Who Is Julie Read? Meet the North Phoenix Community Leader Running for Phoenix City Council District 2
From organizing thousands of residents and helping secure Fire Station 55 to supporting students and strengthening neighborhoods, Julie Read has spent years turning community concerns into action across North Phoenix.
Julie Read is a fourth-generation Arizonan, longtime North Phoenix resident, former educator, nonprofit co-founder, and Phoenix City Council District 2 candidate. She has spent years serving North Phoenix through education, public safety advocacy, neighborhood leadership, and community service. Her work includes helping secure Fire Station 55, organizing thousands of residents around local issues, supporting students during Arizona’s teacher walkout, and strengthening communities across North Phoenix.
Most people hope someone else will step forward when a community faces a challenge.
Julie Read usually is that someone.
Whether organizing thousands of North Phoenix residents around public safety, helping feed students during Arizona’s teacher walkout, advocating for Fire Station 55, or pulling a driver from a burning vehicle moments before it caught fire, Julie has built a reputation for turning concern into action.
Today, after years of community leadership, she’s bringing that same approach to her campaign for Phoenix City Council District 2.
A Lifetime Rooted in Arizona
Julie is a fourth-generation Arizonan who has called North Phoenix home for decades. A graduate of Grand Canyon University with degrees in Elementary and Special Education, she began her career teaching students with special needs in the Paradise Valley Unified School District.
That experience shaped how she views leadership today.
Helping people, solving problems, and creating opportunities have remained consistent themes throughout her career—whether in the classroom, on school governing boards, or in neighborhood advocacy.
Julie later served on the Deer Valley Unified School District Governing Board from 2019 to 2022 while raising four children and volunteering throughout the community. Her work has included booster clubs, holiday food and clothing drives, ESL classes for parents, and countless local initiatives supporting families and educators.
Helping Save a Life in North Phoenix
In the spring of 2026, Julie found herself at the scene of a serious traffic collision in North Phoenix.
A vehicle crashed into an SUV beside her, sending it into the intersection. As smoke began pouring from the engine, Julie immediately exited her own vehicle and helped pull the driver to safety. Moments later, the SUV became engulfed in flames.
Married to a Valley firefighter for more than twenty years, Julie credits years of learning emergency response from her husband for helping her remain calm during the incident.
For those who know her, though, the response wasn’t surprising.
She saw someone who needed help—and acted.
Feeding Thousands During Arizona's Teacher Walkout
Julie became widely known across North Phoenix during Arizona’s 2018 statewide teacher walkout.
Concerned that many students relied on school meal programs, she focused on a simple question regardless of politics:
How do we make sure children don’t go hungry?
Working with local businesses, teachers, volunteers, and community members, Julie organized a food drive that quickly expanded across Deer Valley schools.
What began as a neighborhood effort ultimately collected and distributed more than 3,500 meals, providing children with easy-to-prepare food while schools remained closed.
For Julie, it wasn’t about taking sides.
It was about taking care of families.
Turning Neighborhood Concerns Into Statewide Change
One of Julie’s most significant community efforts began in 2016 when residents learned that homeless sex offenders had been placed near Adobe Mountain School without adequate public notification.
Rather than simply voice frustration, Julie partnered with fellow North Phoenix resident Ann O’Brien to organize what became BlockWatch Phoenix North, bringing together approximately 6,500 residents.
Their work extended far beyond neighborhood meetings.
The pair traveled to the Arizona State Capitol, testified before legislative committees, and worked alongside lawmakers from both political parties to advocate for practical improvements to Arizona’s public notification and reentry systems.
Their efforts contributed to three bipartisan laws that strengthened electronic offender notifications, increased public transparency, and improved accountability within Arizona’s correctional programs.
Throughout the process, Julie consistently emphasized balancing public safety with successful rehabilitation, believing communities benefit most when solutions work for everyone involved.
Helping Bring Fire Station 55 to North Phoenix
As Norterra experienced rapid growth, emergency response times became an increasing concern for residents.
