ARKADELPHIA — Velvet Pilot wants to lead her fellow educational office professionals to a year of success in 2015.
Pilot, the administrative assistant to the director of curriculum and instruction for the Arkadelphia School District, is the new president of the Arkansas Association of Educational Office Professionals. Her term of office will begin Jan. 1.
Joining her as AAEOP officers will be Angela Middleton as third vice president and Billie Garlin as a member of the board of directors. Middleton is the administrative assistant to the director of special education for the Arkadelphia School District, and Garlin is an administrative assistant at Dawson Education Service Cooperative in Arkadelphia.
All three women are members of the Arkadelphia Association of Educational Office Professionals; Garlin is the president of the local organization.
“Anyone who works in public or private schools, colleges or universities, or any other educational system or organization related to education, is eligible to become a member,” Pilot said, referring to the requirements for joining the state organization.
“Positions in the private sector that correlate to our positions include office managers, bookkeepers and administrative assistants, who used to be called simply ‘secretaries.’”
Pilot said the mission of the state organization is to provide “professional and personal growth opportunities” as it “exemplifies service, information, recognition and fellowship.”
Pilot is a native of Delight, where she still lives.
“That’s my time to chill,” she said when asked about the roughly 50-mile round-trip commute she makes every day.
She graduated from Delight High School in 1978 and has taken some college classes at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia. Pilot has been employed by the local school district for 10 years.
Pilot said the National Association of Educational Office Professionals offers a professional-standards program, which is a certification program based on experience, education and professional activities. Those who meet the established requirements of that program receive the distinction of Certified Educational Office Employee — CEOE — and can use those initials behind their name. Pilot and Middleton have been awarded the CEOE distinction.
Pilot served on the state board for several years and as first vice president last year.
“I was the conference chairman last year,” she said, noting that the state organization has a conference every year. “That was a big job. We met for two days at the Holiday Inn Conference Center in Little Rock. We meet different places each year. Next year, we will meet at the Clarion Resort on the Lake in Hot Springs on Nov. 5 and 6.”
Pilot said she hopes to increase membership during her time as state president.
“Our aim is to promote the professional growth of our members,” she said. “One of the key aspects of membership is networking.
“If I don’t know how to do something — maybe I am not very skilled at Microsoft Office or some other application — and if I know someone who knows how to do that, I will pick up the phone and call and ask for help.
“These are the most wonderful ladies across the state that I know I can call, and they will help me. That saves me a lot of time.”
Pilot said members are offered opportunities to attend in-service training and/or workshops to further develop their skills. Members also have the opportunity to receive recognition and scholarships.
She said the organization honors an Administrator of the Year.
“We recognize our administrators because we know the success of our association depends on having their support,” she said, adding that local associations nominate an administrator every year for this award. Donnie Whitten, Arkadelphia School District superintendent, received that award last year.
Pilot said the state organization also provides two scholarships to students each year and offers scholarships to members to help them enroll in the professional-standards program or to help with the expenses of attending the state or national conference.
Pilot said the national organization was founded in 1934 as the National Association of School Secretaries. The name was changed first to the National Association of Educational Secretaries, then to the National Association of Educational Office Professionals.
The state organization was founded in 1938.
“We have been around for a long time,” Pilot said. “We provide support to our teachers, students and parents. We provide professional assistance in a variety of different situations.”
Pilot said the theme for the coming year is “AAEOP 2015 — The Key to Our Success.”
“When deciding on my theme, I thought about the key components to both personal and professional success,” she said. “I determined that preparation is a significant component of success, and the AAEOP organization does many things to prepare its members for success. In addition to the valuable workshops offered at our annual conference, members are sent newsletters throughout the year that provide information and advice relative to our jobs.
“The networking aspect of AAEOP is an invaluable tool at the local, state and national levels,” she said. “Also, through our local AEOPs, members are given opportunities to contribute to their communities. In short, the key components of AAEOP are in place to educate, motivate, inspire and prepare AAEOP members for success in both their personal and professional lives.”
Angela Middleton has been in her current position with the Arkadelphia School District for 12 years; she has been with the district since 2000. She said the biggest part of her job is dealing with Medicaid forms for the students in the special-education classes in the district.
“I have to be sure all the data is as correct as possible,” she said.
Originally from Arkadelphia, Middleton graduated from Arkadelphia High School and has attended college classes at Henderson State. She worked at the Dawson Educational Service Cooperative and at Ouachita Baptist University before coming to work for the Arkadelphia School District.
Middleton has been a member of the state organization for 21 years and has served in various offices.
“As the third vice president, I will be the elections chairman,” she said. “I will have to find qualified applicants — those who are willing and able —to serve as officers for the next year.”
Middleton said she thinks the biggest benefit of belonging to the AAEOP is the “interaction with other secretaries and administrative assistants that do the same work as you do.
“You get to meet secretaries from all over Arkansas. It’s a very good support group.”
Billie Garlin grew up in Little Rock and graduated from McClellan High School. She and her family moved to Arkadelphia 22 years ago when her husband became the high school principal there.
She has 21 years of experience as an educational office professional. She is the administrative assistant to the director and assistant director at Dawson Education Service Cooperative, a position she has held for the past two years.
“I have been at the co-op for nine years,” Garlin said, adding that she worked for Ouachita Baptist University prior to that. She has also worked for the public school districts in Arkadelphia and Conway.
“I do all duties assigned. I love it here,” she said. “I worked in the career education department here before I began my current job.
“I make appointments, coordinate board meetings and take applications for Ross grants. I do a lot of different things. I also travel to legislative meetings every Wednesday [during the legislative session]. I am the board secretary.”
She agrees with Pilot and Middleton about the benefits of belonging to the state organization.
“It’s a great thing getting to interact and draw from others to help you if you need it,” she said. “It helps you grow as a professional.”
She said her job on the AAEOP board next year will be to serve as the ways and means chairwoman.
“I will have to come up with a fundraiser that will be held during the state convention,” she said. “We use the money we make for scholarships.”
For more information on the Arkansas Association of Educational Office Professionals, email Pilot at velvet.pilot@arkadelphiaschools.org or visit www.aaeop.org.