Military-Navy

Lieutenant Julie Roland is a Naval Aviator, Helicopter Aircraft Commander, and ACTC Level III Mission Commander. She served aboard USS Carl Vinson, USS Lake Champlain, and USS John C. Stennis, and has managed over 20 maintainers while they performed maintenance and upkeep on two MH-60R helicopters in preparation for, and while aboard, the USS Michael Murphy . Having served as an officer for the last seven years, she has led divisions of up to 30 Sailors in the maintenance of helicopters while serving as an aviator and flying the MH-60R. Julie assisted and advised command leadership with multiple legal proceedings as a Legal Officer. After back-to-back deployments in the Persian Gulf and South China, she is now an Aviation Certifying Officer at ATG San Diego, where she certifies flight decks on ships to ensure they are ready for flight operations, and fully manages a budget of $25,000.

Julie credits her parents, her mom who was a yoga instructor and poet, and her dad, a man who wears Birkenstocks, with her drive to help create a better world. As a young child Julie started volunteering for local charities. Then she noted, while considering her future, all of the things the Navy has to offer: service, leadership, team work, the ability to travel the world and “Free College!” matched her personal goals. She graduated Cum Laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Arts in History, then was commissioned as an Officer through the NROTC program where she was Head of Philanthropy. During her college years, Julie volunteered with diverse organizations such as: Habitat for Humanity, Johnson’s Backyard Garden, Give the Kids the World, Orphanage Outreach and Baltimore Homeless Services.

Just Tryna Make Friends (JTMF) Show, a “backyard variety show” that promotes local artists and builds community, is something she produces in her free time. This show recently became a finalist in San Diego Reader magazine’s “Best of 2021” for Best Neighborhood Event, and Best Place to See Live Music Outside. JTMF is applying for nonprofit status currently. She is a Magician Member of the Academy of Magical Arts, and a member of the League of Women Voters. As a magician in her off-time, she finds ways to defy gravity without the use of Naval Aircraft, making “service above self” an interesting concept for this new Rotarian.

Her sponsors are Duke Sobek, Wendy Urushima-Conn, and Phil Silver.