Sheri Palmer, Elections Manager for the PMI Phoenix Chapter, has been a dedicated PMI member since 2005 and stepped into her volunteer role in 2025. Inspired by a desire to give back and connect with others, Sheri took on the challenge of managing the 2025 elections for the newly formed Arizona Chapter. Her passion for project management and its transformative impact on both personal and professional outcomes shines through in her work. Sheri finds the most rewarding part of volunteering to be the new connections she’s made and the opportunity to collaborate with others who share her enthusiasm for the field. Her advice to new members? “It’s never too late. Even a little bit can help. Working with others allows you to do great things when you come together.”

Outside of her volunteer work, Sheri is an adventurer at heart—often found on mountain runs or traveling in her sprinter van with her dogs, friends, or family. Her favorite destination is Colorado, where she enjoys challenging hikes and peaceful walks along rivers and waterfalls. Sheri’s personal motto, “Be a courageous and caring leader. Lead by example,” is reflected in her approach to both life and work. She’s passionate about health, kindness, and continuous growth, and she’s driven by a desire to be the best human she can be. Whether she’s reading mystery novels, volunteering with at-risk children, or planning her next national park visit, Sheri brings energy, compassion, and a goal-driven mindset to everything she does. Her colleagues describe her as “nice, but also goal driven”—a perfect blend of heart and hustle.

        

Sheri Palmer, Elections Manager for the PMI Phoenix Chapter, has been a dedicated PMI member since 2005 and stepped into her volunteer role in 2025. Inspired by a desire to give back and connect with others, Sheri took on the challenge of managing the 2025 elections for the newly formed Arizona Chapter. Her passion for project management and its transformative impact on both personal and professional outcomes shines through in her work. Sheri finds the most rewarding part of volunteering to be the new connections she’s made and the opportunity to collaborate with others who share her enthusiasm for the field. Her advice to new members? “It’s never too late. Even a little bit can help. Working with others allows you to do great things when you come together.”

Outside of her volunteer work, Sheri is an adventurer at heart—often found on mountain runs or traveling in her sprinter van with her dogs, friends, or family. Her favorite destination is Colorado, where she enjoys challenging hikes and peaceful walks along rivers and waterfalls. Sheri’s personal motto, “Be a courageous and caring leader. Lead by example,” is reflected in her approach to both life and work. She’s passionate about health, kindness, and continuous growth, and she’s driven by a desire to be the best human she can be. Whether she’s reading mystery novels, volunteering with at-risk children, or planning her next national park visit, Sheri brings energy, compassion, and a goal-driven mindset to everything she does. Her colleagues describe her as “nice, but also goal driven”—a perfect blend of heart and hustle.

        

Thomas Gunther has been a PMI Phoenix Chapter member for just one year, but his impact has already been felt across the Academic Outreach landscape. As Director of University Outreach, Thomas has led and organized PMI events at Arizona State University, mentored emerging project managers, and worked diligently to strengthen relationships with universities throughout Arizona. His commitment to inspiring future Arizonans and serving the community is at the heart of his volunteerism. Thomas brings a strong leadership mindset to his work, focusing on building connections and empowering others to take initiative and grow.

He encourages new members to be strategic in their volunteer efforts and not to be intimidated by experience or age. Thomas is passionate about mentoring others and believes in creating a supportive environment where volunteers can learn, challenge one another, and eventually take on leadership roles themselves. Outside of PMI, Thomas tutors individuals with Down Syndrome, helping them build independence through reading, math, and life skills. With over 20 years in the airline industry and more than 50 countries visited, he enjoys travel, especially to his favorite destinations, Singapore and Rio de Janeiro. Passionate about environmentalism, immigration, and equal rights, Thomas believes in living sustainably and supporting the communities we serve. His colleagues describe him as a good listener, fair, and detail-oriented—someone who may seem intimidating at first but quickly reveals a fun and approachable nature. And yes, he still plans to skydive one day!

Thomas Gunther has been a PMI Phoenix Chapter member for just one year, but his impact has already been felt across the Academic Outreach landscape. As Director of University Outreach, Thomas has led and organized PMI events at Arizona State University, mentored emerging project managers, and worked diligently to strengthen relationships with universities throughout Arizona. His commitment to inspiring future Arizonans and serving the community is at the heart of his volunteerism. Thomas brings a strong leadership mindset to his work, focusing on building connections and empowering others to take initiative and grow.

He encourages new members to be strategic in their volunteer efforts and not to be intimidated by experience or age. Thomas is passionate about mentoring others and believes in creating a supportive environment where volunteers can learn, challenge one another, and eventually take on leadership roles themselves. Outside of PMI, Thomas tutors individuals with Down Syndrome, helping them build independence through reading, math, and life skills. With over 20 years in the airline industry and more than 50 countries visited, he enjoys travel, especially to his favorite destinations, Singapore and Rio de Janeiro. Passionate about environmentalism, immigration, and equal rights, Thomas believes in living sustainably and supporting the communities we serve. His colleagues describe him as a good listener, fair, and detail-oriented—someone who may seem intimidating at first but quickly reveals a fun and approachable nature. And yes, he still plans to skydive one day!

Since joining PMI in May 2024, Elsa (Yunkai) Hsu has made an immediate and inspiring impact on the Pro-fessional Development team. Stepping into her volunteer role as Project Manager for the Project Man-agement Tool Academy, Elsa quickly became a driving force behind innovative programming. Her journey began at the AZ PM Summit 2024, where after learning more about Project Management, she realized there was an opportunity to get involved and signed up for the speaker team to learn more about project management and to connect with experts in the field. Elsa participated on a panel as part of the day’s Key-note to bring in her project management perspectives as an early career professional. Her team has also partnered with leading project management tool vendors to host sessions that empower members to ex-plore new tools. Now, they’re working to launch a dynamic tool library, giving members on-demand access to learn project management tools anytime.

