Az Business and AZRE magazines announced the publications’ lists of the Most Influential Women in Arizona of 2023, including Pam Perry, Sr. associate dean at Eller College of Management. In celebration of the 12th anniversary of the Most Influential Women program, azbigmedia.com is profiling one of the Most Influential Women of 2023 each day leading up to the Most Influential Women of 2023 dinner and reception.
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The Most Influential Women for 2023 will be honored at a reception on Thursday, August 17 at Chateau Luxe in Phoenix. For sponsorship information, email Amy.Lindsey@azbigmedia.com. For information about the event honoring the Most Influential Women, email Lynette.Carrington@azbigmedia.com or click here. To buy tickets, click here.
Pam Perry, Sr. associate dean, Eller College of Management
BACKGROUND: For 26 years Pam Perry served as the leader for the Eller College of Management’s Undergraduate Program. She is responsible for developing outcomes for the “Eller Experience” including developing unique student experiences, hands on competitions, an alumni interview process for professional admissions, developing a career resources team and working with a team to expand McClelland Hall to now include the Professional Development Center and Collaboration Hub. In 2019, Perry became the Sr. associate dean for Eller’s MBA Programs (full-time, online, professional, evening, executive) with programs in Chandler, Phoenix and Tucson. She is responsible for managing admissions/recruitment, an excellent MBA Eller Experience and engaging alumni with the program. She prides herself on collaboration with faculty members, staff, corporate partners, employers, alumni and friends of the College as they are integral to the success of Eller students.
With a lifelong commitment to serving the Tucson community, Perry partners with the United Way of Southern Arizona to provide the collegiate arm of Days of Caring/Eller Make a Difference Day. Her management class of 30 Eller seniors plans and organizes over 900 students serving as volunteers to improve the Tucson community over two days every October. The effort is celebrating more than 15 years of service.
This May, Perry was recognized by the University of Arizona with the top staff award for excellence, the Billy Joe Varney Award, for inclusive excellence, service to the community, going above and beyond in her career and a long time passion for the University of Arizona.
Pam is the mother of two daughters ages 24 and 26 and welcomed a new son-in-law this past September. She is influenced by her entrepreneurial husband, a business-owning mother and a ranch-owning father.
CAREER PATH INSPIRATION: “I was always an involved student and loved learning. When I was young, I often played school and business. I never realized that my future would involve a career in higher education. My mentor, Melissa Vito, hired me as a new student orientation leader, sponsored a group of students to attend a national conference and present best practices. This opened my eyes to career paths in higher education. When my mentor moved into another position, I was hired as a senior at the University of Arizona as a graduate assistant to help plan the next summer orientation. After several years of working in student services another colleague noticed the Business School at the UArizona had an open position and encouraged me to apply to be the director of academic advising. I was offered the job and found my career home for the next 30 years.”
SOURCE OF PRIDE: “Think back to what you remember about your college experience. For me it is the engaging projects, the teamwork, ability to innovate with solutions and experiences that I will always remember. I have committed my career to ensuring that Eller College of Management students have an engaging experience that is memorable and something they are proud of. What makes the Eller College undergraduate and MBA experience unique is the engagement including a commitment to service from the Eller faculty and staff. These transformational experiences include global opportunities, hands on competitions, communities of support for belongingness, an alumni interview for more than1000 students/year for the undergraduate professional admissions process, excellent career resources teams and expanding McClelland Hall to now include the Professional Development Center and Collaboration Hub. With all these resources customized for our 7,000 students it is safe to say my professional accomplishment is student success. Nothing makes me prouder than to meet successful alumni that are thriving personally, making a difference in their communities and being leaders at all levels for their organizations.”
SOURCE OF INSPIRATION: “The vice dean that hired me for my first Eller College of Management position, Dr. Bill Barrett, is my career mentor. This first position in the business school was demanding, I can remember six months of working without a weekend break. Bill noticed my hard work, put time on my calendar for days off and showed me the vision for leadership. He was a friend and a mentor. Bill had many years of experience managing the business school and shared data, strategy, history and vision that would have been beyond my level at the time. I will never forget this exposure to the top level of administration. Today I utilize history, data, feedback and future trends to shape my work. While I have mentioned one person — at the end of the day — every student, team member and supervisor has contributed to my professional journey as it truly takes an outstanding team to develop an outstanding culture of excellence.”
SURPRISING FACT: “The root of who I am is found in ‘growing things.’ My undergraduate degree is in horticulture and I credit this passion for plants as the foundation of my success in higher education. With plants you have to water, ensure the correct soil, provide fertilizer and just the right amount of light. When you do this, they flourish and grow. I am a crazy plant mom with a house full of thriving plants.”
