Delek's Elizabeth Fairris was named Administrative Professional of the Year during a luncheon on April 26, El Dorado-Union County Chamber of Commerce membership coordinator Karen Hicks said.
Fairris was one of seven finalists for the award. Other finalists included Mallard Motors's Ashley McElwee, Harrison Financial's Catherine Gatheright, South Arkansas Historical Preservation Society's Jimmie Lunsford, Turning Point of South Arkansas's Monique Aaron, Arkansas Rehabilitation Services's Sandra Johnson and Young's Funeral Directors's Sandy Young.
"We had more nominations than we have in the past few years," Hicks said in an email. "If the nominations continue to grow, we look forward to being able to award Winner, Runner Up and 2nd place next year."
The Administrative Professionals Luncheon last month gave local employers the opportunity to recognize the workers that are often the first to interact with potential customers or clients. The annual event is held on National Administrative Professionals Day.
In nominating Fairris, Delek El Dorado Refinery General Manager Michael Reed said, "One thing about Liz is that she is always willing to work as part of a team, whether as a leader or any other role. She puts the needs of the facility and community first and will do whatever it takes in that regard."
Hicks noted that nominations, which were submitted by employers ahead of the luncheon, were combed through at the U.S. Small Business Administration Office in Magnolia, and the winner selected there.
She said the Chamber is proud to be able to recognize a group of workers who are often overlooked.
"It is important to recognize that the first person the public deals with is often the administrative professionals. We are honored to be to able to offer this recognition to the hard working individuals that our member rely on to keep the businesses running," she said.
Employer forum
Today, the Arkansas Office of Skills Development will host a forum for employers to learn about apprenticeship talent pipelines for their workforces. The forum began Wednesday.
According to a flyer for the event, the free forum will give business owners and employers the opportunity to hear from industry professionals who utilize apprenticeship programs, speak with experts on apprenticeships and learn about resources for starting an apprenticeship program.
The forum will be held from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the El Dorado Conference Center, 311 S. West Ave. For more information, email [email protected].