McDuffie chamber honors top secretary
THOMSON - Kathy Newsome loves her job.
She loves it so much, in fact, that recently she was named the 2003 Administrative Professional of the Year at a luncheon sponsored by the Thomson-McDuffie Chamber of Commerce last week.
Newsome is the secretary for the McDuffie County Extension Office, which specializes in providing educational information in the areas of agriculture and family and consumer sciences.
Newsome was surprised and flattered when she was announced as the winner.
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"I'm not good at accepting awards," she said. "I don't take credit for anything I've done. It's just the Lord in me. I really do appreciate the recognition, but I don't receive it real well. It's been real exciting, however."
Kathy Newsome
has been named the Administrative Professional of the Year for Thomson-McDuffie County.
Photo by Elwood Hamilton
Though she has many tasks to attend to throughout the day, it's answering the phone that keeps Newsome constantly moving.
"It can get very hectic," she said. "Sometimes when I've got four or five people in here, one person on hold, one person on the phone, and I'm the only one here, it can be very hectic. I just have to say, 'Well, I can only do one thing at a time,' and tell these people, 'Sorry, I'll be with you soon."'
Newsome, who's been working at the McDuffie County Extension Office for 28 years and is preparing to retire, beat out several other nominees to win the coveted Administrative Professional of the Year Award. Nominees' name were submitted by co-workers. Several hundred administrative professionals from around McDuffie County attended the event.
County Extension Coordinator Frank Watson was one of those who nominated Newsome.
"She's excellent," he said. "It takes a certain type of person to be able to respond - we have some people that are sometimes downright ugly, but she can handle the pressure as well as anyone."