Kathy (Pappas) Katrakis is the newly elected Metropolis of Chicago Philoptochos president. She has been on the Metropolis Philoptochos Board for ten years and has served in various executive board positions. In 2019, she also co-chaired the Raffle Committee for the CMF Luncheon in Chicago.
She was born and raised as an only child in the Chicagoland area, attending SS. Constantine and Helen Church in Palos Hills, Illinois. As a young child and young adult, she was involved in all aspects of the youth ministry. She was also one of the organizers of the YAL in her church during the eighties. It was through YAL that she met her loving husband, John Katrakis.
Before meeting John, she graduated with a BS degree in Business Administration from Illinois State University. She worked in management for So-Fro Fabrics and as Manager of Customer Service for Nuveen, an Investment Banking Firm, for many years.
Kathy and her husband John attended St. Andrew’s church in Chicago in their early married life, getting involved in YAL, Bible Study, Mr. and Mrs. Club, and teaching Sunday Church School before moving to Barrington, Illinois, where they currently attend St. Sophia Church in Elgin, Illinois.
At St. Sophia, Kathy has been a member of the Philoptochos for over 30 years and has served in almost every position, including president for 4 years. She was actively involved in all youth programs and teaching Sunday Church School while her two children were in their formative years.
In her community, Kathy served as PTO President for the elementary and middle schools and was a Girl Scout Leader for her daughter’s troop for several years. Kathy and John are the proud parents of a son and daughter. Christopher is a third-year law student at Emory University in Atlanta, while Caroline is continuing her education in Dental Hygiene at Harper College in Palatine.
Kathy has been a lifelong volunteer and has helped anyone needing her assistance. She is humbled and deeply honored to serve as President of the Metropolis of Chicago Philoptochos, working together to do God’s Will and further Philoptochos’ mission.