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Sarah Georgiades

Head of Community Relations and Affairs—Data Center Infrastructure

AWS

Inside the AI shift in government: 11 perspectives on public sector ops transformation

Public sector transformation is entering a critical phase, driven by the rise of agentic AI and digital labor that doesn’t just automate, it adapts. But the biggest obstacle isn’t the technology. It’s the systems, silos and culture built for a slower, pre-AI world.TheCUBE’s John Furrier discusses public sector transformation.What’s really holding back progress in the public sector isn’t a lack of innovation — it’s the difficulty of adoption. From aging infrastructure to deeply rooted bureaucracies, systemic inertia remains the biggest obstacle. Meanwhile, AI is rapidly reshaping the role of government, raising the stakes for timely transformation, according to theCUBE’s John Furrier

play_circle_outline Impact of data centers on communities and society

play_circle_outline Corporate responsibility and community engagement

play_circle_outline Leveraging volunteers for community projects

play_circle_outline Mission alignment and convergence of tech, money, and impact

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Sarah Georgiades, Amazon Data Center Infrastructure

Sarah Georgiades

Head of Community Relations and Affairs—Data Center Infrastructure AWS

Sarah Georgiades, head of community relations and affairs, data center infrastructure at Amazon Web Services Inc., joins theCUBE’s John Furrier and Scott Hebner at the AWS Summit Washington, DC event to discuss the role of community engagement in AWS’s data center strategy. The segment highlights how technology and corporate responsibility intersect to support long-term partnerships with local communities.

Georgiades shares how AWS invests in education, sustainability and open communication to build trust and meet regional needs. She points to STEM p... Read more

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What is your reaction to the confluence of tech money and society coming together at a nexus where it's not a swim lane, but rather integrating in, creating a cultural and generational shift? add

What initiatives does Amazon have in place to improve and invest in the communities surrounding their data centers? add

What high-level leadership goals does the speaker mention in relation to community volunteering at Amazon data centers? add

What impact have data centers had on Loudoun County, particularly in terms of teacher salaries and school investments? add

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Sarah Georgiades, Amazon Data Center Infrastructure

>> Welcome back everyone to theCube's coverage here on the show floor of AWS D.C. Summit, formerly Public Sector Summit. I'm John Furrier, host of theCube with Scott Hebner with theCube research team. We're breaking down all the action. We've got a great guest here talking about the giving back, the corporate impact for across the Americas. Sarah Georgiades, who's the head of community engagement for the Americas, for the Amazon Data Center infrastructure group as part of Amazon. Amazon and web services and AWS. Sarah, great to have you on theCube. Appreciate you taking the time.

Sarah Georgiades

>> Thank you for having me today.

>> So data centers have huge impact. Obviously they take up a lot of energy. You guys just did a $20 billion announcement in Pennsylvania, $10 billion in North Carolina, a lot of infrastructure all around. You've got a lot of experience dealing with communities, the grid. We've had many conversations on theCube with Prasad and Mike around these are big engineered systems and great tech, always fun. But there's also the side of the impact of that to communities and society and one of the biggest stories this year that I would say is that the confluence of tech money and society are kind of coming together at a nexus where it's not a swim lane. It's kind of like integrating in. This is a cultural kind of a generational first time thing. What's your reaction to that?

Sarah Georgiades

>> Personally, I think it's a very exciting thing to have happen because right now what is being invented and thought of and the things that are happening inside of our data centers are things that weren't even thought of as careers or industries three, four, five years ago. So now we get to be in a position where my team gets to do what I think is really exciting is to get out there and inspire that next generation and inspire the community around us to ... One of our big pillars is our STEM pillar and going into the schools and lifting up what's happening in the school systems. I can look at what kids come home and do from schools today, completely different than what we were doing. So we get to really go in and bring the technology and the innovation and that imagination to the community, and they're going to be what who invents what's next?

