“The Admin Awards is the Best Thing to Ever Happen To the Administrative Profession”
Lori Seamons, Grainger
The Admin Awards and I share the same origin story: My Mother
How it Began - A Letter from Sunny Nunan, Founder of the Admin Awards
My first glimpse into the business world was through the eyes of a secretary, my Mother. I can still see her blonde hair peeking over the reception window when I'd surprise her after school at the manufacturing company she worked at in Easton, Pennsylvania. The only thing my Mom loved more than her work was her five kids. Her reaction was always the same when I'd surprise her at the office - as if she hadn’t just seen me that morning.
That was one of my Mom's many gifts: the ability to make people feel like they mattered. Instant belonging.
She was endlessly curious. I remember my Mom's eyes lighting up as she explained her fascination with a machine called the telex, and how it rumbled to life when sending messages from China to our small town in Pennsylvania - as if the entire world had opened up to her.
My Mom talked about her job the way some people talk about art, marveling at what she was learning, taking genuine interest in the products and services her companies offered. Fascinated by the interesting people she met - whether that was a new hire in the plant or the CEO of a well-known company.
During the pinnacle of my Mom's career she supported Presidents and CEOs, but it was in the final 15 years of her career, when most people begin to slow down, that she made her biggest impact. At 65, she joined a technology company in Irving, Texas as a corporate receptionist. The culture there was already exceptional; she simply gave it a heartbeat. She was the first face to greet nervous applicants and the last to say goodbye to departing coworkers. Births, deaths, promotions, heartbreaks, milestones, she honored them all.
Her coworkers (who nearly all called her 'Mama') got “caught” lingering in reception too much because being near her just felt good. She greeted couriers with the same dignity she gave CEOs. She didn’t just do her job; she elevated what it meant to be human at work, a central role of which was the dignity you extended to others. That was the real work.
When my Mother retired just shy of 80, her company gave her a scrapbook inches thick, filled with cards, photos, and letters from those whose lives she had touched. Proof that her true legacy wasn’t in the tasks she completed, but in the people she uplifted.
The Admin Awards wasn’t created because I believed executives and coworkers lacked appreciation for their Administrative Professionals; it was because I knew how deeply loved and valued they already were. What was missing was a way to express that love out loud in a way that reflected the significance
In 2012, I realized something extraordinary: a profession as old as America itself, one that traces back to George Washington’s secretary, Tobias Lear, had never been formally celebrated. A profession that built companies, shaped industries, and quietly kept the world turning had never been given its own moment.
So, I created it.
Today, the Admin Awards is recognized as the Administrative Profession’s highest honor, the Academy Awards for Admins. A national movement celebrating the people who make ideas real, momentum possible, and excellence inevitable.
While my Mother passed away on December 19th, her legacy will live on forever, as the inspiration for the world's first public recognition program dedicated to Administrative Professionals.
I hope you’ll join us on this journey.
Sunny Nunan
Founder, CEO & Proud Daughter of a Retired Executive Secretary
The Admin Awards is the Administrative Profession's Highest Honor
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The Admin Awards is the number one recognition program for Administrative Professionals, considered the highest honor in the Administrative Profession, and a national movement uniting executives and Administrative Professionals across industries, cities, and generations.
Often referred to as the Academy Awards for Admins, the program invites companies to nominate their Administrative Professionals across nine award categories that reflect the many ways Admins drive business forward.
All nominees are celebrated at the Admin Awards Good as Gold Galas held in cities across the U.S., where Finalists and Winners are also announced.
Since our inception, thousands of executives have joined the movement to honor the people who make ideas real, momentum possible, and excellence inevitable.
Quick Facts
- Established in 2012
- 10 host cities
- Five-star rated experience with an 87.5 Net Promoter Score (World-class = 70+)
- 25,000+ nominations submitted
- 4,100+ companies participated
- 112 Fortune 500 brands companies participated
- Thousands of Administrative Professionals honored
How the Admin Awards Works
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The Admin Awards exists to make visible the work that holds organizations together.
