Julie Kenny Drezner, Vice President of Community Engagement
Julie Kenny Drezner oversees the planning, strategy development and accomplishment of the Grants and Program Department, which includes all competitive and donor advised grants, core programs, community initiatives and partnerships.
Julie brings to this position 30 years of experience in a full range of roles within the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors as a grantmaker, program administrator, executive director, board member, consultant and trainer. Julie’s expertise spans a wide scope of social issues and nonprofit management concerns where she has facilitated collaborative solutions to local challenges.
Before joining the Foundation, Julie led a national planning and consulting firm specializing in strategy development for foundations, nonprofit organizations and multi-sector initiatives. Formerly, as program director of The California Wellness Foundation, Julie managed a $30 million annual grants program focusing on disease prevention and health promotion. For seven years she served as program officer of The James Irvine Foundation, and previously worked for the Washington, DC-based Center for Community Change, providing technical assistance to grassroots community groups in low-income and minority communities. She also directed an inner-city neighborhood organization in San Diego.
She holds a master’s of social work degree from San Diego State University and a bachelor’s in social sciences from University of California Santa Barbara. Julie is bicultural and owns a home in Mexico with her husband Rob.
Confirmed in Compliance with National