Louarn Sorkin

For 52 years, Louarn has volunteered her time and creative talent for charitable organizations. At age 10, she began her charitable work as a junior volunteer for the San Diego Opera, San Diego Symphony, San Diego Ballet, Salk Institute, Girl Scouts of America and the Old Globe.

As a professional trainer, she presented seminars and trainings for over 26,000 people and was a member of the American Society for Training and Development, American Marketing Association, National Association of Female Executives, San Diego Women’s Network and Adjunct Faculty Member for the San Diego Community College. Her training specialties included organizational development, public speaking skills, management, leadership, the “chaos of change” and life balance.

She now concentrates her creative efforts on making charitable organizations more effective and sustainable. Louarn served as President of the La Jolla Guild of the San Diego Opera from 2003 to 2005, and served on the St. Germaine Auxiliary Board of Directors in 2005 and continues to serve on their Grant Committee. She is a founding partner of San Diego Social Venture Partners and serves on several committees including Board Development, Investment Working Group, Social and Stewardship. Louarn is currently serving her third year on the Board of Directors for the Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary.

In 2002, Louarn co-founded “Just In Time”, a non-profit organization that furnishes the first apartments and dorm rooms for transitioning foster youth as they turn 18 and “age out” of foster care, and helps with their special needs as they work toward becoming independent young adults. She sat on the Board of Directors for three years and now serves as their Board Advisor and helps with board development and special projects.

From 2005-2007, Louarn crocheted 200+ hats and scarves that were distributed at the holidays through the Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary for seniors, homeless, transitioning foster youth and children going through chemotherapy. In 2008, she founded the “Creative Yarn Organization” and rallied friends and associates help with the goal of creating 300 hats and scarves for distribution for the holidays. In 2010, the organization distributed 833 items, and Louarn crocheted over 400 of those. As the director, she has built the membership to 64 creative women.

In 2009, Louarn was honored to be named a “Women of Dedication” at the 44th Annual Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary Luncheon and for her charitable work and contribution, received the 10News Leadership Award in the category of “Mentoring Future Leaders”.

LEAD San Diego honored Louarn as one of their 2010 Visionary Leaders with the “Community Spotlight Award for “Recognizing leadership that improves lives through extraordinary dedication to people, organizations or causes”.