>> Yeah, I've always said on theCUBE going back a decade that an Amazon region, because they were in the region deployment mode now. Now it's even going supernova is a revitalization opportunity. Could you share what you do for the folks that don't know what your job is and what your scope of your responsibilities are? And then tie that to the mission of AWS and Amazon. Because I mean, you don't have to be, if you're asleep, maybe you don't know this, but billions and billions of dollars are being deployed in CapEx. Huge impact to society. Talk about what you do in scope that.

Sarah Georgiades

>> Well, Amazon, as you well know, we have 16 leadership principles and there's two that I think really tie in here that if I were to say what does my team do? We live and execute customer obsession by being community obsessed and success and scale bring broad responsibility. So we really bring that out there. So my team is responsible and we're actually a global team, but my team here in the Americas, we're all responsible for ensuring that the communities where our data centers are existing and being built and operating are the best communities they can be by being the voice of the company to the community and vice versa. Listening to the community and bringing that back into Amazon and saying, "How can we be the best possible neighbor?" So we have the Earth's best employer initiative. We also have how can we seek to be the best neighbor possible? And that's not just from with our fence line neighbors and where we have our physical infrastructure but in the communities around us. How can we invest into the sustainability? How do we uplift that community to reinvest? How do we invest into the schools and how do we make the communities around data centers, places people want to be, compete to want to be, and then the folks that are supporting those organizations, those communities around it, the school systems, the elected officials, it becomes a source of pride. How do we make Northern Virginia, especially since we're here in D.C. right now, it's the cloud capital of the world. How do we create that as a sense of pride and how do we create that connection with the community? So we're responsible for that nonprofit tie-in working with the school systems, other community partners, and also doing education. What is a data center? A lot of people, you'd be surprised, you drive out there on Route 28 out there in Ashburn, still people are wondering, "Well, what does that data center really do?" So we seek to really be that connection so people understand and be like aha, and understand that Amazon and data centers really do have a great impact in the community.

Scott Hebner

>> Do you find that the communities are unique in their needs?

Sarah Georgiades

>> Oh, absolutely. I mean, absolutely. Just talking about Pennsylvania versus North Carolina, no two communities are the same. And even here in Northern Virginia, I don't even look at Northern Virginia as one community. Prince William is different than Loudoun, which is different than Fairfax. And I've been fortunate. I've lived in this area since for about 38 plus years now. And so even seeing how this area's evolved, there's no two communities are the same, and we seek to work backwards from each community. What we bring out in Prince William County might not be the same as Loudoun County because the needs are different. So we seek to really work backwards from the community and really bring that community obsession inside because we're not here from D.C., we're here to solve your problems. No, we're here to listen and see how we can collaborate and make this the best community to want to be.

Scott Hebner

>> How do you know you're being effective with them?

Sarah Georgiades

>> Well, we really try with community listening. I could dive into metrics and things like that, but we really listen to, we partner really closely with our public policy team, our economic development team, to really make sure we're listening to what are our elected officials saying, getting out with the school system. What's your gap in your school system, what can we do to partner with the Loudoun Education Foundation or even with the Prince William County Community Foundation, which is downstairs right now, doing a community collaboration project with us. We seek out those leaders to find out what those gaps are to fill those gaps. And when we see that impact of, "Hey, now we've got Title I schools that are no longer testing at the bottom of the state, they're moving up the chain of that STEM impact we've had." That's how we're able to see that trend over time.

Scott Hebner

>> That's important.

>> You talk about the community, the principles of Amazon. One of them was operate scale, and what was that one?

Sarah Georgiades

>> Success and scale bring broad responsibility.

>> Okay, so scale's a huge advantage for Amazon now at both Amazon and AWS. Can you give some examples of what it's like and some of the conversations you're in because you have a unique perspective at scale. Can you give some examples of how that renders into the value for the communities?

