Julia Phelps Bio
Julia D. Phelps, Ed.D.
Rotary Club of Amesbury
Massachusetts, USA
District 7930
Julia joined the Rotary Club of Amesbury, MA in 1997 and served as president of the club in 2001-02, the club’s Foundation Chair (2016 – 2021), and Membership Chair (2021 – present). She was active in the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) program focusing on developing leadership skills for high school students. Julia hosted several Ambassadorial Scholars studying at Harvard, MIT, and Tufts. After serving as president of Amesbury Rotary (2001 -2002), she trained incoming presidents at NE Presidents-elect Training Seminar (PETS). Julia served as a host counselor for a Youth Exchange student from Chile.
She has served in many positions at the district level. She worked on RYLA, served as Inbound Chair for Ambassadorial Scholars and was District Governor of District 7930 in 2007-2008. She was the District’s Annual Giving Chair and the Chair for NE PETS. Julia became District 7930’s Foundation Chair in July 2009 and led the district through the Future Vision Pilot, which was an international change in how Rotary provided grants to Rotarians. She shared Future Vision insights at the New Orleans, Louisiana and Lisbon, Portugal International Conventions.
Julia has represented over a dozen RI Presidents around the world at meetings and conferences. She served as the Rotary Foundation Alumni Chair (RFAC) for Zone 32. Julia prepared governors-elect on the Foundation’s new grant model, Future Vision, at the International Training Assemblies in 2012 and 2013.
She was selected and served as International Director from 2014 – 2016. Only the seventh woman in the world (at that time) to rise to this position. In 2016 - 2017 was a member of the Operations Review Committee. Julia served as a member of RI’s Membership Committee from 2017 – 2019.
In 2017, Julia was appointed as a Trustee of our Rotary Foundation, one of only a few women to ever serve at both a RI Director and Trustee. During that time, she served on the Foundation’s Stewardship Committee which she Chair in 2019 – 2020 and the Executive Committee (2018 – 2020). For two years, she’s served as the Trustee Liaison to the Leadership Development and Training Committee. Always a supporter of Polio eradication efforts, Julia participated in a National Immunization Day (NID) in January 2017 in Delhi, India. The she administered drops of the Polio vaccine to children under the age of five. She was the Moderator for the training of regional leaders in 2022. She was a member of the Basic Education and Literacy Major Gift Initiative Committee from 2020 - 2023. Julia was recognized for her leadership and problem-solving capabilities when she was asked to serve as Special Advisor for a Rotary District in NJ – USA. Currently, Julia is the Vice Chair for the Council on Legislation that will take place April 2025. This is the legislative body for Rotary International where international leaders revise the constitution, by-laws, and governing documents.
Julia is an active member of the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Rotary Action Group. She served on the Operation Team of WASH and chaired the World Water Summit from 2017- 2023. Julia is a member of the WASH Rotary Action Group Foundation and the Secretary to the WASH RAG Board of Directors. Knowing the importance of sanitation for young girls and clean water for all students, in January 2019, Julia participated in handing over toilet blocks and handwashing stations to a school of 1200 students in Nashik, India. The Rotary Club of Amesbury, MA financially supported this project along with other clubs in the USA, Australia, and India.
Julia is the recipient of the Foundation’s Citation for Meritorious Service and Distinguished Service Award. She financially supports the Rotary Foundation and is a charter member of the bequest society and a major donor. Julia led the Million Dollar Journey for the Rotary Foundation in District 7930 where they raised over $1.8 million dollars.