Morita Julie

Julie Morita

President and CEO, The Joyce Foundation

Julie Morita, MD, is President & CEO of The Joyce Foundation, overseeing the charitable distribution of $65 million annually from assets of $1.3 billion. The Joyce Foundation funds policy and other strategies designed to advance racial equity and economic mobility for the next generation in the Great Lakes region.

Before joining The Joyce Foundation, Julie was executive vice president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), overseeing programs addressing systemic barriers to racial and health equity.

Prior to her role at RWJF, Julie helped lead the Chicago Department of Public Health for nearly two decades, first as a medical director, then as chief medical officer. In 2015, she was appointed commissioner and in that role, she oversaw the public health needs of nearly 3 million residents. Julie has also served as an advisor to the White House, U.S. Health and Human Services, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

A Chicago native, Julie earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and her medical degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine.