Andrea Jones has been a PMI member since 2020 and decided to join the Phoenix chapter last year as part of her preparation for her PMP certification. She has been working for the last 20 years in event planning and administration till she decided to go for PMP certification and got a job as a Project Manager which she really enjoys doing now. She is now leading multimillion $ projects which are helping her organization's growth plans.

She is a volunteer in the membership team led by Milan Dordevic. As a membership manager in the Yuma area, she utilized her leadership skills and efforts to initiate and host two in-person networking events so far, with phenomenal responses and attendance of about 15-20 Project Management professionals each time.

According to her “I wanted to grow a PM community in my local community of Yuma, AZ, something I saw a need for and didn’t have so I decided to take charge and start the effort here with the support of our leadership in Phoenix.”

When asked about the most rewarding experience of this journey so far – she says her most memorable experience has been getting to meet and connect with other PMs in my community from various industries. Also rewarding has been helping to connect future PMI members with resources we have available that may assist them in their current or future PM role.   “As a volunteer I was participating in something bigger than myself and giving back.  That is rewarding “. 

She has some words of wisdom for new volunteers based on her own experience so far - “Although I joined PMI Global, I didn’t really engage with PMI fully until I became a member of the local chapter then eventually became a volunteer”. She also recalls from her experience being patient with new initiatives, things sometimes look like taking more time but understand that it will happen - keep the faith and lean on team members as and when needed.

Outside of work and volunteering, she is an active member in the community, she is a mom and a soccer coach and loves to cook. She volunteers as a soccer coach for her daughter's soccer team. She is very involved in her daughters' sports activities and help whenever she can. She loves to travel and hopes to travel to Europe in near future. 

Every year the PMI Phoenix Chapter holds an election for offices on the Board of Directors. The PMI Phoenix Chapter Board of Directors is responsible for:

• Adhering to the Chapter’s mission and vision
• Growing project management talent through professional development and volunteer opportunities
• Delivering quality educational and networking opportunities and maintaining high quality technology through the website, newsletter, virtual access, and audio/visual presentations
• Marketing the Chapter to earn new members

• Creating strong external business and academic partnerships
• Achieving the Chapter’s financial goals as a non-profit
• Ensuring Chapter administration and governance aligns with PMI Global 

Serving on the Board takes time and dedication but is very rewarding. As a Board member, you have the opportunity of expanding your skills and professional network while impacting the strategic direction of the Chapter, all while earning PDUs!

Board positions up for election are listed below; each position requires a two year term:

• Treasurer/ Director of Finance 
• Board Director (duties determined by the board)
• Board Director (duties determined by the board)
• Board Director (duties determined by the board)
• Board Director (duties determined by the board)
• Board Director (duties determined by the board)

Details of each position’s responsibilities can be found here in the Board of Directors Roles and Responsibilities document.

How do I know if I qualify?

To run in the election, a nominee must:

• Be a Chapter member in good standing at the time of the election
• Receive at least three nominations
• Agree to serve in the position for which I am nominated

How do I get nominated?

• Any Chapter member in good standing may nominate another member 
• A Chapter member may nominate him or herself as one of the three nominations
• Nominations are submitted by an e-form at Chapter Elections Nominations under Current Opportunities (scroll down to Call for Nominations at bottom of page).  

What is the elections process for 2024?

• The call for nominations begins May 1
• PMI Phoenix Chapter Nominations Committee evaluates nominees May 1 - June 30

• Nominee’s agreement to be on ballot
• Resume submission
• Panel interview from Nominations Committee

• Nominations Committee confirm nominees and requests presentations in July 
• Ballot finalized by July 30
• Nominee's presentation to PMI Phoenix Chapter members in July
• Elections open August 1
• Elections close September 30

• Results presentation to PMI Phoenix Chapter members in October
• Transition of outgoing board to incoming board (includes shadowing of outgoing board by incoming board) October - December

If you have questions, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Christopher Downey has been a PMI member since 2017, but in the past year, has become a member and volunteer of PMI Phoenix as well.  He jumped in with both feet and volunteered as Future City Project Manager for the whole competition.  The opportunity caught his eye during the Pheonix Chapter new member orientation.

