The International Association of Administrative Professionals is a not-for-profit professional association for office professionals with approximately 40,000 members and affiliates and nearly 600 chapters worldwide. Our mission is to enhance the success of career-minded administrative professionals by providing opportunities for growth through education, community building and leadership development.
The association was founded in 1942 as the National Secretaries Association (NSA) to provide a professional network and educational resources for secretarial staff. The association's name was changed in 1998 to the International Association of Administrative Professionals to encompass the large number of varied administrative job titles and recognize the advancing role of administrative support staff in business and government.
IAAP established the Certified Professional Secretary (CPS) Program in 1951 to set recognized standards of excellence in the profesion. IAAP introduced an additional advanced certification, the Certified Administrative Professional (CAP) program, in 2001.
IAAP Mission:
To enhance the success of career-minded administrative professionals by providing opportunities for growth through education, community building and leadership development.
Our Core Values:
- Integrity: We demonstrate this cornerstone of our profession through honesty, accountability and high ethical standards.
- Respect: We create respect within our profession and association through listening, understanding and acknowledging member feedback.
- Adaptability: We ensure the success of our association by embracing positive change and by nurturing diversity, creativity and visionary thinking.
- Communication: We cultivate and maintain excellence by remaining approachable at all levels, communicating openly and building strong relationships.
- Commitment: We are steadfast in our goals to develop learning opportunities for career-minded administrative professionals and to strengthen efficiency and effectiveness.
Association Structure:
- 40,000+ members and affiliates; nearly 600 chapters; 36 regional divisions in six districts.
- International in scope - members and chapters in 66 countries
- IAAP has members in most Fortune 500 companies, hundreds of mid- to small-sized businesses, educational institutions, non profit organizations, and federal, state, and local government agencies.
- IAAP is a non-profit organization classified by the IRS as a 501(c) 6 association.
- Governed by a 12-member International Board of Directors, elected annually by member delegates at the IAAP International Convention and Education Forum.
- IAAP owns and operates its headquarters building located in Kansas City, Missouri.
- IAAP is not a union organization - we work in partnership with employers to promote excellence and lifelong learning.
To view a map of the Association structure and IAAP Districts, click here.
Definition of an Administrative Professional:
IAAP defines administrative professionals as "individuals who are responsible for administrative tasks and coordination of information in support of an office related environment and who are dedicated to furthering their personal and professional growth in their chosen profession".
History of IAAP
To read about the history and timeline of IAAP, click here.
IAAPedia
Unsure of an IAAP acronym? Well, take a look at the most frequently used acronyms at IAAP.