbens, El Reno, Oklahoma 

Janice Story, Lane, Oklahoma 

Anne Steele, College Station, Texas - Technical Advisor 

Accomplishments 

• Established SPA Council. 

• Improved communication through an area-wide newsletter distributed by the 

Council. 

• Prepared and distributed a questionnaire and compiled results for the Area Director on 

locations' progress in implementing specific recommendations identified in Stepping 

Into the Future. 

• Assisted with planning and participating in SPA Leadership Conference. 

• Developed criteria for a SPA Secretarial/Clerical Program Support Award. 
Goals 

Identify contacts within the Area w5o can provide assistance on a particular 

aspect of a job. 

 Gather information on self-help resources already available at individual locations 

and at HRD which may be shared with other locations. 

 Conduct site visits to other SPA locations as a means to provide orientation to new, 

reassigned, or redirected program support personnel.