Our October 2019 Employee of the Month
“When I was little, and all the little girls were playing School and House, I was playing Office. I was the secretary,” says Boone Hospital Center executive assistant Stacey Roberts.
Stacey provides professional support to Monica Smith, Boone Hospital’s Chief Nursing Officer and Vice-President of Patient Care; Michelle Zvanut, Vice-President of Human Resources; and Chief Medical Officer and Vice-President Robin Blount, MD. Supporting three execs can be tough – “One executive is enough!” Stacey laughs – but her organizational, communication and computer skills help her not only support her VPs but other administrative employees throughout the hospital.
Since she first joined Boone in 2016, Stacey quickly built a strong reputation for being knowledgeable when it comes to supporting her executives – so much so that she accidentally figured out she was the October Employee of the Month when she saw a member of the HR team approach her three VPs for signatures on the same form.
“I KNOW there aren’t any contracts that all three of them would have to sign!” she says.
Stacey’s administrative professional career began when she graduated from Hickey Business School in St. Louis with her associate’s in administrative assistance. She worked as an administrative assistant at an architectural firm, supported a COO at a large medical practice, assisted the career services director at Westminster College, and worked as a legal assistant for 14 years before she came to Boone in 2016, ready to get back to her administrative roots. Stacey says, “Boone had an opening that seemed to check off all the boxes that I was seeking in a new job.”
Stacey got some extra boxes that weren’t on originally her list, like organizing employee events, including the holiday party and Service Awards Fiesta. She says, “I love to throw a good party. Event planning is definitely the most fun part of my job.”
Stacey’s executives are frequently impressed with her passion for continuing education, improved efficiency and innovation to better support both the executive suite and Boone Hospital Center as a whole – something Stacey sees as necessary for anyone administrative professional. Administrative roles have not changed considerably as new technology has entered the office – today’s admins also need strong interpersonal and business skills to help their leaders manage their time more effectively.
“Our job is to keep as much off our leaders’ plates, so they can do the big things they need to do,” Stacey explains. They shouldn’t be tied to their desk, trying to figure out how to format a letter. That’s something that I should be doing for my executive."
Monica Smith says, “Stacey makes my job look effortless because she is constantly thinking about how to be one step ahead. I can honestly say that I could not do my job without Stacey. She is my right-hand woman!”
Stacey’s passion for supporting others goes beyond the Administration suite. She also heads the hospital’s administrative professional committee, B-ALERT, and leads the monthly meetings with presentations, webinars, and fun team-building activities. It’s also a space to share concerns, ask questions and build friendships.
“This is a very large hospital, and we have many assistants with varying titles,” Stacey says. “But we’re all assisting a department or set of people, and we’re each the only one in our department. I really wanted to bring all of the assistants together to make everybody realize we’re all in this together and can lean on each other – this is a team.”
Stacey is also an active member of International Association of Administrative Professionals, which provides education and networking for administrative professionals, and frequently pursues new certifications. In addition to being a Certified Administrative Professional, she most recently became a Certified World Class Assistant.
When she’s not busy supporting three executives, Stacey keeps equally busy raising three children, attending sporting events, dance recitals and play dates. She enjoys visiting Saint Louis to tour the museums and the Missouri Botanical Garden.
For a few months last year, Stacey had briefly worked elsewhere as an administrative professional, but it didn’t take her long to realize where she really belonged. She says, “Even when I was gone, I was back at this hospital at least once a week, having lunch with somebody because I missed the people. There’s no place like Boone.”
Congratulations, Stacey!