Best Administrative Assistant/Secretary 

Alva Nechtman
Alva Nechtman, assistant to Sen. Jake Flake, R-5, reacted with a mix of surprise and confidence. “You’ve got to be kidding!” Why is she considered the best? “Because I am the best. I think I’ve outlived everybody.”
She is starting her third year with Mr. Flake, and launched her career at the Legislature in 1987, serving Jan Brewer, currently secretary of state, for 10 years, including five years when Mrs. Brewer was on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.
“I’ve been in government for almost 20 years,” Ms. Nechtman says. “I like the flexibility here, the people I work with, the people who visit and I like the process. As annoyed as I get sometimes, there’s not a better process — you can’t argue against that. But, dealing with government, we all get annoyed.”
For some constituents who call, she is able to help, and others she can’t. “Dealing with lobbyists — a lot has changed,” she says. She mentions favored lobbyists, including Allan Stanton, Bob Fannin, Don Isaacson and the late Charlie Stevens. “They would tell it like it is, the good side and the bad side, but not some of the newer people,” Ms. Nechtman says. “Some of the newer ones are dedicated, but others, you can’t take their word to the bank.”