Kcbs Despina Panagakos Yeargin

Despina Panagakos Yeargin, a KCBS Certified BBQ Judge, was born in Greece, spent 13 years in Australia, and has settled in South Carolina since she was 21.

Throughout her career, she has held various roles such as working in the office of the Australian Prime Minister, owning a Greek restaurant, serving as Director of The Museum-Greenwood, and managing the office of Positive Management Leadership, Inc., a national leadership training organization.

Despina is actively involved in her community in Greenwood, South Carolina, having served as president of the board of Greenwood's Uptown shopping district, secretary of the South Carolina Arts Alliance, and as a founding member of the team that developed the SC National Heritage Corridor.

She is a writer, cooking coach, and storyteller who embraces creativity by doodling, even using 'DespiDoodle' as her Twitter handle.

Despina has been part of the Program Team for TEDxGreenville, served as a curator for TEDxGreenville 2013: By Design, and contributed as a member of the Strategic Team.

Currently, she is the owner of Alpha Connections and has previously held positions at various organizations including Health Related Products, Inc., TEDxGreenville, Positive Management Leadership, Inc., and The Museum--Greenwood.