darring1Susan Darring, CPP, received the APA’s Board of Directors Award Tuesday and also became the first lifetime national member of the APA for her more than three decades of service to the Association. 

“She indoctrinated generations of national service members in the APA way with her sage wisdom, to quote Sue, ‘To make sure that all payroll leaders shake payroll professionals’ hands and kiss payroll babies,’” Executive Director Dan Maddux said in introducing Darring. 

Darring, a founding member of the Chicago Chapter and one of the APA’s earliest members, completed her Board of Directors service as the longest-standing voting member in its history.

She joined the board in 1990 as a Director before serving as the APA’s President-Elect, President in 1998, and Immediate Past-President. She rejoined the board as Treasurer and later was Corporate Member Advisor for 17 years.

"The greatest honor of my profession is being affiliated with this organization and having the opportunity to serve on the board," Darring said. "I've been here since the beginning and I've watched the APA become a strong, wonderful, transparent, fantastic organization."

She also praised Maddux for his kindness, particularly in the wake of her husband's untimely death 10 years ago when Maddux helped her plan his memorial service.

She described APA members as "my wonderful friends and colleagues who have become my very 'besties' over the years and continue to be."

"I would recommend to all of you, that if you think this Congress is terrific, start coming to the business meetings and see how well run this organization is," she said. "You'll make the best friends. You'll learn things you never thought you'd learn. The networking ability is unbelievable."

She concluded by saying, "I'll be here as long as I know I'm Susan Darring, because I know one day I'm going to wake up and think I'm Alexander the Great."