Natalie Piana started with the City of Phoenix in 2007 at the Phoenix Public Library Mesquite Branch as a part-time Library Page. It was there she met her future husband, who was working as a Library Assistant. In 2016, Natalie came to the Phoenix Convention Center & Venues department, where she works as an Administrative Assistant I. In 2018 she married her now-husband and the pair now have a 3.5-year-old girl. She was born and raised in Arizona and comes from a public service family, with both her parents working as city employees. In her free time, she is crafting, spending time with her daughter at the park and going to yoga classes.
Q: What do you enjoy most about your role at the Phoenix Convention Center?
I love that there’s variety in what I do. From approving certificates of insurance, to managing the big budget of the marketing fund, data analysis and reporting, to processing travel requests, each day looks a little different. I like being able to work with different people and divisions. It helps me grow my knowledge of the department. I love being the chair of the Employee Recognition Committee, which allows me to help come up with creative ways to celebrate our employees.
Q: What is a favorite memory you have of your time at the Phoenix Convention Center?
Before I worked at the Convention Center, I came as a guest to Comic Con (now called Fan Fusion) and had so much fun. To work here now and see how much goes on behind-the-scenes of an event like that is kind of incredible. There are so many moving parts, you’d think it’s a simple thing but there’s so much happening for months and months to bring an event like that to life. There’s a lot of energy and coordination to pull off big events and it’s cool to see that happen.
Q: What is a skill you’ve had to sharpen in your role at the Phoenix Convention Center?
I’ve had to work on my attention to detail, because in the variety of duties I have, I need to make sure I’m accurate. I also need to make sure I understand all the aspects of what I’m talking about and pay attention to line items in budgets and data reports so that I can ensure everything is accurate. I also pride myself on my organization skills. My role is about controlling the chaos a little bit and to do that I have to be focused paying attention and organized.
Q: Do you have any restaurant or coffee shop recommendations near the PCC?
El Zaguan Bistro is a hole in the wall kind of place with really good authentic Mexican food. I love the birria tacos and it’s reasonably priced.
Q: What’s your favorite feature of the PCC?
The architecture! Specifically, the iconic windows in our North and West buildings. I love all the openness and light pouring in.