2011 recipient

Deborah Carter, an executive assistant with Carr, Riggs & Ingram, LLC formerly Hoyman Dobson CPAs in Melbourne, Fla., is the winner of the 2011 OfficeTeam Administrative Excellence Award. A nine-member committee chose Carter from a pool of nearly 300 nominations from throughout North America.

Carter’s enthusiasm for professional development, willingness to lead and enterprising attitude are just a few factors that contributed to her selection as the winner. “Deborah is a true example of a dedicated lifelong learner,” said nominator Chas Hoyman, managing partner at Carr, Riggs & Ingram. Carter’s “unwavering commitment to continuous learning” inspires employees in all areas — and at all levels — within the firm, he added.

She holds the Certified Administrative Professional with a specialty in Organizational Management (CAP-OM) designation and takes advantage of any professional development opportunity available to her. When Hoyman Dobson implemented a new marketing training program, Carter attended every training session. Since joining IAAP in 2001, she has attended scores of seminars, forums and conferences. Upon returning from these events, Carter provides the firm’s partners with an overview of what she’s learned about the latest business trends and best practices.

Carter’s not afraid to offer bold new solutions and take swift action, even if that means moving beyond the scope of her job description. For example, Carter proposed using Skype to conduct interviews with long-distance job candidates, and she came up with the idea to consolidate the firm’s mobile phone contracts with various carriers to one corporate plan. Both suggestions saved the firm time and money.

She also has been praised for her willingness to master new technology. Carter took the initiative to teach herself the ins-and-outs of Microsoft Office 2007 upon its release and passed that knowledge along to her coworkers. When the company implemented software for a paperless work environment, she was at the forefront of the project and immediately became a go-to-person for questions.

“Deborah is one of our firm’s leaders when it comes to technology,” said Gina Rall, a partner at the firm. “She is always looking for better ways to improve our team’s efficiency through the use of technology.”

Carter, who supports the firm’s partners, is highly regarded for her stellar leadership and people skills. “She’s found a way to successfully collaborate with different work styles and personalities,” said Rall.

She holds a Certified Administrative Professional designation with a specialty in OShe manages team-building outings, and organized a series of in-house seminars on professional ethics. Carter mentors other administrative professionals at the firm as well.

In addition to the contributions she makes on the job, Carter is a longtime board member and past president of IAAP’s Central Brevard Chapter. She also serves on the IAAP-Florida Division’s Research & Education Foundation committee. She also serves on the International Research & Education EFAM Scholarship Program Task Force. Carter enthusiastically encourages all fellow administrative professionals to sharpen their existing skills and hone new ones by utilizing IAAP. “Everything is there for the taking,” Carter said. “You just have to take charge.” Carter gives back to her community through the United Way’s Emerging Leaders program. She also introduced the Emerging Leaders program to her Carr, Riggs & Ingram, LLC colleagues and recruited several new members.