College News

SANFORD - The North Carolina Association of Educational Office Professionals has honored Linda Spivey, of Sanford, as its 2011 Lula M. Burrell Educational Office Professional of the Year for North Carolina.

"I was quite surprised," said Spivey, who retired in January after 33 years in Central Carolina Community College's Human Resources Department. "I am very pleased that, although I am retired, I still have the opportunity to represent the college."

The award is named for Lula Burrell, who served as the 1957-1958 president of the NCAEOP. It is presented annually to a member who has given outstanding service to the organization over time. Spivey will now compete to become the national Educational Office Professional of the Year.

Spivey was previously honored as the CCCC and NCAEOP District 7 Educational Office Professional of the Year in 1992-93, 2004-05 and 2010-11.

Spivey has served in many positions in the NCAEOP at the local, district and state levels.  She has been an active member of the state association for 27 years and a member of the National AEOP since 2002. She served as state president in 2009-10 and has also served as state past president, president-elect, vice president, and secretary. She was the first Central Carolina Community College employee to serve as a state officer.

She has also served District 7 as president, president-elect, vice president and secretary. Spivey was instrumental in the establishment of the college's AEOP unit in 1983 and served as its first vice president. She also served twice as president, as well as serving as parliamentarian and on various committees.

The NCAEOP, founded in 1951 as the N.C. Association of Educational Secretaries, is a 2,800-member organization of personnel and administrators in North Carolina public and private educational institutions.

Spivey, a Sanford native, earned a secretarial diploma from the Sanford Business College and an associate degree from CCCC. She also holds a Professional Associate II Certificate from the NCAEOP.

Spivey does bridal consulting, has been the organist at Grace Chapel Christian Church for 49 years, and is active in the United Way of Lee County. She and her husband, David Spivey, a retired Lee County Schools educator, have been married for 50 years.