Greetings!

Welcome to the Association of Administrative Professionals (AAP), previously known as the Association of Administrative Assistants (AAA) or Private Secretaries, Toronto Charter Branch, where the Association was born. From the first Annual General Meeting in April 1951 to the Letters Patent in November 1952, and subsequent Letters Patent, the Association of Administrative Assistants was rebranded to the Association of Administrative Professionals in February 2017.

The Association continues to promote professional growth through our two designation programs: Canadian Certified Administrative Professional (CCAP), previously called Qualified Administrative Assistant (QAA) and the Canadian Certified Administrative Professional Associate (CCAPa), launched in 2021. The QAA designation was revisited in June 2018 and was changed to CCAP. 

The Association is blessed with over 800 active members and more than 145 CCAP/CCAPa graduates across Canada, including 160+ active members and 35+ CCAP/CCAPa graduates within the Toronto branch. The Association is a community that offers its members, both past and present, a perfect platform to network and increase their knowledge within the administrative area.  With 73+ years in existence, run solely by volunteers, the Association welcomes all its members and guests at our various events. 

Thank you for your interest in continuing your administrative journey. 

Best,

Sudipa Sarkar, CCAP, PACE

Toronto Branch President

MEET OUR TEAM

Top L – R: Sudipa Sarkar, President; Vidya Espinet, Vice President; Paul Gallardo, Treasurer; Suzy Barros, Secretary; Sara Wakefield; Social Media Coordinator and Website Administrator

Bottom L – R: Kim Walsh, Newsletter Editor; Rhonda Martin, Membership Chair; Swati Garg, Program Chair; Preethi Balasubramanian, Past President

2023-25 EVENTS CALENDAR

**The event calendar will be updated soon.**

All events are eligible for certification renewal points.

Certificate of attendance will be provided for all webinars and professional development events.

Branches across Canada provide community support by either volunteering to a group/charity event or by providing monetary funds to assist that group/charity. The Toronto Charter Branch commits to a ‘charity of choice’ annually by supporting them financially with our guest fees received at our scheduled meetings or other branch functions.

As a not for profit organization, we encourage our members to be active and participate to enrich both the well-being of others as well as themselves.

Our charity of choice for 2024-25 is Youth Without Shelter (www.yws.on.ca)

RESOURCES

Cabinet

Ignite Magazine

Ignite magazine is proud to be a media partner of AAP Toronto. As Canada’s leading source of ideas and inspiration for those who plan meetings, board retreats, employee events and more, Ignite is pleased to offer a FREE subscription to all APP members. In addition to our experiential magazine, we offer access to a number of online resources including articles, hot rates and dates for properties across Canada, and an industry events calendar. Tired of searching for relevant info on the internet? Check out a refreshing way to research in Ignite’s Inspiration Room. Visit ignitemag.ca to subscribe today!

Carol Schulte

Founder of The Brave Initiative, and mental wellness advocate, Carol has been educating, empowering, and entertaining audiences internationally for almost a decade. Through her own powerful lived experience, diagnosed with a serious mental health illness later in life, she has learned the hard way what it really means to be brave.  

She holds a BFA in Theatre Performance, an MA in Communication, two postgraduate certificates in coaching and mentoring, and has worked with numerous Fortune 500 organizations, International Associations, and thousands of individuals to shift the conversation around mental wellness. She is passionate about empowering workplaces to engage in braver conversations, create braver cultures, and take braver steps of action – making it okay to not be okay.

Carol is also the creator of Brave Beyond Diagnosis – a community dedicated to women living with a mental health illness, and believes wholeheartedly the bravest thing you can do, is to be brave enough to be you.

Carol is a published author, been featured in numerous magazines and podcasts, and is a returning guest expert on Rogers TV in Canada. Having lived and worked in 16 countries, including Ashrams in India and vans in New Zealand, rocked dreadlocks in Thailand and shaved her head for breast cancer, she knows brave, and brings a global perspective to all she does. When she’s not traveling or on stage, you can find her volunteering as a bereavement facilitator, training for her next triathlon, or practicing her serious carpool karaoke game!

Rhonda Scharf

ON THE RIGHT TRACK (Rhonda Scharf) specializes in training administrative professionals. Rhonda is a former admin, and an internationally recognized expert in helping admins face challenges, work efficiently and love what they do. If you want your team motivated, educated, and laughing at what comes our way, Rhonda is the one to call! She’s been in your shoes and knows the secrets to success.

Marion Grobb Finkelstein

Marion Speaks ([email protected]) helps you handle your toughest communication challenges. Whether it’s dealing with difficult personalities or maintaining a positive attitude against all odds, she will help you untie the knots in your communication so you can better connect with clients, colleagues, bosses and employees.  Keynotes, conference breakouts, or on-site available.

ACADEMIC AFFILIATES

Centennial College

Centennial College started training Administrative Professionals in the early 1950s. Around the same time AAP was starting, Centennial was graduating its first class from its “secretarial” program.  Centennial and AAP have come as far since the 1950s as the career itself.  AAP and Centennial are enthusiastic about the future of the Administrative Professional role and how we can continue to work together to prepare our members and students respectively for the challenges of the future. 

Seneca School of Legal, Public & Office Administration

Office Administration Program – Executive

Office Administration – Health Services

Office Administration – Legal

Through a partnership with the Association of Administrative Professionals (AAP), student members will have access to national and international resources, learning opportunities and up-to-date industry trends. Students and graduates of Seneca’s Office Administration programs can choose to develop their careers by pursuing a Canadian Certified Administrative Professional (CCAP) certification through the AAP.

CONTACT US

For more information about the Toronto Branch email the Branch President ([email protected])

For more information on branch dues and membership, email the Branch Membership Chair ([email protected])