Julie first connected with PPMD through our Baby LEADers program, where she developed the foundations of her advocacy. Today, Julie is proud to serve as part of the PPMD team, bringing her perspective full circle from participant to professional, in her role as a Family Partner – Behavioral Health Specialist. Beyond her work at PPMD, Julie was selected as a Maryland Arc Partner in Policymaking, a nationally recognized leadership program preparing advocates to shape disability policy at local and state levels. She is also the co-founder of a coalition focused on water safety and wandering prevention, working across sectors to protect vulnerable children and strengthen community safety. Julie holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and plans to pursue a Master’s Degree in Social Work to deepen her systems-level impact. Her professional background includes roles in administration, case support, and claims management, where she has cultivated expertise in compliance, cross-agency collaboration, and family support services. Her work is deeply informed by both professional experience and her journey as a parent to an autistic child. Her lived experience with disability and her insight in supporting loved ones through addiction inform her compassionate, solutions-focused approach to advocacy