Julie B. Ehrlich

As the executive vice president and chief operating officer, Julie B. Ehrlich oversees the Office of the President and Presidential Initiatives grantmaking; has direct management accountability for business operations, security, and operational strategic planning; and provides leadership oversight of the Foundation’s Human Resources and Information Technology functions. Previously, Julie was the director of Presidential Initiatives and Chief of Staff at the Foundation.

Prior to joining Mellon in 2019, Julie was assistant dean for strategic initiatives and chief of staff, executive director of the Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Network, and adjunct professor of clinical law and co-instructor of the Reproductive Justice Clinic at NYU Law. She also worked as a litigator on a range of First Amendment cases and civil rights issues including sex discrimination, legislative redistricting, prison conditions, and police misconduct. She clerked for Judge Nina Gershon in the Eastern District of New York and Judge Robert D. Sack on the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

She holds a BA cum laude with distinction in American studies from Yale University and a JD magna cum laude from NYU. While studying at NYU, Julie received a Hays Fellowship in Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and the Maurice Goodman Memorial Prize for Scholarship and Character. She is a member of the board of directors of Pregnancy Justice.