by Courtney Bloom, on Jan 19, 2026 5:00:01 AM
This article is part of WIT's new "Volunteer Spotlight" series, which recognizes volunteers who are giving their time and talents to move forward our mission. Keri Pfeifer and Louise Azzopardi are highlighted in this January 2026 Volunteer Spotlight. As part of their volunteer efforts, Pfeifer and Azzopardi are launching a new networking initiative for women working in technician and shop environments. Beginning with a kickoff call in March, the group will provide a space for hands-on professionals to connect, exchange real-world insights, and develop a strong sense of community within the industry.
The transportation and trucking industry is built on technical skill, precision, and resilience. Yet for women technicians, the path into and through the field can feel isolating, unsupported, or invisible. Across different countries and career paths, two Women In Trucking Association volunteers are working to change that reality from the inside out. Pfeifer and Azzopardi bring different experiences to the table, but share a common mission: to build confidence, community, and tangible support for women technicians who want more than survival in the trades.
Their work reflects a broader shift within WIT to intentionally support technical roles, not just leadership or corporate tracks. Both women are helping launch a technician focused group within the association, creating space for connection, mentorship, and skill building where little previously existed.
For Pfeifer, a Senior Technical Specialist at PACCAR Technical Center, her involvement with Women In Trucking began through opportunity and quickly became purpose. She attended her first Accelerate! Conference & Expo in 2025 after being sent by PACCAR, and the experience reshaped how she viewed professional organizations.
“I really enjoyed the fact that I gained a lot of knowledge, networking opportunities, and finally found something that was women orientated that wasn’t overly fluffy or glittertastic,” Pfeifer says. “WIT feels like it has more meaning and weight to it when it comes to actually helping people advance their careers.”
That emphasis on substance over symbolism is what ultimately motivated Pfeifer to step into volunteer leadership. As a woman technician, she has often encountered organizations eager to spotlight her image without offering real support or development. WIT, she says, offered something different. It emphasized equality rather than hierarchy and practical tools rather than surface level recognition.
Her current volunteer work focuses on helping establish technician specific groups within WIT. The goal is to expand the association’s reach into hands on technical roles and create a network where women technicians can learn from one another, build confidence, and gain access to career advancing resources.
Pfeifer’s approach to volunteerism is shaped by years of experience in both military and civilian environments, including exposure to ineffective leadership. One particularly difficult leader unintentionally gave her the advice that still drives her today: climb the ladder and make the changes you want to see. That mindset now fuels how she mentors other women.
Her professional role at PACCAR is deeply technical and highly specialized. Pfeifer works with engineers across divisions to fulfill complex test requests involving semi-trucks. Her responsibilities include installing instrumentation, configuring data acquisition systems, calibrating software, conducting test drives on PACCAR’s test track, and delivering clean, accurate data to engineers for analysis. The work demands precision, problem solving, and confidence in high responsibility environments.
It is that same confidence she hopes to help other women technicians develop. “To encourage and foster other women to build confidence in their abilities, skills, and self-worth” is at the core of her volunteer goals, she explains. She wants women to challenge stereotypes, take ownership of their careers, and recognize the value of their expertise.
Azzopardi’s journey into WIT began on the other side of the world. Based in Australia, Azzopardi is a trained heavy diesel and construction equipment technician who transitioned into life coaching after recognizing how many of the challenges she and her peers faced were preventable with the right support.
She became a WIT member after attending the Accelerate! Conference & Expo, drawn by the opportunity to connect with women across the global trucking industry. As one of only a handful of female technicians at the event, the need for a dedicated space became immediately clear.
“Being a female technician, there are not too many of us out there,” Azzopardi says. “Being able to have a space for all of us to connect is so important so a few of us decided to get the space started.”
Along with Pfeifer, Azzopardi is now helping to start and lead a female technician mentoring and networking group within WIT. Her goal is simple but powerful: connect as many female technicians as possible so no one feels alone in their career.
Her philosophy around volunteerism emphasizes sustainability and mutual support. Giving back matters, but not at the expense of personal wellbeing. She believes strongly that community should be reciprocal, not draining.
Professionally, Azzopardi now works as a life coach for tradeswomen, offering one on one coaching, workshops, and a podcast focused on confidence building, problem solving, and cultural change within the trades. Her work bridges technical experience with emotional intelligence, helping women navigate challenges ranging from workplace dynamics to self-doubt.
Many of the most impactful moments in her career have come through shared vulnerability as she recalls a time when she was struggling deeply after a failed relationship with a coworker. Another female technician opened up about her own similar experience, offering reassurance that healing was possible.
“Through her experience, she showed me that it might be hard for a bit, but I would be okay,” Azzopardi says. That moment reinforced the importance of connection and honest storytelling, values she now brings into every space she helps create.
Both Pfeifer and Azzopardi acknowledge that the full impact of their WIT volunteer efforts is still unfolding. But their vision is clear. They want women technicians to feel seen, supported, and equipped, not isolated or overlooked.
Pfeifer hopes their work encourages more women to explore the trades and recognize their own capabilities and Azzopardi hopes no woman experiences the same isolation she once did. Together, their leadership represents a growing movement within WIT that recognizes technical excellence and emotional support as equally essential.
By creating spaces rooted in skill, authenticity, and shared experience, they are reshaping what belonging looks like for women technicians across the industry.
Get Involved
Pfeifer and Azzopardi will be leading a new networking group focused on women in technician and shop roles, with the first call scheduled for March. This group is designed to create connection, share practical tools, and build community for women working hands on in the industry.
To join, watch for a post from Pfeifer and Azzopardi in Engage. Members can reply directly to that post to be added to the call. Additional emails will be sent to this group, and broader promotion will begin next month. If you are a woman working in a technician or shop role, this is an opportunity to connect, learn, and grow alongside others who understand your experience.
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