Admin of the Month: Lisa Allen

Welcome to the third installment of Admin of the Month, a new monthly blog series from ASAP that highlights deserving administrative professionals. 

Our Admin of the Month for August 2023 is Lisa Allen. 

Lisa is an Executive Assistant at ALSAC, the fundraising and brand awareness arm of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. She was recently promoted in March to the Executive Office from being a Senior Administrative Assistant on the Donor Experience team. 

Check out Lisa's advice video below! 

Lisa has been at ALSAC four years and has been very active with different committees and volunteering during her short tenure. She is currently a member of the Women in Leadership Business Resource Group, co-chair of the Social Committee of the St. Jude Women’s Club, and an active member of the Employee Engagement Committee at ALSAC. Lisa enjoys volunteering monthly at St. Jude’s long-term living facility Target House as the children play Bingo with their families and win prizes. She also currently serves on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Junior Auxiliaries as Membership Chairman and is on the Board of Directors for her neighborhood Homeowners Association.

Prior to coming to ALSAC, Lisa’s administrative experience came from two different medical offices in the previous 10 years. She earned her bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of Mississippi and currently resides in Southaven, Mississippi with her husband and two dogs. She has a son, Carter, attending her alma mater in the fall. Lisa enjoys relaxing at the pool and lake in the summertime, listening to live music with her husband, Zach, and brunching with friends on the weekend.

ASAP: How did you get into the administrative field and how has your role changed since being in the profession?

Lisa: I started in a urologist’s office as a medical record technician, moved to check in, then check out. I was finally promoted to Scheduling Coordinator and was ready for a change after six years. I moved to another medical group as a Clinical Operations Specialist, which led to a general surgeon asking me to join his practice as an administrative assistant, where I assisted three general surgeons for four years. 

As my career has progressed, so has my knowledge and experience. As an Administrative Assistant, I learned the ropes of managing multiple calendars for speaking engagements and meetings, invoicing and reimbursement submissions to accounting, CV maintenance, and making travel arrangements as needed, which was not often. 

As a Senior Administrative Assistant, I managed calendars more as I accepted and declined all meeting requests that came through for my three executives, managed expense reports for the first time, coordinated travel more often, and was an integral part of a team ordering team lunches, coordinating team retreats, updating documents, and keeping the team on track. 

Now as an Executive Assistant, I am more prepared to adapt and be ready for anything that I’m asked to do. I maintain confidentiality and keep up with four executives on different teams, as well as most other tasks I did as a Senior Administrative Assistant. It’s been a learning experience, but each position has prepared me for the next, so I’ve enjoyed the journey thus far.

What is your favorite part of the job now?

Working in the Executive Office suite with our President/CEO, I was able to answer a phone call of a long-time donor that knew our CEO in his past life. She requested an urgent referral for a family member to St. Jude, but she didn’t know how to get the contact for the department she needed. I was able to take the message, route it appropriately, and received a sweet thank you note in the mail the following week for my help. It connected me to our mission in a closer way, that I would not have had the opportunity to do had I not been in my position.

How has ASAP supported your personal and professional growth?

I have taken advantage of many of the free webinars offered.  I love the variety in topics and speakers. The articles are very helpful as well, so I like the different ways ASAP offers information. I really enjoy the ASAP Circle and connecting with other admins around the world by reading posts, asking questions, and attending the Coffee Breaks when I’m able. Connecting with fellow admins that don’t know me helps me be more vulnerable in asking questions or speaking up. 

What is your professional super power?

Speed of response. I take pride in how quickly I respond to emails, Teams chats, phone calls, texts, you name it! I just wish everyone had that same superpower, and our work would be more streamlined and easier.

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