Sarah Georgiades

>> Well, that's actually one of the things that I think Amazon's really great about. We really do live this. It's not just something we're going to say we're going to do once and we go away and we did something to tie into some announcement. We are there from the very beginning working alongside, and we don't leave. And so my team is growing with this, so we're not just here for that announcement. We're seeking to invest in the community. My team live and works in these communities as well. So where we're really seeing that change is we've got some broad pillars that we're able to apply and be able to tailor them accordingly. We're now rolling out vans. We have STEM vans, our Think Big vans. We've got one here in Northern Virginia. I'm going to let the count out of the bag. We just dropped ours off, the one that we're going to have in Atlanta and Jackson, Mississippi. We just dropped off the one and that's going to do Columbus, Ohio for us and South Bend, Indiana. And then we're going to scale our one here in Northern Virginia. So our ability to, it's a top-down philosophy. I have no pushback to go out and do what needs to get done to make data centers a welcome and integrated part of the community and our employees. Oh my gosh, I'd be horrible to not talk. Oh, last year our Amazon data center employees, not all of Amazon, our data center employees, which are downstairs right now doing some backpack packing. 30,000 hours of community volunteering, and in this area alone, it was over 5,000 hours. So our principles and our mechanisms also allow us to go live these principles, not just in a one and done way, but it is a goal. These are high-level leadership goals to go out there and make this impact in the community.

Scott Hebner

>> We got a question for you on the talent crisis that I think is starting to emerge out there. I've been doing a lot of research for theCUBE on in particular AI talent, and today the supply and demand cap is about 2.3 times, and it's expected to grow to 4.4. So our nation in particular is going to need a groundswell of new talent coming from people that are in high school and below, right? Are you guys involved in that?

Sarah Georgiades

>> We are not just from an AI perspective, but our STEM pillar is something that we're actually really looking to lean in on to start crafting that because there's a child right now in a fifth grade classroom, who's going to invent what's after quantum, and we want to inspire them to keep them engaged on STEM so that they go and pursue STEM careers. How many kids disengage from STEM after fifth, sixth, seventh grade because they don't see how they can connect with it? Actually, one of my favorite stories from being in this job was actually shortly after I started, we do something called Girls Tech Day, and it was only a couple of weeks after I even started in this role in 2023, and a colleague had brought her daughter to the event and she was a cheerleader. She did dance. STEM wasn't her thing, but she came, she checked it out and afterwards she said, "Mom, I want to invent an app that helps people figure out based off the weather how to plan their day. So if they've got outdoor sports, what have you, I want to make sure that kids know how to prepare for their day based off the weather." And the moms turns to me. She's like, "I've never heard this come." So we've had this impact and to create that and make it continuous. Not just ... Our first Think Big Space in the world was actually here in Prince William County. We now have a hundred, we just opened up our most recent one in Japan about two weeks ago. Connected communities connected throughout the world to continue to inspire. Technology isn't just this IT thing behind the computer. You can touch it, you can see it, and then they realize all the ways they're touching technology every day to inspire them to go pursue those careers.

>> What's interesting about that example is, is that you highlighted what's happening in the world with democratization. Super computing capabilities is now here. That's the tech side, but now the ability with no code and code assistance and code development, the builders could be anybody. The aperture for you don't need to a computer science theory or know Python to do data science. You can actually imagine and activate with voice commands, "Now build me an app." So this is here. So I think that's a great example of exposing technology to people as not as a discipline, like, "Eat your spinach, you'll get a job," but more of a fun thing, solve problems.

Sarah Georgiades

>> I say I'm a political science major and I work for one of the world's greatest, biggest tech companies. So if I'm a political science major and I can go out there and make a difference and touch tech, it's just that spark and that inspiration to keep people engaged and young kids engaged to go and pursue. They don't have to go to MIT and get that degree. They can find so many ways to invent.

>> Critical thinking is becoming one of the, I ask this question all the time in my cubeners, what is the skill for the future, assuming all these ages . Problem solving and people skills, social-emotional quotient, and having that ability to solve problems becomes big. And then the next question is, "Okay, what does the future look like?" So I'd love to get your thoughts on how these communities react to that. It sounds futuristic if you're in a town hall meeting, but in our business, that's what we talk about every day. So how do you cross over? What's your reaction to that? And then how do you cross over that to the real world where it's like that's all hyped up?

