Anne powers to award win.

A WOMAN described by her boss as an "engine of turbo-charged efficiency" has been named The Best Secretary on Tyneside 2009.

Anne Howes, who is personal assistant to NewcastleGateshead Inititiative chief executive Andrew Dixon, beat more than 70 rivals to win the award.

Anne was delighted to win the award, having been nominated by her boss as "someone that thrives on pressure, vital in her role at NGI".

She summed up the role of the Best Secretary as being "someone who can be relied on to support their boss, so that they can get on with 'doing the job' without worrying."

As well as picking up the trophy, Anne won a weekend in London, a year's membership of the IPA, a leather-bound filofax and a signed copy of The Definitive Personal Assistant and Secretarial Handbook by Sue France, who spoke at the awards ceremony in Newcastle.

Now in its second year, the awards were organised by Pitman Training Newcastle, in association with the Institute of Professional Administrators (IPA). Judges chairman David Stevens said: "Once again, we had an impossible task to pick this year's winner. However, Anne stood out as someone with real passion and commitment to her job and truly deserves the title of Best Secretary." Second place was awarded to Kim Forster of Universities for the North East and third place went to Lindsey Rivington, PA to the general manager of the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead. A special Rising Star Award was made to Samantha Jackson of onebestway.

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TURBO-CHARGED Anne Howes with her Best Secretary on Tyneside Award 2009.