Blog / Newsletter

The volunteers of the PMI-SFBAC chapter gathered on December 9 to celebrate the dedicated volunteerism that makes our chapter's work possible. We celebrated the accomplishments of the chapter this year and recognized exceptional contributors across all teams. Thank you to each and every volunteer who makes our impact possible.

 

Volunteer Appreciation Awards - Outstanding Volunteers of 2023

 

SUSTAINABILITY

Doug Hahn

Doug has taken on leadership initiatives for the Sustainability team, reducing my workload by 25%. He has brought in excellent learning opportunities for the chapter, trained new team members, and contributed to the planning and execution of nearly all of the 2023 Sustainability events.

Margaret Au

Margaret, our Sustainability Operations Manager, has been tireless, with her quiet behind-the-scenes work on our surveys, sustainability program stats, managing up, and more. 

 

NEXT GENERATION LEADERS

Preet Shah

Preet is a passionate PMI SFBAC volunteer changemaker making an impact on her fellow University peers as the Event Project Manager for the Next Generation Leaders (NGL) Program. With a desire for project management and a heart for empowering university students, Preet has driven the NGL program’s success to new heights by launching the Let’s Jam digital challenge with a cohort of 50+ students and coaches. As the Golden Gate University (GGU) Ambassador, she inspired the GGU faculty and students by showcasing the PMI SFBAC benefits and offering the PMI SFBAC opportunities.

Guillaume Faddoul 

Guillaume is an enthusiastic PMI SFBAC volunteer changemaker who made a significant impact as the Outreach Project Manager for the Next Generation Leaders (NGL) Program. Guillaume successfully collaborated with universities, students, and the business community through his leadership and organizational skills to expand the program's reach, engaging over 50 individuals in the NGL Let’s Jam challenge. His ability to connect with diverse groups of people and motivate them to apply their talents has been nothing short of remarkable.

 

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & PODCAST

Prachi Joshi 

Prachi joined Professional Development in August 2022 as an Event Project Manager. Since then she has been a dedicated team player taking the lead in several of our workshops over the last year and I am thrilled to say that in 2024 Prachi will be leading the workshop stream for Professional Development. Prachi has also very generously extended her volunteering to the Podcast team earlier this year as the Podcast Manager. Her passion, unwavering drive, and relentless hard work are the heartbeat of her accomplishments. 

 

PMO

Matt Booth

Matt Booth joined the chapter as a Program Manager of the PMO this year. From the time he joined, he has been willing to jump into any project and help PMO initiatives as needed. He is quick to ask Joanna what is next, alleviates stress, and puts everyone at ease through his successful contributions. With his many years of experience, Matt is a dependable program manager and an excellent project manager whom the PMI San Francisco Bay Area Chapter is grateful to have. 

 

MENTORSHIP

Jennifer Louie-Abernathy

Jennifer Louie Abernathy has been part of the Mentorship Program for over 3 years and is the director of Mentorship operations and communications. She has been driving the E2E interactions with mentors and mentees over the years. This year she has been looking after the entire execution of the Mentorship Program and is running the show for 200 participants. Her passion, commitment, and love for the program are unwavering. She is the backbone of the Mentorship program. 

 

MARKETING

Vivian Tse

Vivian joined the marketing team just over a year ago, and I think everyone in the chapter has seen her impact! With her keen sense for marketing and design, and incredible work ethic, Vivian has transformed our email communications. Beyond that, she has streamlined our processes and contributed substantial documentation to create sustainability and continuity for our team. She also built our entire Professional Development Day website! Is there anything she can't do? 

Arcely Magpantay

Arcely joined the marketing team more recently during the lead-up to Professional Development Day. She immediately became a crucial member of the team, owning all social media for the chapter. Arcely provided frequent and consistent updates for regular events,  while additionally going above and beyond to promote the Professional Development Day event. Operations leaders have characterized her as extremely responsive and a pleasure to work with.

 

OPERATIONS

Visionary Award

As the VP of the PMISFBAC Mentorship Program, Mahesh has exemplified strategic leadership and enabled continuous scaling and broadening of its reach. As a visionary, he has introduced the Mentorship Podcast - a platform allowing the PM community to exchange wisdom in leadership, strategy, mentorship, and many more.  He has been a true coach to the Mentorship team, a liaison in establishing partnerships with educational organizations, and a skilled speaker and moderator. We are honored to have such leaders as an inevitable part of our chapter.

 

Above & Beyond Award

Kavena is an exceptional leader with a firm grasp of event planning and execution. Her dedicated efforts have significantly contributed to the success of the workshops and special events. Despite the new day job and the leadership responsibilities of her program, she has generously provided additional support in the execution of the Career Day, Professional Development, and similar chapter events. Her polite demeanor and skilled communication have successfully engaged industry experts/speakers. We are privileged to have such kind-hearted change-makers in our program who always go Above and Beyond. 

 

Dedicated Service Award

Ina has been instrumental in the progress of the PMI SF Bay Area chapter for the last ten years. Today, she has transitioned her passion for sustainability. to a globally recognized program, which has attested an average of 2500 pledge hours in the last three years. Her command of standardized process rollouts has increased and scaled the program at a steady pace, as well as grown the team of more than 10 members. 
She is one of the visionary humanitarians who has leveraged this platform to support the geopolitical crisis in Ukraine, to the local chapters in need, and to spread awareness of environmental friendliness. We, the PMI SF Bay Area Chapter, are proud to have such dedicated leaders as a critical part of our team. 

 

Making the Difference Award

Carin started as the VP of the Next Generation Leaders Program in 2022 based on her engagement as a judge and coach in several Bay Area hackathons. As the appointed leader, she successfully executed the vision of a spanned hackathon for emerging professionals by leveraging her broad professional network, storytelling and acting talents, and branding expertise. She has been a mentor to the Hult and Golden Gate University students whom she has influenced to become Next Generation Leaders Program volunteer members. In addition, she has rolled out externship opportunities for emerging professionals. Carin has been our program’s influential leader and truly makes a difference. 

 

Rising Star Award

As we know, the chapter programs are the platform for the PM Community, enabling them to be competitive and skilled. However, the programs wouldn’t succeed without awareness and Marketing efforts. Under Natalie’s leadership, her Marketing team has made this possible with their talent and experience. Their effective visuals and controlled publishing frequency have put chapter programs at their peak. Natalie’s leadership and prompt support have allowed the programs to execute the series of events effectively and flawlessly throughout the year.

 

Above: Professional Development team members Spandana Anumalasetty, Somya Singh, Kavena Ramsoobhag, Prachi Joshi 

Above: Mentorship Program team members Shrijan Sew, Jen Louie-Abernathy, Mahesh Deshpande 

Above: Board members Jeff Cadieux, Nancy Chin Lam, Jay Ashford, Mary Ann Michaels, Carin Kaltschmidt

Above: Marketing team members Natalie Langsdorf, Vivian Tse, Henny Guiesso