Sarah Foote, June’s volunteer of the month, was drawn to project management after taking a Lean Six Sigma workshop and a Project Management Fundamentals course. A short time later she discovered PMI during orientation for her MBA, which has a concentration in Project Management. But it was instructor Kathy Millhauser who introduced Sarah to the opportunities with PMI Portland, and convinced her to volunteer.
Under Sandra Koelle's leadership, Sarah worked as the Assistant Director in 2018 to start planning the 2019 Annual Conference. Sarah’s hard work and creativity made a big impact, but she had to reduce her volunteer hours in June of that year. In 2021 she rejoined PMI at virtual meetings and then as the Director of the Annual Conference. With her drive and experience she pulled the 2022 Spring Conference together with speed and teamwork to great success.
Sarah continues to lead the planning for the upcoming Fall Conference with the support and camaraderie of the PMI Portland community. Through her role with PMI Portland Sarah deeply enjoys working directly with the thought-leaders and innovators of the industry. Her interactions with so many different people has been inspiring and motivating to keep learning and growing. She sees agile practices as the future of the industry because so many projects span global networks,allows for sprints, as well as continuous improvement processes to deliver more value and better results.
After all this, Sarah sees this as the exciting beginning to a career in project management, and plans on evolving into a role as a Global Project Manager. Being a part of the PMI community has built a foundation upon which she continues to grow. No matter the industry or role, she trusts there is a large network of friends and supporters to count on for advice, strategy and encouragement.
She would say to people who are looking to connect and grow with PMI that the opportunities are endless. For people looking to volunteer, if you don’t know where to start, volunteer by using your strengths and experience in a role that interests you. Sarah found that while she was using her strengths as a volunteer, she also got to work on her weaknesses as well - and has grown more than she imagined. The mentor program has been something she really learned from. So, if you don’t know where to start, just ask someone your questions.
Sarah wants to especially thank everyone that has been so supportive, and is excited to keep working alongside all the volunteers of this great community. Lastly, she reminds us of act 2 of the Annual Conference in September - so make sure you take the LEAP, and join her there.