Sarah Georgiades

>> Well, I think we've seen it in terms of here in Loudoun County, our teachers are some of the highest paid teachers initially because of the impact data centers have had. So by the investment in the presence of data centers, they've been able to invest back into the schools. That raises the caliber of the school system and having that impact. To talk about what does the future hold, I mean, I want to go ask that fifth grader, what does the future hold? Because I think it could be the sky's the limit, and I think the communities, I'm an optimist. I am happy every day. I'm very fortunate on that front. And when we get to go out and tell the story of all that impact that we've done at Amazon in the community where we've had our most recent here in Northern Virginia, our community fund, which supports micro-grants, building. We've gone into communities in Manassas here in northern Virginia as well, and we found an area where there's play space and equities, and we worked with a nonprofit called Kaboom to build their first ever playground, which is now creating a revitalization of that area and a sense of place, and to be highly visible in those ways too. But from the technology perspective and inspiring that future, I definitely hope you're talking to our workforce development team because they are certainly the experts on that front.

>> Yeah, awesome.

Sarah Georgiades

>> But we are trying to inspire up to that point, to hand off to our workforce development team an inspired and thoughtful critical thinking.

>> And so you're working with other nonprofits, you bring people in. Is that how the mechanisms work for you?

Sarah Georgiades

>> We work very closely with the community, well, community foundations, but we also work with the school foundations to go in and fund and partner to create that. One of the things that we do with Loudoun County, especially here in Northern Virginia, is the job for the day program where we bring them in. High school juniors, high school seniors, they get to know what is this job all about? So that they're like, "Aha." And they understand what's in the realm of possibilities. I think opening up kids' eyes to what's in the realm of possibilities is one of the first big barriers to take down.

Scott Hebner

>> I think that's such a huge contribution to society. I just kind of look at my three kids. They know so much because they grew up on the internet. I mean, they know every capital around the world, and I don't, and I'm like, "Well, you guys, I had to go to the Encyclopedia Britannica, right? You guys have the internet," but now you're entering this new world where to your point earlier is opening the eyes up that you can do. You're going to be able to be what you want to be, even if you don't have all the skills, because they're going to have AI agents and it opens up a whole new world to people. You're going to be able to do things that you weren't trained for.

Sarah Georgiades

>> My six-year-old just finished kindergarten last week. He knows how to code, and I'm like, I go to an AI tool to code, to figure something out, to help me simplify. And my six-year-old is doing more than I could have ever imagined in school.

>> Yeah, that's the future.

Sarah Georgiades

>> Yeah, it is.

>> On your job, I'm curious because the old ways of doing, when I was growing up, the cable companies came through, the Walmarts came through. They would kind of check the community boxes, throw a little money, someone be like, "Oh no, we're doing good." Then do their thing. You guys are different. I know that. So do you have a boilerplate program? Is everything custom-built? Because AI impacts every category, healthcare, oil and gas. Some communities might have a healthcare provider in their region. Does that mean you do more healthcare training or how do you look at the ability to make impact? Is there a playbook? How's the thought process? How do you guys look at that?

Sarah Georgiades

>> We have some guardrails to ensure that we're doing the right thing in an authentic way, but by no means do we say one size fits all.

>> It's not cookie cutter.

Sarah Georgiades

>> Absolutely not. Because even what matters to a community is very, very different. Northern Oregon, where we're present, it's an agricultural community. So coming in and working with ag Tech, ag education, supporting their state fairs and their county fairs is extremely important. In Northern Virginia, the state fair isn't the same thing as it is in Columbus, Ohio. Everyone brings their cow to the state fair in Columbus, Ohio. I'm an Ohio State grad. I know all about it. It's pretty awesome. Go Buckeyes. But every community is so completely different. Even where we're expanding and just out in Pennsylvania, just announced yesterday, those communities are very different, and so we need to make sure we are authentic. So no, by no means we've got a playbook.

>> So you align with what's going on locally?

Sarah Georgiades

>> Absolutely.

>> Get the cadence of what their needs are.

Sarah Georgiades

>> Yes.

>> Figure it out. But really, education's a big part of this.

Sarah Georgiades

>> Education is a big theme for us no matter what, but what that programming looks like will look different based off of the needs of that community.

