Julie Christiansen West has spent much of her life making a difference for East High School, nonprofits and the community at large. For that reason, the Alumni Association is pleased and honored to present the 1976 graduate with the Service of Humanity Award.
Julie’s roster of service is long and illustrious. The former Alumni Association president, Alumni Foundation Board secretary and Hall of Fame inductee has used her talents as a graphic designer and marketer to further the mission of the Alumni Association and Foundation, including the current capital campaign, the scholarship fund, email campaigns, social media marketing and the group’s website.
She is an active member of the Altoona Area Chamber of Commerce, helped launch the Altoona Palooza and is a past member and former co-chair of the Economic Development Committee.
More broadly in the community, she was the original organizer of the Southeast Polk Relay for Life, is on the marketing committee and communications chair for the Des Moines Concours d’Elegance benefiting the Children’s Cancer Connection, is the marketing arm for the Spina Bifida Association of Iowa, worked with the Arthritis Foundation on its Woman of the Year event, was the media contact and on the Marketing & Communications Committee for the RAGBRAI overnight in Altoona, and assists Best Buddies Iowa.
Her many instances of philanthropy and leadership led to her selection as a member of the ABI Foundation’s Leadership Iowa Class (2015-16), an issues-awareness program promoting leadership within the state. Admission is by nomination.
Her philanthropic nature has taken her to Jamaica as part of medical missions.
Thank you for your service, Julie! You are a credit to East High School, the East Side and the state of Iowa.
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