Julie Leeth, Springfield, MO, Founding Board Member, 2014-21

Julie is the former Executive Vice President for the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, where she coordinated the Foundation’s nationally recognized Rural Schools Partnership and oversaw relationships with more than 400 nonprofit agencies. In addition, Julie supervised the Community Foundation's grantmaking portfolio, its thirty-plus community Youth Empowerment Projects, and the highly successful Ozarks Teacher Corps, where outstanding teaching candidates receive scholarship support and community development training while making the commitment to return to rural hometowns or nearby communities as public school teachers.

Julie also specialized in building long-term assets for rural communities through the establishment of education foundations and school-related funds. This was a special passion for her after spending 30 years as a teacher and administrator in the Springfield Public Schools, where she received a national award for her support of freedom of speech while serving as principal at Springfield’s Hillcrest High School. Her various public education roles have included teacher, administrator, and assistant superintendent.

Julie graduated from Drury University and completed her graduate work at Missouri State University and the University of Arkansas. Julie is a lifelong resident of Springfield, Missouri. Julie’s husband, Bruce, is a contractor and their son, Patterson, resides in the Twin Cities.