In the spotlight...

Julie Heston, Rhode Island GCSA chapter executive

Tell us a bit about yourself. Where you were raised, went to school, etc.
I was born and raised in Rhode Island and currently live in Scituate, RI with my husband Tim and our two boys Daniel (age 12) and Brian (age 10). I received a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Rhode Island with a major in marketing and a minor in management.

How did you get started with the Rhode Island and Cape Cod chapters?
I got involved working with the superintendent chapters after I had my two sons. I had been working part time and my brother-in-law, who is a superintendent, mentioned that the RIGCSA was looking for a chapter executive. I decided to give it a try and I really enjoyed the work. I was able to leave my other job and set up an office in my home which worked our great with two young children. I then heard the Cape Cod chapter did not have a chapter executive so I met some of the board members and discussed working with them as well. I have been the chapter executive for the RIGCSA since 2000 and I have been working with the Cape Cod chapter since 2001. 

What’s the biggest challenge in supporting two chapters?
The biggest challenges in working with two chapters are managing my time and prioritizing my work. Sometimes both chapters will have meetings or projects going on at the same time so it really takes lots of planning of my time to get everything accomplished.

What’s the best part in supporting two chapters?
The best part is that you learn so much from the people you work with. Both chapters get to benefit from the knowledge I have gained from working with more than one chapter. Also, when I figure out a better way of doing something, I can pass that onto to both chapters.

You are a past member of the Chapter Executive Task Group. Was this experience beneficial to you and your chapters? Would you recommend service on the Task Group to others?
I found being a member of the Chapter Executive Task Group very beneficial to myself as a chapter executive and to my chapter. The amount of knowledge that I learned from just networking with other chapter executives was very valuable. I also got a better insight into programs at GCSAA that would be helpful to my chapters. I would definitely recommend serving on the Chapter Executive Task Group to others.