Julia Bursch, 25
Director of operations & special projects, River City Company; 2019 graduate, Leadership Chattanooga; Incoming service chair, Rotaract Club of Chattanooga; Alumnae Relations chair, Chi Omega Alumnae Association; Member, Chattanooga Interagency Council on Homelessness; Founder, Chattanooga Startup Awards (Chair, 2014-2017)
Who’s your favorite “Game of Thrones” character?
Truthfully, I have never seen a single episode of “Game of Thrones.”
Which GOT character do you think you would be?
Since I haven’t seen any of GOT, I asked several of my friends and colleagues which character they thought I was most like. Most people decided on Lyanna Mormont. Lyanna is a strong, confident young woman punching well above her weight, and she is fiercely loyal to her family and home.
Last book you read and/or show you binge-watched?
I just recently finished rewatching “The West Wing.” It never gets old! The last book I read was “Bread and Wine” by Shauna Niequist, and I’m currently reading “The New Geography of Jobs” by Enrico Moretti.
If you ruled the world (or Chattanooga), what would you change?
I absolutely love Chattanooga. I’ve spent most of my life here. But if I could change anything it would be to see everyone in our community prosper. There are a number of different things that go into this, but if I had to choose one individual issue to address it would be education. Investing in the next generation is crucial to Chattanooga’s success.
Who would be on your advisory council?
Honestly, I don’t think I’ve met everyone I’d want on my advisory council just yet, but there are a vast number of people I would pick. I do know that I would want an incredibly diverse advisory council filled with folks that are passionate about tackling challenges head-on.
Is ruler a position you’d even want?
Personally, I really enjoy working with people to get things done, and I think checks and balances are important. When I think of a ruler I think of someone having supreme power, and that’s not really my style.
What drives you professionally and/or personally?
I’ve always been a self-starter. Being raised by a single mother who worked hard taught me a lot, and I think seeing my mom’s drive at such a young age really made an impact on how I’ve chosen to approach life moving forward.
What’s one thing you’d really like to accomplish? Has that goal changed over the years?
I genuinely enjoy spending time reflecting on where I’ve been and what I’ve accomplished and using that to help guide my vision and goals for the next few years. Right now I’m working my way through a list of 30 things I’d like to complete before my 30th birthday, and first up on that list is to complete a 50k trail race.