Elsa’s passion for learning and connecting with others shines through in everything she does. She shares, “The most rewarding part has been meeting and learning from the incredible talents in the field.” A multi-lingual globetrotter who speaks five languages and has visited over 20 countries, Elsa brings a global per-spective and a human-centered approach to her work. Whether she’s playing badminton, diving into sci-fi novels like Percy Jackson, or dreaming of watching the Aurora Borealis, Elsa lives by the motto: “Choose fear over regret” and “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great!” Her advice to new volunteers? Volunteering does take extra time and effort, but the learning and networking are in-valuable. There are so many hidden opportunities within PMI—from experiencing different industries through events to gaining skills outside of your day-to-day work. We’re proud to have Elsa as part of our Chapter and can’t wait to see what she accomplishes next!

How to Spot Networking Events That Are Actually Worth Your Time

You’ve RSVP’d to more events than you can count, only to walk away with a pocketful of name tags and zero real connections. Sound familiar? Most “networking” feels like performative mingling: loud rooms, limp handshakes, and follow-up emails that lead nowhere. But occasionally, you stumble into a gathering where things click—where conversations are real, relevant, and catalytic. That kind of room isn’t found by accident. It’s chosen with intent, filtered with precision, and pursued like a real business investment.

Local legwork matters
Before you dive into sleek platforms and curated lists, look around your own ZIP code. The most fertile conversations often happen through low-key, hyper-local networks you’ve never thought to explore—small business meetups in the back room of a coffee shop, city council–adjacent trade talks, chamber events that aren’t even promoted online, or informal project management roundtables hosted by a local coworking space. These aren't polished; they’re potent. You’re not aiming to “scale” yet—you’re looking to root. And the people in these rooms are often the ones with discretionary power, not just business cards.

Curate your circles online
When the online world feels like a crowd yelling into itself, get ruthless about where you listen. Instead of joining every Slack channel, Facebook group, or MeetUp you stumble across, start by seeking out online communities for entrepreneurs that share both your industry and your stakes. Platforms like LinkedIn or remote business hubs now host highly specific, invite-only circles—think minority-owned e-commerce brands or GenX real estate investors with five years in. These aren’t just filter bubbles; they’re pressure cookers of momentum and generosity, if you pay attention and show up with value.

Seek depth, not breadth
Forget name-dropping marathons. The real goal is repeat contact with people solving similar problems. Instead of blowing a whole afternoon on a 200-person mixer, look for tight formats: recurring founder breakfasts, curated peer dinners, 10-person accountability groups, PMI Arizona Chapter events. The best event isn’t the biggest—it’s the one where you’ll be seen more than once. It’s where someone will remember that you’re pivoting your agency into the field focused on ensuring AI follows laws and ethical standards, and follow up unprompted when they meet a client struggling with that exact issue. That's not serendipity. That's structured proximity.

Bring a better resume
Along with prioritizing intentional networking opportunities, if you're attending an event where conversations might lead to job offers or collaborations, your resume shouldn’t be stale. Refresh it with context: emphasize relevant experience, trim the fluff, and sharpen your language around outcomes. Tools like an AI resume builder can help generate a clean, professional resume in minutes based on prompts you provide. Beyond formatting, they offer smart content suggestions tailored to your goals and answers—making it easier to tell a sharper story. A great resume doesn’t close the deal, but it opens a better door.

Cast a wide net with events platforms
Yes, Eventbrite is full of fluff. But hidden beneath the obvious webinars and crypto talk are access points you’ll miss if you stop scrolling. Use filters aggressively: by intent (learn, meet, pitch), by industry (not just "tech"—think tools and support that help sales teams sell business software more effectively), by host (ignore vague collectives, aim for verified orgs). Event platforms are not magic. They’re marketplaces. The trick is to treat them like supply chains: you’re sourcing formats that match your bandwidth and your style. Most importantly, don’t confuse high production value with high opportunity.

Be the conversation, not the passerby
If you’ve got opinions, frameworks, or even just lessons learned, stop waiting for an invitation and pitch yourself into the programming. Panels, workshops, roundtables—they’re not reserved for experts with TED talks. You become a gravity well when you’re on stage, because people now have a reason to approach you with intention. In fact, many conferences actively solicit new voices from regional or underrepresented groups. Follow the prompts that invite local speakers. Submit even if you're unsure. Once you shift from attendee to contributor, the hallway conversations start writing themselves.

Map your intent to event type
Before you say yes to the next ticketed mixer or trade expo, pause. What do you want this event to do for you—are you looking for prospective clients, operational referrals, or insight into pricing models? Each goal demands a different container. A panel discussion might help you scout collaborators, while a hands-on workshop creates momentum with peers. Picking at random wastes both time and attention—matching event format to your current strategic priority is what separates movement from noise.

Keep your name in their inbox
Networking doesn’t end at the event—it matures in your follow-ups. Three times a year is all it takes: a holiday message, an interesting read, a relevant invite. If you’re generous with signals, you stay in their periphery without being annoying. The professionals who maintain the connections they make are the ones people remember when a referral or opportunity shows up. It’s not about being everywhere—it’s about showing up just enough to be felt.

The best networking event isn’t the one with the highest attendance—it’s the one where people remember your name the next day. You’re not there to collect contacts; you’re there to build resonance. That means sharpening your tools, showing up prepared, and staying connected long after the chairs are folded. If you choose your rooms like you choose your clients, you’ll spend less time hoping something clicks and more time deepening what already works. Good networking is never a sprint—it’s a rhythm, and you’re allowed to set the tempo.

Join the PMI Phoenix Chapter to connect with Arizona’s largest project management community, enhance your skills, and lead with confidence in your career!