It honors Administrative Professionals whose operational excellence shapes outcomes behind the scenes, beginning with nominations from the organizations they support and culminating in the Admin Awards 'Good as Gold' Gala, a shared, in-person experience that reflects the spirit and significance of the Administrative role.
Below is a brief overview of how the Admin Awards works.
Companies Nominate Their Admins
Organizations submit nominations in the Admin Awards region of their choice in one or more of the Admin Awards categories, recognizing Administrative Professionals whose contributions create meaningful impact within their teams and organizations. All Nominees must be present at the Admin Awards 'Good as Gold' Gala to advance in the competition.
View more details on nominations here.
Independent Judges Review All Nominations
Every nomination is reviewed by an independent Board of Judges composed of former Admin Awards winners, career Administrative Professionals, senior executives, and representatives from the Colleen Barrett Institute. There is no public voting. Finalists and Winners are selected based on merit and demonstrated impact.
View more details on judging here.
The Admin Awards 'Good as Gold' Gala Recognition Experience
Nominees attend the five-star rated Admin Awards 'Good as Gold' Gala alongside their executives, colleagues, family, and friends. Every nominee is honored, and the Finalists and Winners are revealed live throughout the evening. Every attending Administrative Professional is treated to the many long-standing traditions of the Admin Awards including a red-carpet experience, high-value commemorative gift and a chance to win extraordinary prizes throughout the evening.
Watch a short Admin Awards video to see the Good as Gold Gala here.
How Nominations Work
Choose the Admin Award Category
Review the Admin Award categories and select the one that best reflects your Nominee’s strengths, achievements, and overall impact.
Review How to Craft a Winning Nomination
Read our tips for writing a winning nomination and explore sample winning entries to ensure your submission reflects best practices and tells your Nominee’s story effectively.
Submit Your Nomination on AdminAwards.com
Complete the official nomination form and submit it through our online portal. This begins your Nominee’s journey in the competition.
Nominee Notification
Once your nomination is submitted, the Nominee is notified by email — an exciting moment for many — and receives information about the next steps in the process.
Nominee Acceptance & Nominee Statement
The Nominee confirms their participation by completing their Nominee Acceptance and submitting their brief Nominee Statement, which helps judges gain additional insight into their work.
Gather Supporting Nominations
After the first nomination is received, a unique Supporting Nominations link is generated. Share this link with coworkers, partners, clients, and anyone who has experienced your Nominee’s exceptional work to help strengthen their submission.
Each time a supporting nomination is submitted, the Nominee receives a notification — a meaningful and motivating experience as they see the impact they’ve had on others.
How Judging Works
How the ‘Good as Gold’ Gala Works
High Profile Participants
Each year, executives, teams, and companies across industries step forward to publicly honor the Administrative Professionals whose work strengthens their organizations. What follows is a small snapshot of the many notable participants who have taken part in the Admin Awards experience.
Laura Alber
CEO Williams-Sonoma
Marc Aldrich
GM Amazon Media & Entertainment
David Anderson
U.S. Attorney The Northern District of California
Tim Archer
President & CEO Lam Research
Cole Brown
Chief Human Resources Officer American Airlines
John Chambers
Former CEO Cisco Systems
Brad Childers
President & CEO Archrock, Inc.
Brian Ellis
CRO Realtor.com
Sharon Grehan
Chief Learning & Development Officer Gilead
Aart de Geus
Executive Chair Synopsys
Participating Companies by Region
Explore participating organizations by region to see the breadth of companies who have chosen to recognize Administrative excellence through the Admin Awards.
