A good secretary is not, as many think, someone who simply transcribes letters, does the filing, makes appointments and gets the coffee. She or he is the employer's right hand -- a diplomat, advisor, walking memory bank and even confidant.

Dedicated and loyal, they are the major power behind the executive throne. Yet many employers fail to express their appreciation. They somehow assume that their secretaries know how valuable they are.

For the Business & Professional Women's Association of Bermuda, that isn't quite enough, and for some years they have been recognising outstanding secretaries through annual awards which they present at a special luncheon attended by the winners and their employers.

Today, the Association is recognising 11 winners in eight categories at its annual awards luncheon. Here's who and why: *** ANTHIA BEAN has been employed by dentist Dr. Kenneth Snaith for 16 years. She has enjoyed every minute of it because she loves nothing more than meeting and helping people. Her kindly demeanour is especially useful in helping patients to overcome anxiety, and she says "the key is to show love and full attention to them at all times.

She likens her workplace to one big happy family, and describes Dr. Snaith as "wonderful, warmhearted'', and with a genuine love of people similar to her own.

"He's also the most painless dentist in the world,'' she asserted. "Even children adore him.'' Over the years, Ms. Bean has learned a great deal about dentistry from her employer, and as a result can "fill in where necessary'' even though her official title is office manager of the St. George's practice.

Dr. Snaith recommended his long-serving employee for an award "with enthusiasm'' because of what he considered to be "the essential ingredients of any special employer/employee relationship: loyalty, honesty and dependability''.

"It is my firm belief that such qualities are not gleaned from some fancy training manual, but rather (they) come from the heart,'' he said.

Ms. Bean describes her career as a good one, and would recommend it to anyone.

She attributes her success to believing that one only gets out of life what one puts into it.

As a working mother of two, Ms. Bean says organisation is one key to managing her life, the Bible another.

Knitting and sewing are her hobbies.

*** JOANNE DeSILVA' s boss adores her. If there were prizes for nomination letters his would have received a special award.

"She manages to get to work on time and with a smile ... she is nicely dressed and her make-up is immaculate. It is like a breath of fresh air when Joanne arrives on the scene freshly coiffed and gently perfumed,'' he wrote in part.

Describing her duties as "varied'', her employer went on to say, "Joanne's number one priority is to make me look good. That has got to be the wonderful trait in a secretary or assistant. Joanne is Secretary of the Year in my books.'' The boss of Island Construction Services also said that although Mrs. DeSilva had "one helluva husband who goes to work before dawn every day,'' she still managed to deliver her two "freshly scrubbed children to school with their lunch pails in hand and their homework done'' before beginning work.

Mrs. DeSilva freely admits that she and her employer sometimes enjoy a discreet kiss and a cuddle on the job -- without fear of a jealous husband turning up.

For her boss is her husband! Joining the company as a telephonist, Mrs. DeSilva says that it wasn't until her husband Zane joined his family business some years later that she was allowed to expand her skills.

"My husband has taught me so much,'' she said. "It has made the job really, really interesting.'' Mrs. DeSilva has no qualms about working with her husband -- quite the opposite, in fact. She thinks its great and wouldn't have it any other way.

Another big advantage of being the boss's wife as well as the mother of his two children is that she can "take a little time off'' if she has to -- but not too much because Mrs. DeSilva says "Zane loves to have me in the office with him. He says it's just not the same without me''.

*** KELLY LEWIN is personal secretary to Captain James Arnold, Commanding Officer of the United States Naval Air Station.

She thoroughly enjoys her job and describes it as "very busy and definitely challenging.'' The most interesting facet is "working with VIPs''.

Captain Arnold describes his secretary as "a diplomat in her own right, whose routinely pleasant demeanour and exceptional personality have accounted for countless letters and phone calls of praise. She has impressed all with her attention to detail and willingness to spend her own personal time to ensure success.'' She is also an "exceptional planner''.

"This Command is indebted to her for her service and dedication to its mission in Bermuda.'' For her part, Mrs. Lewin enjoys working with Captain Arnold because he is "intelligent, down to earth, very organised and understanding''.

Married with two sons, she attributes her ability to meet the demands of a working mother to the help she receives from her husband.