Julie worked alongside neighbors, Phoenix Fire, city officials, and United Phoenix Firefighters Local 493 to demonstrate the community’s growing need for additional emergency resources.
Those efforts helped bring Fire Station 55 and Engine 55 to North Phoenix, improving emergency response for fires, medical calls, and vehicle accidents throughout one of the Valley’s fastest-growing areas.
For Julie, Fire Station 55 represents more than new infrastructure.
It represents what organized communities can accomplish when residents stay engaged and work collaboratively with local leaders.
Celebrating Children Who Need It Most
Some of Julie’s proudest work happens quietly.
She co-founded Parties for Purpose, an Arizona nonprofit dedicated to creating memorable birthday celebrations for children living in homeless shelters, domestic violence shelters, and foster care.
The organization’s mission is beautifully simple:
Every child deserves to feel celebrated.
Julie also leads the North Phoenix Community Angel Tree Project, helping provide holiday gifts for hundreds of Deer Valley students each year.
Her volunteer efforts have also supported first responders, schools, and families throughout North Phoenix—including organizing community fundraisers during difficult times when traditional events weren’t possible.
Serving North Phoenix Beyond the Neighborhood
Julie has served on numerous city and state advisory groups, including:
- Governor’s Opioid Task Force
- Arizona Juvenile Justice Legislative Committee
- City of Phoenix Strategies to Reduce Homelessness Task Force
- PlanPHX Leadership Committee
- North Gateway Village Planning Committee
- City of Phoenix Planning Commission
These roles have allowed her to contribute to discussions involving public safety, housing, transportation, infrastructure, water resources, economic development, and responsible growth.
As North Phoenix continues to expand, Julie has consistently advocated for balanced development—supporting new opportunities while protecting the quality of life that attracts families to the community.
Why Julie Read Is Running for Phoenix City Council District 2
After years of serving on school boards, nonprofit organizations, neighborhood groups, planning commissions, and statewide task forces, Julie says running for Phoenix City Council District 2 is a natural extension of the work she’s already been doing.
Her experience spans education, public safety, neighborhood advocacy, infrastructure planning, and community engagement—all issues that continue shaping the future of North Phoenix.
Regardless of political affiliation, few would argue with the philosophy that has guided much of her work:
Listen first. Bring people together. Stay involved until solutions are found.
Why Julie's Story Matters
Communities aren’t built solely by elected officials.
They’re built by neighbors who organize food drives.
Parents who attend meetings.
Volunteers who make phone calls.
Residents willing to ask difficult questions.
And sometimes, they’re built by someone willing to run toward a burning vehicle because another person needs help.
Julie Read’s story isn’t defined by one title or one accomplishment.
It’s the story of someone who has spent years investing in North Phoenix through education, advocacy, nonprofit work, public safety, and community leadership.
Whether serving students, supporting families, helping secure Fire Station 55, or organizing thousands of residents around local issues, her work reflects a consistent commitment to strengthening the community she calls home.
As North Phoenix continues to grow, leaders will come and go.
But communities are ultimately shaped by neighbors willing to show up.
Julie Read has been doing exactly that for years.
Frequently Asked Questions About Julie Read
Julie Read is a fourth-generation Arizonan, longtime North Phoenix resident, former special education teacher, nonprofit co-founder, community advocate, and candidate for Phoenix City Council District 2.
She is known for organizing thousands of residents around public safety issues, helping secure Fire Station 55, leading community food drives during Arizona’s 2018 teacher walkout, co-founding Parties for Purpose, and serving on numerous city and state advisory committees.
Julie Read is running for Phoenix City Council District 2, representing many neighborhoods throughout North Phoenix.
Fire Station 55 improved emergency response times for the rapidly growing Norterra and North Phoenix communities, providing faster service during fires, medical emergencies, and traffic collisions.
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Living North Phoenix’s Community Spotlight series celebrates the people helping shape our neighborhoods through leadership, service, business, and volunteerism. If you know someone with a story worth sharing, we’d love to hear from you.