2026 Regions, Gala Dates and Nominations Deadlines
Houston and Gulf Coast Region
Gala Date: May 1, 2026 at 6:00 PM (Buy your tickets and tables here)
Venue: Royal Sonesta, Galeria
City: Houston
Nomination Deadline: March 20, 2026 (Nominate here)
Chicago and Mid-West Region
Gala Date: June 12, 2026 at 6:00 PM (Buy your tickets and tables here)
Venue: JW Marriott Hotel
City: Chicago
Nomination Deadline: March 1, 2026 (Nominate here)
Washington DC and Mid-Atlantic Region
Gala Date: August 14, 2026 at 6:00 PM (Buy your tickets and tables here)
Venue: Waldorf Astoria
City: Washington, DC
Nomination Deadline: July 10, 2026 (Nominate here)
Silicon Valley and San Francisco Bay Area Region
Gala Date: September 2, 2026 at 6:00 PM (Buy your tickets and tables here)
Venue: SFO Marriott Waterfront
City: Burlingame
Nomination Deadline: July 22, 2026
Boston and New England Region
Gala Date: October 1, 2026 at 6:00 PM
Venue: Venezia Ballroom
City: Boston
Nomination Deadline: August 20, 2026
DFW and Gulf Coast Region
Gala Date: November 13, 2026 at 6:00 PM
Venue: Hyatt Regency
City: Dallas
Nomination Deadline: October 1, 2026
Recognition is Leadership in its Highest Form
The Administrative role is one of the most essential, and yet most invisible, in modern business.
The better an Admin does their job, the easier it is for their work to go unnoticed. That invisibility makes recognition not just meaningful, but mission-critical.
That’s why recognition matters more here than almost anywhere else. It restores visibility to the invisible and ensures that contribution is met with appreciation, not assumption.
A business case for recognition of Administrative Professionals
Recognition is one of the most powerful drivers of engagement and retention. Consider these stats:
- According to Gallup, employees who feel consistently recognized are 5x more likely to stay.
- Replacing an experienced Administrative Professional can cost upwards of 70% of their annual salary, not counting lost productivity, trust, or institutional knowledge.
- A study from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley found that employees who feel recognized for their work are 23% more productive, and those who feel genuinely valued and cared for are 43% more productive, nearly twice the impact.
Beyond engagement, the financial value of Administrative Professionals is undeniable. Studies show that effective Admins save their executives an average of 15 hours per week by managing schedules, communications, and priorities — time executives can redirect toward strategic, high-leverage work. For companies, this translates massive productivity gains each year, not to mention sharper focus, faster execution, and stronger decision-making at the top.
The Admin Awards exists to ignite that shift, to remind the business world that gratitude isn’t soft. It’s strategic. Recognition is leadership in its highest form.
Recognition, Professional Development, Recruitment & Advocacy
What began as a single night of recognition has grown into a national movement redefining how the world sees Administrative Professionals.
Today, the Admin Awards extends far beyond the Good as Gold Gala through a connected ecosystem designed to recognize excellence, invest in development, support recruitment, and elevate the profession year-round.
The Beacon Institute for Administrative Excellence equips Administrative Professionals to grow through transformative learning experiences while serving as the organization’s research and advocacy hub. Through education, insight, and thought leadership, the Institute inspires organizations to rethink, respect, and reinvest in Administrative talent, helping shape the future of the field.
N+1 Search is a full-service recruiting firm dedicated to placing high-impact Administrative Professionals with leaders and organizations that value true partnership. Through a rigorous, relationship-driven approach, N+1 Search connects exceptional talent with roles where they can thrive and make meaningful impact.
The Admin Awards Job Board, powered by N+1 Search, extends this work by offering curated opportunities for organizations seeking Administrative Professionals and candidates exploring their next chapter.
Administrative Professionals Month - Imagine Admin is our annual celebration during Administrative Professionals Month, which brings the community’s best ideas to life through a series of virtual, inspirational events that spotlight innovation, creativity, and leadership across the profession.
Together, these initiatives form a growing ecosystem built to celebrate, empower, and elevate Administrative Professionals everywhere.