Meet Julia Keleher, Ed.D., MBA, PMP, a self-made executive and Philadelphia native with nearly 25 years of service within the education space.
Across her career, Julia has proven herself to be a dynamic leader and an engaging educator who uses her personal passion for sharing knowledge and information to fuel the work she does.
In her life, both personally and professionally, Julia Keleher is passionate, hardworking, tenacious, and intellectually curious, always yearning to learn, know, and understand more. She believes firmly in three distinct areas to help give her life meaning and purpose: learning, doing, and giving back. These have helped to build her into a highly effective leader who is able to leverage her personal knowledge and lived experiences as inspiration and motivation for others.
As a leader, Julia has developed a multifaceted philosophy that helps her take control of and lead her own life, based on a few simple principles. First, the work you do is important, and hard work matters; therefore, you need to keep trying, no matter what obstacles stand in your way. Second, always be humble and look for ways to lend a helping hand; wherever possible, focus on the wood in the world and concentrate on creating happiness. Third, believe that good will always triumph over evil and keep your faith. Fourth, uncovering the truth can take time, so hold fast to your convictions and be patient. Fifth, you can achieve anything that you set your mind to if you dream big and believe in yourself. Sixth, you are in control of your own destiny, so ignore anyone who tries to change your path. Finally, believe it or not, failure is a fantastic teacher, so embrace every opportunity that you have to learn and grow in life. Julia uses these mantras daily to guide her in her life and on her journey. She strives to embody them in the work she does and encourages others to do the same to hone their leadership skills.
For her diligence and hard work in areas of education and leadership, Julia Keleher is humbly honored to have been graced with recognition and a handful of awards, including the Leadership Award for Valor in Crisis, the Extraordinary Changemaker Award, Outstanding Professor of Project Management, Government Excellence Fellow, and several performance awards.
Julia Keleher’s career began during her pursuit of higher education at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, where – in 1996 – she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. From there, she continued her education with the institution, earning her Master of Science degree in Education and Psychological Services. From there, she earned her Educational Doctorate at the University of Delaware in 2007.