As the daughter of Romanian immigrants who arrived in Canada during her childhood, Julie Czeck saw her family navigate the complexities of adapting to a new country. Despite the challenges they faced, the unwavering support from the community, including social-support organizations, was essential to their journey. This experience instilled in Julie a profound respect for her parents’ sacrifices and a deep sense of gratitude, shaping her commitment to social justice and her drive to lift others through advocacy and strategic policy work.

She’s made a career of doing just that.

“I come at it from a place of gratitude,” she says. “I feel extremely fortunate to be in the position I’m in; the professional opportunities I’ve had over the last 15 years, and to have a voice at key decision-making tables. A lot of my passion comes from wanting to give back.”

A decade ago, Julie was still in grad school, working towards a master’s degree at the University of Victoria. But she’d already started to craft a remarkable career that would send her to Ottawa to work as an analyst for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada.

Julie returned to B.C. in 2014 after accepting a position with the Ministry of Children and Family Development that aligned perfectly with her goals. She eventually landed a director-level position focused on strategic policy for youth in and from foster care. In this role, Julie led a cross-ministry team dedicated to improving the transition process for youth exiting care. This multi-year initiative is now known as Strengthening Abilities and Journeys of Empowerment (SAJE).

SAJE, which was legislated into law in 2024, significantly improves support provided by the provincial government to youth and young adults ages 19–27. Julie says this initiative wasn’t just a legislative win; it was a testament to the power of collaboration.

“I take great pride in having successfully legislated SAJE, ensuring that youth in care now have comprehensive support that allows them to face their 19th birthday with hope instead of fear.”

Central to the development of SAJE was the partnership with young people who had direct experience with the foster care system. Julie highlights the importance of this collaboration: “Young people played a big part in shaping the program and working with our Youth Advisory Council every step of the project,” she says. “Those engagements are what kept our team going.”

“I take great pride in having successfully legislated SAJE, ensuring that youth in care now have comprehensive support that allows them to face their 19th birthday with hope instead of fear.”

Late last year, Julie became Penticton’s first Public Safety and Partnerships Director. In this role, she collaborates closely with the RCMP and Fire department to advance strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing safety and reducing crime in the community.

“Every member of our community deserves not just to feel safe, but to actually be safe.”

“I began my career in social justice. I wanted to return to a community-focused role,” she explains. “While working at the provincial level was rewarding and gave me the opportunity to address systemic issues on a broad scale, I was eager to bring my skills to a municipal setting where I could see the direct impact of my work in the community.”

Julie’s goal is to develop an integrated public safety and wellness strategy, emphasizing collaboration across the community.

“My vision is to collaborate with partners to create a comprehensive plan that addresses both public safety and wellness,” she says. “We recognize that we can’t focus on one without the other, and every member of our community deserves not just to feel safe, but to actually be safe.”

Julie appreciates how UFV prepared her for all phases of her career.

“I look back on my time at UFV with great fondness, and I still rely on the strong relationships I built there,” she shares. “While I may not recall all the course content, I remember the skills, frameworks, and discipline that provided a solid foundation for my career — like critical thinking, effective communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and adaptability.”