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Katianna joined PMI about 7 months back and joined the chapter in Feb 2023 to connect with Project management Community and build her network of PM professionals. She became a volunteer in the Program team led by Derick Brownell and was instrumental in organizing the first in person event since COVID. The event had a great turn out with lot of industry leaders and Project Management community members, she arranged the ice breaker event to ensure all participants feel comfortable and connected.

She studied health care innovation as part of her university degree program focused on health care policies and technology which shapes the innovation in this space and is very motivated by technological advances in health care space. She originally started off in IT recruitment, hiring IT NetSuite professionals and managing clients, which made her interested in IT, but wasn’t sure which aspect of IT she wanted to get involved in till she stumbled upon Project Management.

She got a job offer to work on IT Projects along with business development opportunities with a health and wellness organization in the valley.  She has been in this role for almost a year and really likes managing and negotiating vendor terms and agreements. She likes the flexibility of designing scope and giving the projects shape and structure. She was surprised by how much she enjoys doing the Project Manager role and it motivated her to get the PMP certificate last week (Congratulations!).

She finds PMI Phoenix chapter to be very welcoming for the new members and she found it easy to blend in with the community while she was studying for her PMP certification. When asked about her most rewarding experience as a volunteer she says “Seeing the success of our first in person event was a rewarding experience. I enjoyed being part of the process of planning and putting together an event that helped others build connections and community within the Phoenix Chapter.”

Her hidden talent is Cooking! In her own words – “I come from a Greek family who loves to feed people. My dad taught me everything I know about cooking. I always have Tzatziki in my fridge ready to snack on or add onto any dish. Some of my favorite things to make are Lamb Shank, Tiropita, and of course Gyros.”

Her proudest moment in career was just past her first year at her previous company, she closed the largest deal in the office’s history!

Her other passion is cars and watching Formula 1 racing, as she gets up early and stays up late to watch the races on TV and is planning to go to a Live race someday soon!