Julia (Julie) first became engaged in her children’s school when her daughter was in kindergarten. The PTA was looking for help with their website. She had just completed an overhaul of her employer’s website and felt she could contribute her talents. In that she was a full-time working mom and the website could be done outside of school hours, it was a way she could help without being physically present at the school. Through those first years of attending PTA meetings, she felt she was not part of the “in crowd” and was sure other parents felt the same. She was determined to make a difference and make it so that all parents/families felt welcomed at PTA functions. Eventually she became President of the PTA and at the same time was invited to participate in a program sponsored by the The Prichard Committee for Educational Excellence called The Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership. This program gave her the knowledge and tools to start working even more closely with her children’s schools. Julie can be often be found on Twitter chats leading discussions on getting more families, guardians, mentors and the community involved in education. Opening doors and changing cement walls to glass walls. She was elected to the Boone County School Board in 2018 and has served as a Parent Ambassador in the Boone County School System. Also in 2018, she was named to the inaugural class of the EdTrust Fund Parent Fellowship class. In 2017, Julie was named the inaugural recipient of the Beverly Nickels Raimondo Kentucky Parent Leadership Award named after the founding of the Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership. In 2015 she was recognized as the Bammy Award People’s Choice Parent Leadership recipient. She has served in multiple PTA positions, including Vice President of Communications for the Kentucky State PTA and past President of the recently formed Boone County High School PTSA. Julie was the 2023-24 President of the Rotary Club of Florence and was appointed by unanimous vote to the 2024 Kentucky Board of Education.