CEO of LoudMouth Strategies, Georgette Kakridas, was featured for her community work with Equinox Center’s Leaders2020 group in San Diego. Georgette is a founding Steering Committee member and was the 2012-2013 Steering Committee Co-chair.
Georgette Kakridas knows how to get people involved. With a professional background in marketing and an intense respect for the natural beauty San Diego is famous for, she believes that retaining like-minded young professionals in the region is a critical role Leaders 2020 can play in improving the City’s future prospects. By involving San Diego’s most talented millennials in this mission, she’s putting her skills to work in a big way. Learn more about our fearless leader – see her full Q&A with Equinox Center below.
Q&A with Georgette
Q: Why did you join Leaders 2020?
A: My belief in the importance of investment in sustainable community, and young leadership development drew me to Equinox Center’s Leaders 2020 Steering Committee. Excited to serve as co-chair, I joined about two years ago while working with the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation (EDC). The programs around regional recruitment and retainment of millennials that EDC had partnered with Equinox Center to do at the time really spoke to my passion for developing young leadership. I wanted to be a part of what they were doing, so I worked with Equinox to form the Steering Committee of talented, passionate professionals that would direct Leaders 2020.
Q: What is your current job, and what are the most important roles that you play there?
A: Since graduating college in 2007, I have had experience working within a marketing agency setting, as well as providing in-house marketing for technology and non-profit organizations. I currently work as an independent marketing and communications professional, where I put my past experience in business development, marketing, community development and public relations to work for them. My work consists of components related to marketing and media campaigns, national event marketing and planning, development of social media platforms, content strategy creation and management, website development, and strategic market planning.
Q: How does your current job prepare you to be an effective Leaders 2020 member?
A: Part of making Leaders 2020 an effective group involves getting our message out to others so that we can grow. The marketing skills I’ve developed through years of professional experience and my current role have helped me to be an effective facilitator to this end. I bring fresh ideas and practiced expertise to the program development and event planning that we use to reach other young people in San Diego. In addition, the last five years of service with young leaders groups have prepared me to be comfortable engaging with other young professionals, and good at understanding their needs.
Q: How did your background influence what you do now?
A: My family’s participation in local politics and community development taught me from a young age how important it is to balance environmental health with the other needs of a community’s people. Millennials are the next group to heavily influence San Diego’s future, but we need jobs to be able to stay here, for example. Leaders 2020’s balanced view of these topics complements my own, and influences which of the program’s elements I dedicate most of my time towards.
Q: What are San Diego’s pressing environmental and economic challenges that you hope to address in your career?
A: I want to preserve the natural resources that make San Diego beautiful. As such, I realize how big an issue water is here, and throughout Southern California in general. I am passionate about discovering ways to promote clean water and conservation. Additionally, I feel that San Diego’s job industry is not as strong as it could be. As home to some extremely prestigious universities, the region graduates talented young folks yearly. But due to the lack of available jobs for them, a large portion end up leaving San Diego to pursue work in other cities where better opportunities exist. I hope to continue working towards addressing this issue in order to retain the talent that will be required to run San Diego in the future, and to contribute towards its development into a thriving community of happy young professionals.
Q: What do you do when you’re not working?
A: I am an extremely active person that loves being outside. I recently started playing golf and tend to go out almost every weekend for a round; it has become a fun way to get outside and enjoy the beautiful golf courses San Diego has to offer. Aside from golf, camping, hiking, bike riding, and stand-up paddle boarding at the beach are all things I do frequently. Coming from a Greek family, cooking is in my blood. So when I am not outside, I tend to be entertaining my strong passion for creating elaborate dishes from scratch, or trying out new recipes. I’m also a big traveler; I have been traveling since a young age and I am always ready for a new adventure. I am also a huge sports and music buff, so I take every chance I can get to attend a sports event or concert.
