Julie Thannum confessed it’s hard for her to sit still. When there is work to be done, she’ll be the first one there and the one who turns out the lights. “I like to roll up my sleeves and do something like stuff envelopes but – and you can ask my staff - I don’t usually get to do those things.” And after hearing about her exhausting schedule as the Assistant Superintendent for Board and Community Relations at Carroll ISD, we’re convinced she’s right.
When we had a chance to meet, Julie was fresh off the heels of a teacher orientation session, welcoming the new hires to Carroll ISD, a school district she has been with for 17 years and believes in 100 percent. “I just love to come to work everyday - I love working for Carroll, and I believe in the school district. I’ve been very grateful we have an administration that allows me to do my job, the people that allow you to do your job- they empower you.”
With the amount of admiration she has for the district and the passion she puts into her work, it’s no wonder she just helped secure a two-year contract with Ozarka Brand 100% Natural Spring Water to become the exclusive bottled water at Dragon Stadium. And whenshe’s not securing high profile sponsorship contracts for the district, she is working on the crisis management plan or she’s working with troubled teens at her church or speaking at national conferences on the topic of sponsorships, crisis management and troubled teens. Not all at once of course.
With as many tasks Julie juggles at work, it begged the question: how does she find time to incorporate the other important aspects of her life? “It’s hard to find that balance, and I’ll be the first to tell you I don’t always have it together,” Julie said. “I am also a wife and a mom - that’s very important to me.
“I have a very strong faith, and as a Christian I try to show that in my life that to keep balance you have to develop the whole person. I pour a lot into my work because I love my work, but I pour a lot into my family. I want to raise my kids to be good people who make good decisions, who have good relationships, who have faith and value family, but then I want them to put passion into their work, I want them to love 25 years from now going to work, even on the days when they are tired.”
We set out to interview three different women in the Southlake community, knowing a little about their careers and family lives, but not much. We knew they might have a few things in common – the balancing of work and family – but we didn’t expect these women, who had taken different paths in life, would have such similar trains of thought. But after speaking with these three women, each on separate occasions, we realized they have their priorities set – God, family, then work - and they put every bit of themselves into everything they do. This is what empowers them and how they hope to empower others.