In celebration of WGA’s 25th anniversary, we’re launching a special series featuring conversations with our past presidents, reflecting on their leadership and the legacy they helped build.
Julia “JuJu” Taylor was the sixth Member of WGA to serve as president, and she was at the helm of the organization from 2013–2014. During her tenure, WGA enjoyed record membership at the time — rising to 335 women — and WGA began to develop its Delores Barr Weaver Fellowship program, a subsidized membership for women under 40.
Learn more about JuJu and her time as president in this short Q&A.
You became president of WGA just as the organization was entering its second decade. The grantmaking focus was Mental Health at the time, and WGA undertook it first convening of grantees to gauge the effectiveness of its efforts. What stands out to you about this time at WGA?
It was an exciting time to be leading the organization, and the increased efforts of our research and grants team made what we were doing even more effective and meaningful. It was always rewarding to see the results; it gave all of us the ability to learn more about the subject of mental health and to forge partnerships with the organizations we were supporting.
During your presidency, the WGA Legacy program helped increase the endowment from $1.4 million to $1.9 million. How significant was this program and others, including the Fellows program for those under 40 years old, for encouraging involvement in WGA?
WGA’s leadership has always been focused on changes and improvements to be made — and it still is today. We tried to capitalize on attracting women who would develop into leadership roles. I am still struck by how professional and sophisticated the organization has always been, including the grantmaking process. That is in part because of the diverse and talented group that we have as Members.
Are there lessons learned from your leadership role that you want to share with Members today?
It is so important that those who can, do. It’s true that not everyone is cut out for a leadership role, but there are so many different ways you can contribute to the organization. And no matter how small the role may seem, it is all important for the work we do. WGA has succeeded in taking the individual talents of people and working them to the fullest.
What are your favorite memories from your time as president?
Being president opened doors for me to get to know a lot of Members better — both those I already knew and those I didn’t know. It was so encouraging to be surrounded by a team who believed in women and girls and took their issues as seriously as I did. I was thrilled to be able to have a seat at the table to suggest and make changes, and see those differences validated. It was also a wonderful introduction to The Community Foundation, where I was privileged to serve as a board member later on.