Born with a congenital heart defect that required life-saving surgery at the age of 5, Julianne has always been resilient and tenacious. Little did she know the other hardships she would experience. Those health challenges that were present at the beginning of her life prepared her well.
Julianne decided to overcome the restrictions of her physical body by pushing the limits. Being told by medical professionals that she would need to live a more sedentary life and not have children, Julianne made her own path by training to run half-marathons and have two beautiful children.
She also married her high-school sweetheart in college and they built a life together that included those two children. Both Julianne and her husband worked on their careers for the first part of their marriage as well as traveling and achieving post-graduate work.
Rising in the world of administration in the skilled nursing sector, Julianne loved her occupation and the rewards by caring for the elderly and infirm. As her career took off, her husband began to have mental health problems. Even after professional treatment and in-patient stays in psychiatric hospitals, her husband took his life when she was 36 years of age and their children 7 and 3.
Through these hard times, Julianne was able to rise to the President of the company at which she started her career. This company was the second largest skilled nursing provider in the nation with 320 locations in 21 states employing 35,000. After the company sold in 2016, Julianne started her own company with a partner which she just sold in 2022.
Julianne’s children are young adults - one a medical professional and the other finishing his degree in winemaking. She recently published a book “Head Above Water” that details her experience and how she was able to overcome and create a life she loves.
Julianne serves on the Board of Governors for the American Healthcare Association, is past- Chair of the California Association of Healthcare Facilities, Recipient of the Spindle Award, served on the Board of the Kingsburg District Hospital, Kingsburg Youth Baseball, and was a Girl Scout leader. She attends Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church in Fresno, Ca and Kingsburg Community Church in Kingsburg.