Mrs. Lewin loves Bermuda, and spends much of her leisure time sharing its attractions with her children and enjoying family picnics.

*** REGINALD PEARMAN doesn't take shorthand and he isn't a professional typist, but as Secretary of the Somerset Cricket Club he has more than his fair share of office work to deal with, and that includes filing.

Responsible for all the day to day running of the Club, which he describes as "the focal point of the Somerset community'', Mr. Pearman puts in at at least 55-60 hours a week keeping the membership of 550 happy.

"The Secretary of the Club is the hub of the wheel. Everything revolves around me. All communications come through the secretary, and I am also a groundsman and janitor -- I do everything. To cut costs you have to be flexible,'' he said of his duties.

Helping him are what he describes as a "steady crew whom I can depend on. We work together.'' Married with one daughter, he says his wife has always been very supportive of his busy schedule.

Ironically, Mr. Pearman was nominated for the award by fellow club member, Ms.

Charlotte Simons, who turned out to be a winner herself.

Continued on page 25 THE BEST SECRETARIES IN BERMUDA Continued from page 24 SHARON PEETS has been a secretary at Bluck's for 22 years and says the business is like one big family. General Manager Mr. Peter Darling describes his secretary as an extremely hard worker, and says the work environment is "happy, dedicated and full of laughter when Sharon is around. Words do little justice for the kindness which emanates daily from Sharon''.

Married with two sons, Mrs. Peets loves her job because it is so varied. She particularly enjoys helping customers solve their shopping problems.

She believes strongly in working hard, and has no truck with people who say, "That's not in my job description.'' "If I can help I will do anything to the best of my ability, especially if my boss asks me to do it. I have a strong sense of duty,'' she said.

She describes Mr. Darling as "fair and very understanding, particular, with a strong sense of detail, which I appreciate.'' Although she was "shocked and surprised'' at her award, Mr. Darling wasn't.

"I believe Sharon deserves the award because she displays the best human virtues of courage, dedication, loyalty and genuine sincerity each and every day,'' he said.

*** DIANNE RICHARDSON has been with Trott Travel for five years and her superior is a woman.

"But I have no problem with that, I have known her for 20 years,'' she said of Mrs. Melba Lightbourn, vice-president of the company. "She is very honest and to the point and we get along well together.'' As executive secretary to Trott Travel and Radio Cabs, Mrs. Richardson has a very busy job, which she describes as "very interesting and rewarding, and different from anything I have ever done before.'' She has thoroughly enjoyed her long secretarial career, and makes a point of keeping up with new technology through evening courses.

Macrame, crochet and reading are her favourite hobbies, and she also loves to spend time with her daughter, son-in-law and "two lovely grandchildren''.

*** VIOLA ROBINSON began her 23-year career with the Bermuda Telephone Company as a clerk-typist. Today she is executive secretary to Mr. E.C. Perinchief, assistant general manager of Operations. Since this bailiwick involves responsibility for four departments, including customer services, Mrs.

Robinson must have a general knowledge of all telephone equipment and how it operates so that she can deal effectively with subscriber inquiries.

She must also be diplomatic, decisive and maintain confidentiality. In-house training keeps her abreast of new technology.

Mr. Perinchief describes his secretary as "a good and positive influence'' who not only "continues to display the same enthusiasm and competence in carrying out her assignments and duties'' but is also "eager to advance her career''.

A mother of two, she lists needlepoint, sewing, walking and easy-listening music among her hobbies. An active member of the Somers Lioness Club, she is also secretary of the Independent Telephone Pioneer Association.

*** CHARLOTTE (Molly) SIMONS is secretary to the Postmaster-General, Mr. Clevelyn Crichlow. She readily admits to being somewhat surprised at her nomination her because the two began their working relationship on the wrong foot.

But with time things have changed dramatically, and today the two have a good working relationship and mutual understanding. So much so, in fact, that Mr.

