Julie Rhoad

Senior Director
Boston, MA, USA

Julie Rhoad is Senior Director at MASS Design Group where she manages philanthropic strategic programming and relationships. She joined MASS in October 2020 and supports MASS clients and organizations including the Emmett Till Foundation, the Rosenwald Schools Initiative, and the Gun Violence Memorial Project. Rhoad’s expertise lies in understanding the purpose behind an organization and leveraging the core mission to grow the organization’s reach, potential and storytelling ability through narrative, programming, design and fundraising.

Prior to joining MASS, Rhoad was President and CEO of The NAMES Project Foundation, caretaker of the AIDS Memorial Quilt. Her priority duties included stewardship and strategic planning necessary to keep the issues of HIV & AIDS prevention, advocacy and social justice front and center with thought leaders and the public.

Under her leadership, the foundation expanded advocacy and outreach programs to ever-growing communities in need of The Quilt’s important prevention, education and advocacy messages. During her tenure, Rhoad worked to expose the inherent value found in the stories contained in The Quilt to scholars, educators and other community leaders working in the fields of theology, art, public health, science, sociology and civil and human rights and at the same time secured the future for the programs and collections entrusted to her care by establishing The Library of Congress and The National AIDS Memorial as their new permanent stewards.

Before joining The NAMES Project Foundation, Rhoad served the communications and design communities in a variety of capacities including: creative director, producer and project manager for corporate communications firms providing innovations in communications strategy, and corporate meeting, exhibit and special event planning. Rhoad has worked throughout the world creating, producing and executing domestic and international events, exhibits, presentations and programs for museums, visitor centers, customer and product presentation centers and traveling expositions.