Secretary had insider�s view of operations

Cindy Byrd probably holds a record for a Flint Journal secretary: As best she can recall, Byrd worked for 13 different bosses in a 32-year career.

Cindy Byrd 1992 photo Age: 69 Home: Fenton Background: Flint Journal employee from 1960 to 1992, including 19 years in editorial, most as secretary to the editor. Secretary to former Publisher Danny Gaydou. Personal: Married. Two sons.

�We used to get quite a kick out of that,� said Byrd, who retired in 1992.

Many of those bosses happened to be publishers, editors and other key people.

Byrd worked a couple of stints as a secretary at The Journal before hiring on to stay in 1960. She started in the production department, which eventually included the promotional staff.

When the editor�s secretary fell ill, she went to work for the editor, Ralph Curry, and was offered the job in April 1961.

So began a 19-year run in the editorial department. For most of that time, she was The Journal�s Aunt Judy, head of the Wide Awake Club.

�I loved being Aunt Judy,� she said. �I was really the busiest at that time because I was doing that and my regular duties.�

In 1979, she took over as secretary to then-Publisher Robert Swartz. She also worked for Swartz�s successor, Danny Gaydou, for five years before retiring in 1992.

A major perk, Byrd said, was meeting the influential people who came into the office.

�I enjoyed the excitement of presidential election times, when they had the candidates coming in and I was able to meet them and see them up close.�

A Flint native, Byrd now lives in Fenton.

� Ken Palmer