2025 Institute for Administrative Assistants

• Communication protocols with parents, students, faculty, and external stakeholders that minimize legal exposure while maintaining positive relationships.
• Proper procedures for handling and responding to subpoenas, marital/child custody orders, guardianship documents, and other legal documents that may come across your desk.
• Understanding confidentiality obligations and documentation best practices to avoid common legal pitfalls.

This interactive session will provide administrative professionals with the foundational
knowledge needed to confidently handle sensitive situations while protecting both themselves and their institutions from potential liability.

Speakers: 

• Flekeda Gilliam, Charlotte Latin School
  
• Elizabeth Maglio, SAIS
  

This immersive workshop offers common scenarios administrative assistants find themselves facing. Through guided role-play exercises, participants will

• Practice responding to challenging interactions with parents, faculty, and students;
• Receive constructive feedback from peers and facilitators in a supportive environment;
• Build a toolkit of practical communication strategies applicable to various situations.

This interactive session provides a safe space to practice and refine essential professional competencies utilized daily.

Speaker: Betsy Knight, Ensworth School
Location: Sea Star

A teacher has called in sick AND… a sub is needed; a door is broken; five children haven’t been accounted for in advisory; a parent is waiting for you on the phone; a child is in the bathroom throwing up; security has a car with their lights on; your principal needs you to schedule a few meetings; two rooms need to be reserved for meetings after school; you need to order lunches for an event; the copier is jammed; a teacher needs to meet with your head; and athletics just notified you the early dismissal for the baseball team has been moved up an hour. 

Is it possible to be everything to everyone every minute of every day? Probably not! But, there are ways to ensure that you successfully prioritize tasks, complete those tasks, and still make time to work on your “to do” list. Join us as we explore tools that can streamline your workload, help you stay on schedule, and perhaps even help you stay sane throughout the day.

Flekeda Gilliam is a focused and results-driven professional with extensive experience in administrative support and organizational management. She currently serves as the academic affairs assistant at Charlotte Latin School in Charlotte, NC, where she connects families, faculty, and staff with key resources and provides direct support to the associate head of school. Known for her exceptional organizational and planning skills, Flekeda plays a vital role in maintaining school accreditation and managing national educational memberships.

Before transitioning to education, Flekeda retired from a distinguished 22-year career at Bank of America. As a business support lead II in the Global Compliance and Operational Risk division, she delivered high-level administrative support to C-suite leaders.