Scott Hebner

>> So I worked 30 years at a big company, namely IBM, and you know, great program. How well does Amazon support you, getting you what you need to do your job? I know sometimes in big companies, that's not easy to harness the horses and get everyone rolling with you.

Sarah Georgiades

>> I'm going to have to plug my leadership for a moment. I've been very fortunate in my career to have had some really great leaders that have gotten me to where that I will attribute to. There's one particular former CEO I work for that I say I'm sitting in this chair because he believed in me and gave me the ability, but the ability here at Amazon to do what I think needs to get done, I am fully supported, top down. Kevin Miller is a big believer and sets a goal for his team at his level to make sure that we are making that positive impact in the community. Sergio, our VP of Global Operations is very involved. Cary Pearson, they are all present and believers and hands-on with us. I have not ever had a situation where it's like, "I really think we need to go do this." And they're like ...

Scott Hebner

>> That makes it essential.

>> You're not just selling it. They're supporting you.

Scott Hebner

>> They're supporting you for it.

Sarah Georgiades

>> And that's when you come into Amazon, you hear these leadership principles. You're like, "Okay, no." I feel sometimes-

>> We know they live by them.

Sarah Georgiades

>> We really, really do. And that success and scale bring broad responsibility and earns trust. We have to be able to earn trust in our communities, and my team is supported to go do what's right to do that.

>> I'm going to quote another principle. Final question, bias for action, one of my favorites. What are you doing that's exciting for you right now that you're taking action, bias for action on this year? Are there key goals that are on your list? What's your pet project, maybe your bar raiser project?

Sarah Georgiades

>> Oh wow. I feel like ...

>> How you move the needle.

Sarah Georgiades

>> I feel like I'm back in my loop. There's a lot that I'm very excited about, but how, and I'm going to put it into two buckets. How we approach new regions, new communities, and making sure we're very intentional and doing it in a very transparent way so we can very quickly earn trust is something I'm very excited about. We're really leaning on some specific resources to make sure we do that. So in those first couple of months leading up and after announcement, communities understand that it wasn't just about the announcement. That we're really here and we're not going anywhere and we're going to do all these things that we said we were going to do. The fact that we get to do that and live that is very exciting for me. More holistically, looking across the entire region, I'm really excited that as a team, we're really raising the bar of what it means to make community impact and making sure it's very visible and tangible for community members. So people aren't just hearing, "Oh, I hear Amazon did that." No, they're physically seeing and touching it themselves to as many people as possible. And I would say that's one of been our big thing that we've been doing a lot more of is we've been getting out there doing tree planting and getting the community involved with us. It's not just Amazon going out and doing things. It's bringing the community along with us and doing these things side by side with them.

>> And Sarah, it's a great point about the volunteers and of your employees. Tech, money, and impact are merging in our lives. It's a wonderful thing. I've never seen it in my career of 30 plus years in the tech industry. I guess final, final question is how do people engage with you from the outside? What's the engagement process? Do we just send you an email, drop you a text, or do non-profits are engaging? How do people reach out and get a hold of you?

Sarah Georgiades

>> Well, we've had community engagement managers at each of our key regions. I'd rattle them all out, but we have key community engagement leaders in each region who are working very, very closely with the school systems, with the non-profits, with the community foundations, with the elected officials to help create those connections. And I'm very findable on LinkedIn. There's not a lot of Sarah Georgiades out there. There's a pro and con to that. And when I get messages, I just disperse them to the right people because I have a very, very smart team that works for me. I just do what they tell me to do and to help make it more .

>> Well, we appreciate what you do. Thank you for doing that.

Sarah Georgiades

>> Thank you.

>> We believe this the same mission. Mission alignment's, critical. Thanks for coming on theCUBE.

Sarah Georgiades

>> Thank you for having me.

>> Thanks for sharing. Mission over money. That's what they always say. The best success comes when alignment is there. Tech, money, and impact are all converging. Of course we're here at theCUBE, converging at D.C. Summit. I'm John Furrier, Scott Hebner, thanks for watching.