Chris’ volunteer efforts have involved multiple months of work.  From August through January, he supported the Future City Competition Executive Committee with project management resources and planning; provided a brief presentation on project planning; and culminated on January 21st assisting in competition setup, orienting students and teachers to the site, guiding other volunteers on event activities, and coordinating with the awards & stage crews.  During that process, the most rewarding part was seeing so many of a younger generation applying STEM and Project Management. “Observing the time and effort these students put in to prepare for this extra-curricular competition exceeded my expectations.”

When asked about what made the difference, Chris stated, “Volunteering for the local Chapter really expanded my networking with other professionals since I am relatively new to the Phoenix area. There are different kinds of volunteer opportunities within PMI-PHX that are not what you’d expect and putting yourself out there to support programs like these makes the experience fun to be part of.”

Chris’ hard work is also evident in his work life. He is an Army veteran and now works for a high-quality, high-output wallboard and building products manufacturer.  His team is geographically dispersed and it is his intent to be always “adding value” everyday.

Outside of work and volunteering, Chris has an adventurous side.  He states “My wife and I typically plan our personal travels based on the best food recommendations. Favorite foodie destinations for us thus far include Las Vegas, Austin, and Du-bai. We have had some great food so far in Phoenix and glad to accept recommendations from other Chapter-members.”  Chris resides in Casa Grande with his wife and two kids (ages 7 & 2).

“Volunteering is a selfless act, and seeking recognition should never be your goal. While I am humbled by this recognition, I did not expect it. Volunteering is truly an opportunity to give back for no other reason than to give.” These are the wise words of Dennis Kinton, volunteer of the month.  Dennis has volunteered for PMI’s involvement with Future Cities Arizona and most recently was the Director of Future Cities Competition.  His role involved directing the Future Cities PMI portion competition and acting as a Judge for the competition. Work networking opportunities led Dennis to his volunteering: “Riley Sedam, the previous director of the future cities, asked if I wanted to volunteer, and I said yes :).”  Since then, he states that the rewarding part of the role is “being able to see the end results from the [student] teams and seeing how they put their project plans into action.”

Outside of PMI, Dennis in a multi-faceted individual.  From a continual improvement perspective, he is passionate about continuous learning in whatever form.  It can through official education or certification or even courses on linked in or YouTube. It becomes obvious that this comes from his heroes: his parents and his wife. “Through all my certifications and my education, I will never learn more than my parents taught me about life. And my wife has been the pillar that has held our home together as I have gone through school and sought certifications.” Dennis is currently celebrating his proudest moment of opening his own business. “Seeing my name as owner of Chuck’s Wagon Crafts was a moment I had always dreamed of but never thought that I could achieve.”

Dennis also has some fun sides, too.  His hidden talent is knowing how to juggle and make balloon animals, a talent he has yet to find a use.  However, he states, “but if my career as a project manager ever ends, I know I can always transition to the circus!”  And he ‘fessed up to being a huge Taylor Swift fan!

In conclusion we can learn much from Dennis’ philosophy: “Never accept mediocracy or allow others to limit your ambition. Your path is what you make it, and there are countless ways to achieve your goals.”

Grand Canyon University is hosting the annual International Christian School STEM Competition on Saturday, April 22^nd at GCU.  The competition provides STEM competitions for students in grades 7-12 at Christian schools across the United States and internationally.  Judges from industry are needed to evaluate team deliverables based on established judging criteria.

2022-23 STEM Challenges include:

• Aerospace Glider
• Rehabilitation Challenge: Biomedical Engineering
• Capture the Flag (Honeypot)
• Deep Racer Challenge
• Innovation in Service
• Onsite Design Challenge
• Robotics Thunder Lunch
• Software Development: Side Scrolling Game

Judges should expect to be at GCU on Saturday, April 22^nd from 7:30 AM – Noon.  Breakfast and lunch will be provided.

• Judges should sign up by completing the form: https://canyonpd.org/icsc23judges 
• Please send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to let him know that you are participating in this endeavor.
• Track the hours that you spend performing your feedback responsibilities.

If you have any questions, please contact the competition coordinator:

Cece Bosma M.Ed.

K12 Professional Development Manager | K12 Educational Development

Grand Canyon Education

602-639-8073 Office | 480-415-5843 Cell | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.