Professional development is an important asset for any organization. It allows employees to stay current with new trends and review and reflect on their own job performance.

Office professional personnel at Robeson Community College realize the importance of professional development and have recently formed a local chapter of the Association of Educational Office Professionals. The RCC chapter was established in June and has 18 active members. The chapter is affiliated with others in North Carolina and the state’s District 9 consortium.

Chapter President Rose Avant, executive assistant to the president, has been a member of the state organization for 15 years and is delighted to have a chapter at the college and is inspired by the enthusiasm of the members and the support of President Charles Chrestman and the executive staff in establishing the organization.

“The AEOP organization has been instrumental in my professional career. I’ve been able to meet and interact with educational office professionals from all over the state and in addition to learning from them. I’ve also made some wonderful friends. I’m very excited that RCC now has a local chapter. As our members work together and participate in workshops and seminars to help us grow professionally, we will also be an encouragement to each other to be all that we can be in our profession,” Avant said.

For many decades, the association has played a huge part in helping educational office professionals’ advance in their careers. The North Carolina chapter was organized in 1951. It is made up of 14 districts and serves educational office personnel and administrators both public and private. The mission of the Association of Education Office Professionals is to provide professional growth opportunities, leadership and service for employees in education through a specifically-designed certification program, quality training, a network for sharing information and ideas and recognition of achievements.

The continuing education of educational office professionals is essential to handle rapidly changing conditions in the profession. The association provides the opportunity for members to enhance their professional competencies through academic programs, conferences and seminars. These incentive activities enable the members to take steps to their desired professional growth level. Members may apply for admission to the Professional Standards Program. This is a voluntary program established by the national association to encourage educational office professionals to grow professionally. The program is designed as a series of eight levels. Achievement in the program is recognized by the awarding of certificates based on education, experience and professional activity.

The District 9 annual meeting was recently held on the RCC campus. Each year district and local chapters hold a fund-raiser to provide area high school students educational scholarships. This year’s fund-raising activity required each chapter to sell raffle tickets for a uniquely designed gift basket. Members of the RCC chapter raised more than $350, the most of any local chapter. The chapter’s first educational scholarship fundraiser will kickoff at the end of November.

President Chrestman is pleased with the college’s newly established chapter.

“The establishment of the RCC AEOP chapter says a lot about the RCC office professionals and their desire to adhere to a set of professional standards of touted by this organization. For me, it says this group of individuals, on which so many of us rely for day to day support, recognize and value professional standards and how they can help adapt in a changing office environment. It gives RCC’s office professionals a means to obtain relevant professional development in an area where good professional development opportunities are scarce. I am very proud of what they have done,” Chrestman said.

— Lisa O.Hunt is Public Information Officer at Robeson Community College. You can reach her at lohunt@robeson.cc.nc.us.