Member Profile: Julianna Blazey
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Julianna is a lifelong Pennsylvanian who graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Julianna Blazey rushed out to stop a child who had just got off a school bus from walking in front of it to cross the street. It was a danger that had cost children’s lives, and she realized that something had to be done. So, she went home and invented what would be called a School Bus Safety Arm.
She made mechanical drawings, wrote specifications and worked with the Radnor School District to make and install them on its buses in just a few months. She knew, as an attorney, that doing so prohibited anyone from patenting the invention. “If someone patented it, the cost would go up and manufacturing would be delayed for months or years. I didn’t want that to happen.” In a few years, the School Bus Safety Arm became standard across the country.
Julianna is a lifelong Pennsylvanian who graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a dual degree in Economics and Middle Eastern studies. She received her Master’s Degree in the same discipline from Harvard University, then attained a J.D. law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center.
Julianna is a member of the Bar in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, has taught at the University of Montana Law School and is currently a visiting law professor at St. Thomas University Law School in Florida. “I missed teaching, and the weather is great in Florida right now.”
She began her career at the Department of Commerce in Harrisburg, where she instituted standards for minorities in businesses. While there, she met her future husband, PDG Douglas Blazey, who was Chief Counsel for the Department of Environmental Resources. Julianna moved to New York to practice commercial and international law with a firm based in Rockefeller Center.
She later joined a Wall Street firm to practice banking and commercial law, while her husband Doug also practiced law in Lower Manhattan. They would have lunch together from time to time and enjoy the diverse attractions of their Upper West Side neighborhood. The couple moved back to Pennsylvania where Doug pursued his career and Julianna turned to raising their two children, Elizabeth and Christopher.
In 2013, Doug invited her to join him in the Wayne Rotary Club. During the Rotary year 2015-2016, she served as President. Julianna participated in many club projects and initiated the Casseroles for Mercy Hospice project that prepares hot meals for women and children. The hospice provides shelter and support for women recovering from illnesses.
Using her skills in writing and communications to develop her club’s image in the community, Julianna wrote a monthly column for Wayne Life & Style magazine. It was called Rotary Round Table and reported on the many projects and activities performed by Rotary clubs in the region. The articles enhanced Rotary’s reputation locally, generated pride within the clubs and, not coincidentally, attracted new members to the club.
Julianna began working at the district level in 2017 chairing the District Advisory Committee and reporting on the Viability and Status of Interact Clubs. Then, in 2019, Juliana served as Assistant Governor at Large and chaired the Resources Committee creating the Handbook & Resources Manual. She also created a district wide compilation of information for the Catalogue of Service Projects, Catalogue of Fundraisers and the Catalogue of Project Partners. This original material was shared with other districts in Zone 32, many of whom adopted the concept. She also worked with the Four-Way Test Speech and Membership committees.
In recognition of her contributions, her club named Julianna Rotarian of the Year. Over the years, she also received a Service Above Award and District Extraordinary Service Award. She and Doug faithfully attend District Conferences, Zone Institutes and International Conventions to keep abreast of Rotary developments and get together with friends from across Rotary. She received a dual degree in Economics and Middle Eastern studies. She received her Master’s Degree in the same discipline from Harvard University, then attained a J.D. law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center.
Julianna is a member of the Bar in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, has taught at the University of Montana Law School and is currently a visiting law professor at St. Thomas University Law School in Florida. “I missed teaching, and the weather is great in Florida right now.”
She began her career at the Department of Commerce in Harrisburg, where she instituted standards for minorities in businesses. While there, she met her future husband, PDG Douglas Blazey, who was Chief Counsel for the Department of Environmental Resources. Julianna moved to New York to practice commercial and international law with a firm based in Rockefeller Center.
She later joined a Wall Street firm to practice banking and commercial law, while her husband Doug also practiced law in Lower Manhattan. They would have lunch together from time to time and enjoy the diverse attractions of their Upper West Side neighborhood. The couple moved back to Pennsylvania where Doug pursued his career and Julianna turned to raising their two children, Elizabeth and Christopher.
In 2013, Doug invited her to join him in the Wayne Rotary Club. During the Rotary year 2015-2016, she served as President. Julianna participated in many club projects and initiated the Casseroles for Mercy Hospice project that prepares hot meals for women and children. The hospice provides shelter and support for women recovering from illnesses.
Using her skills in writing and communications to develop her club’s image in the community, Julianna wrote a monthly column for Wayne Life & Style magazine. It was called Rotary Round Table and reported on the many projects and activities performed by Rotary clubs in the region. The articles enhanced Rotary’s reputation locally, generated pride within the clubs and, not coincidentally, attracted new members to the club.
Julianna began working at the district level in 2017 chairing the District Advisory Committee and reporting on the Viability and Status of Interact Clubs. Then, in 2019, Juliana served as Assistant Governor at Large and chaired the Resources Committee creating the Handbook & Resources Manual. She also created a district wide compilation of information for the Catalogue of Service Projects, Catalogue of Fundraisers and the Catalogue of Project Partners. This original material was shared with other districts in Zone 32, many of whom adopted the concept. She also worked with the Four-Way Test Speech and Membership committees.
In recognition of her contributions, her club named Julianna Rotarian of the Year. Over the years, she also received a Service Above Self Award and Southeastern PA District Extraordinary Service Award. She and Doug faithfully attend and International Conventions to keep abreast of Rotary developments and get together with friends from across Rotary.