WHO SHE IS: Jan LaFountaine

WHAT SHE DOES: Executive assistant to the superintendent for the Mercer Island School District

HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED HERE: A year and a half now. Before that, I worked at the Renton School District for over 20 years.

WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU DO WHEN YOU GET TO WORK IN THE MORNING: I check my e-mails and my voicemail, and then I lay out a plan for the day. I’m big on Post-it notes.

WHAT IS THE BEST PART OF YOUR JOB: I was just telling Gary this the other day. My best asset isn’t technology or anything. I think it’s my personality and interacting with people.

WHAT DON’T MOST PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT YOUR JOB: This might sound silly, but there’s a lot of planning for meetings, food, birthdays. You’re kind of the bond in this position. You’re the go-to person.

WHAT DO YOU WISH PEOPLE TRYING TO SCHEDULE APPOINTMENTS WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT WOULD REMEMBER: It’s funny; people will call out of the blue as if Gary has nothing else to do. There really is a protocol that people need to consider. You have to kind of learn to be diplomatic and filter through messages. That really is a big part of the job.