George Petrides Sr. was raised in central Michigan on an 80-acre farm. During his teen years, George's father took his family to Kenya and Uganda for several years, where Dr. Petrides conducted some of the initial wildlife management and ecological studies that formed the basis for many policies now in use by national park systems throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Two of these trips were by ship that circumnavigated Africa. He later worked in Alaska for the Commercial and Sports Fisheries Divisions of the Department of Fish & Game. George earned a Master's Degree in Education from Michigan State University, then become a high school teacher; a real estate agent and property manager; a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer high school teacher in Nigeria and Botswana; and a Peace Corps official in Kenya and Washington, D.C. These combined experiences in East, West and Southern Africa led to a working knowledge of several languages including Igbo, KiSwahili and Setswana as well as a deep appreciation of those cultures.

George has been married for 40 years to Bette Petrides, a college professor, civic activist and author (Tuesday Nights with Rosa Aurora , Kenya Past and Present , Oceans Magazine, American History Magazine). George and Bette have one son, George Jr., married to Victoria, and both are completely nuts about their two young (grand)daughters, Kaelyn and Laurel.

George and Bette own two Labrador retrievers, Brandy & Sherry, who keep them busy and healthy by taking long walks and chasing endless numbers of tennis balls.

George's business interests were first inspired by his father, Dr. George A. Petrides, a friend and associate of the late Roger Tory Peterson and the author of six field guides to trees and shrubs in the famous Peterson Field Guide series ( Eastern Trees, Western Trees, Trees and Shrubs)as well as of several in his own Backpacker Guide series (Trees of the California Sierra Nevada, Trees of the Rocky Mountains, Trees of the American Southwest, Trees of the Pacific Northwest). George's sister, Olivia, is a talented artist and scientific illustrator who painted the color plates for many of those guides. His mother is a life-long master gardener, past-President of the Federated Garden Clubs of Michigan and author of a gardening study course taught nationally and in the Spanish language in several Latin American countries.

Bette's parents, James and Jeanne Cowden, are avid birding hobbyists. Jeanne Cowden is an accomplished gardener, gourmet cook and expert at identifying birds by ear. James Cowden an environmental and energy policy planning consultant, founded "Great Lakes Tomorrow"; helped create the Cuyahoga River Remedial Action Plan and the Ohio Coastal Resource Management Plan and has worked with a number of agencies to improve Great Lakes water quality and human health.

George holds two patents, including the famous UpSideDown Nyjer goldfinch feeder distributed throughout the U.S. and Canada and the Convertible Bird Box, a private label product manufactured for and sold exclusively by Wild Bird Center stores.

He serves on the Board of our industry trade group, the Wild Bird Feeding Industry, and is Chairman of the Retailer Committee. He also serves as a Trustee of the WBFI Research Foundation and is Project leader of its PROJECT WILDBIRD scientific research program and is a member of the National Wildlife Refuge System Birding Initiative Team sponsored by the US Fish & Wildlfe Service.

George and Bette owned and operated their own Wild Bird Center store in suburban Maryland from1985 to May, 2006 when the store was transferred to a franchisee.

George's hobbies include bird watching and amateur radio. He holds an Extra-Class Radio License issued by the Federal Communications Commission and his official call sign is W8WHG (ARRL Web Site). Amateur radio is an opportunity for George to speak with other radio operators around the globe (from his car and home) and fuels his life-long interest in other cultures and foreign places.

George decided to open his own business so he could pursue his personal priorities, find ways to express his (assumed) talents to their fullest and create an outlet for his keen interest in community development efforts and environmental issues. He subsequently integrated his Peace Corps and other professional and educational experiences into his Wild Bird Centers' franchise program that emphasizes business success accompanied by a high level of owner satisfaction and personal achievement.