Crichlow describes Ms. Simons as "the consummate secretary, pleasant, efficient, prompt and co-operative. Anyone who can grow in such a manner should be recognised. I consider Charlotte Simons to be ... outstanding.'' For her part, Ms. Simons describes her employer as "the best. I respect him, and we have grown together professionally. He is not demanding and doesn't ask me to do anything I am not capable of doing.'' Off duty, Ms. Simons is a keen cricket enthusiast who "has seen every country play in the West Indies''. In fact, were it not for today's honour, Ms. Simons would be in Barbados watching the Test Match between the West Indies and South Africa. She is the first-ever female member of the Bermuda Cricket Board of Control.

*** VANESSA SKATER is the fourth winner from exempt company Johnson & Higgins, where she is currently secretary to senior vice-president Mr. Roger Gillett.

She joined J & H 13 years ago straight from school and describes her job as "varied, interesting and challenging''. She particularly enjoys its international aspects and meeting many different people.

She finds Mr. Gillett "an easy-going and pleasant boss who likes you to use your own initiative''.

For his part, Mr. Gillett says Vanessa is "a joy to work with'', and lists loyalty, willingness to expend extra effort, and good performance under pressure as some of her outstanding qualities.

"Vanessa uses technology to great advantage, constantly finding ways to do things faster and more efficiently; (she) has an extremely friendly and co-operative manner and is able to anticipate my needs and consider alternatives before I ask,'' he said.

The mother of twin boys aged two, Mrs. Skater's advice to anyone contemplating a secretarial career is: "Strive to be a personal secretary to someone. The job is what you make it. Take the initiative and learn as much as you possibly can because that will make the job much more interesting. You will then find your boss delegating more responsibility to you.'' *** DEBORAH SMITH 's career has long been rooted in matters legal. Once secretary to a Senior Magistrate, she has been with lawyer Mr. Wendell Hollis since 1985, first when he was in partnership with then-Miss Ann Frith Cartwright, and now at Mello, Hollis, Jones & Martin.

Her official title is executive secretary to the managing partner, and as such she plays a major role in the administration of the firm.

Since Mr. Hollis has always been actively involved in the community, as well as the Bermuda Regiment and a member of various Government boards, Ms. Smith's duties have been wide and varied.

Mr. Hollis credits "a great deal of such success as I have had to the support I have received from Ms. Smith over the years''.

Ms. Smith describes her career as "challenging and a learning experience. No two clients are alike. We have an excellent rapport with them and I feel good when they go away happy. I gain their confidence and I think they appreciate that.'' She would recommend her career to anyone, and says, "If I had to do it over again I would probably do it exactly the same way''.

She describes her employer as "a very organised person who has taught me a lot''.

A mother of two children, aged 20 and 11, she says the youngest keeps her active because he is involved in so many things. She plays netball with the AICO team, and also participates in bowling nights and fun tennis tournaments organised by her firm, which she describes as "one big family''.

*** LUCINDA WOOLRIDGE loves people, which is probably just as well because, as secretary to Mr. R.W.D. Lucas, Personnel Manager at Belco, she has a responsibility to approximately 400 people. Having spent 12 of her 20 years with the company in the personnel department, Mrs. Woolridge has gotten to know just about all the staff and built up a caring rapport with them.

"Belco is phenomenal, it's like one big family,'' she said proudly. "If you haven't been there 20 years you haven't been there! The average person has given 20-25 years' service.'' With such a low turnover rate, there's very little Mrs. Woolridge doesn't know about the staff, their families, joys and sorrows.

"You get involved, you feel hurt, you worry sometimes,'' she admitted.

Naturally, her job requires a great deal of confidentiality and diplomacy, and she says it is also demanding because "all employees must be treated the same''.

She describes her employer as "very outgoing and easy to work with,'' while he describes her as "a tremendous asset to everyone in the department and the Company,'' citing a mature attitude and willingness to take on more responsibility as the reasons for her rise from clerk/typist to secretary in the Personnel Department.

Married with two children, Mrs. Woolridge attributes her ability to cope to a hard-working husband "who helps tremendously'' and her own unflappable approach to getting things done.

Her favourite hobby is sewing, and she makes almost all her own clothes.

ANTHIA BEAN JOANNE DESILVA KELLY LEWIN REGINALD PEARMAN SHARON PEETS DIANNE RICHARDSON VIOLA ROBINSON CHARLOTTE SIMONS VANESSA SKATER DEBORAH SMITH LUCINDA WOOLRIDGE.