Member Spotlight: Pia Millican
By Kate Jotsworth
Pia’s view on staying curious and continuously evolving is evident in anything she does. She most certainly does not let grass grow under her feet!
Can you provide a brief background on yourself for those who do not know you? I am originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I moved to Kansas in 1991 to work for Boeing Commercial Airplane Group after receiving a BS in Mechanical Engineering. I went through a two-year rotational program learning structural design, manufacturing, liaison engineering, tooling, procurement, project planning, change management, and quality engineering. I received an MBA while working for Boeing. Before leaving Boeing in 1999, I worked in stress and fatigue analysis on the initial design of the 777 and Next Generation (NG) airplanes.
I moved to Charlotte after eight years of living in Wichita, Kansas. I accepted a National Accounts Senior Consulting position with NCR/Teradata. For nearly 10 years, I implemented Enterprise Data Warehouses and Business Intelligence (BI) applications for Wachovia, Bank of America, Capital One, Citigroup, Navy Federal Credit Union, Wells Fargo, HCA, BCBSIL, and Equifax.
In 2003, I started PIA International, LLC (PIApromo.com) to design, manufacture, and distribute sorority blazers for Alpha Kappa Alpha, Sorority, Inc. I worked with manufacturers to custom-dye ladies’ blazers in salmon pink and apple green to match the official PMS colors of the sorority. I became a full-time entrepreneur in 2009 and was certified as a small business. I help organizations keep their brand in the minds and hands of consumers with branded apparel and promotional products. Our services include artwork design, product sourcing, packaging, and fulfillment.
What makes our purpose or mission meaningful to you? I support WIF’s mission to strengthen communities through collective giving, education, engagement, and leadership. I appreciated the organization’s curiosity to listen to our members and the needs of nonprofits while being nimble and adaptable in responding.
What energizes/ motivates you? “To whom much is given, much will be required (Luke 12:48).” My parents lived by this and embodied its meaning in all they did to serve the community and others. I grew up serving and giving. Knowledge is power; stay curious and continuously evolve.
What are you the most excited about for the 20th anniversary year? I am excited to continue the mission of WIF by maximizing women’s leadership in philanthropy throughout the Charlotte community. I value learning about different nonprofit needs and contributing to collective giving in making an impact. The relationships I have made through WIF membership allow me to volunteer my time and talents to serve even more. Jeanette Sims is one of the first members I met at an annual meeting. She nominated me to serve on the Board of Directors for Pat’s Place Child Advocacy Center in 2019, and I am currently serving my second year as Board Treasurer. I was happy to see in WIF’s 20th-anniversary video the impact of our contributions to our first grantee (Pat’s Place CAC), which has thrived over the years.
Advice to make the most out of your Women’s Impact Fund membership? I would suggest any member to serve on a committee, actively participate, and make time to get to know members. Read the newsletters and exercise your vote. Our most powerful impact is to voice where our donation goes through our vote.
What is your favorite restaurant or activity in Charlotte? Even though I have been here for 24 years, my partner Reggie and I like to tour Charlotte as tourists. We take local tours (Funny Bus, Trolley Pub, walking tours, and museums). There are too many restaurants in Charlotte to pick one, but a few of my favorites are Counter-, Dot Dot Dot, Mariposa, and Midwood Smokehouse. I enjoy playing pickleball for fun (not competitive; we don’t even take scores). I love attending Blumenthal Arts’s PNC Broadway Lights Series, live music, and walking around Camp North End, South End, Lower Tuck, NoDa, and Plaza Midwood areas.
