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