ulie Waldman currently serves in a leadership position with the Agency for Persons with Disabilities as the Deputy Center Administrator at Tacachale, where she is responsible for overseeing the residential, vocational and leisure programming for 350 developmentally disabled adults. Ms. Waldman’s legal career spans more than 2 decades, and has been dedicated to advocating for the most vulnerable citizens in Florida – children, the elderly and the developmentally disabled. As a result of her work, Ms. Waldman is the 2018 recipient of the Florida Bar’s annual Claude Pepper Award for government service. The Claude Pepper Award is presented to government lawyers whose character and accomplishments exemplify the highest ideals of government service. The award looks for lawyers demonstrating annual contributions over time and commitment to public service and the public interest.
Ms. Waldman’s commitment to public service extends beyond her professional career - she gives back to her community through volunteer work and mentoring; inspiring others to be their best. As a member of the Rotary Club, she is involved in several programs focused on youth. She chairs a committee focused on leadership development for high school students for her Club and has been appointed to serve on the District Board, for a youth leadership conference. In addition, in her first year as a Rotarian, Ms. Waldman was recognized by her club as the Rotary Rookie of the Year for Service Above Self. Ms. Waldman is also involved with the Justice Teaching Initiative, served on the Mentoring Committee of the Eighth Judicial Circuit Bar Association, and judges the University of Florida Law School’s Moot Court and Trial competitions. She volunteers as a judge for the Alachua County Teen Court Program, and has worked to expand the Teen Court Program to other counties in the 8th Judicial Circuit. Ms. Waldman serves as President of the Board of Directors of the Reichart House, an afterschool program for at-risk boys. In addition to her duties as a Board Member, she has worked directly with the student leaders and developed a Leadership Academy for the program. Ms. Waldman is also a member of the board of the Friends of Elementary Arts, to promote and enhance quality elementary art and music education programs.
Ms. Waldman is a member of the Gainesville Black on Black Crime Task Force, a cooperative effort between the Gainesville Police Department and citizens to devise innovative strategies to reduce crime, particularly in disadvantaged areas of the community. She provides counseling and advice on employment issues to participants in the Displaced Homemakers Program at Santa Fe College. Ms. Waldman has previously been appointed to the Original Florida Tourism Task Force by the Alachua County Commission, to focus on promoting tourism and economic development in the North Central Florida region, and more recently been appointed to the Economic Development Advisory Committee. Ms. Waldman was selected to participate in the Alachua County Civic Education Program, as well as in an advanced program, to continue to enrich her knowledge of Alachua County. Ms. Waldman was recognized as a community leader by the Gainesville Business Community Coalition, and participated in the 2015 Public Leadership Institute. In the summer of 2016, Ms. Waldman was selected to participate in Leadership Gainesville to further develop her potential as a community leader, and currently serves as the President of the Leadership Gainesville Alumni Association. An active Chamber member, Ms. Waldman was appointed to the Public Policy Committee, providing input and perspective on current issues affecting our community. In 2017, Ms. Waldman was chosen to receive an Impact Award, which recognizes those individuals in the community that have motivated, educated, inspired and had a positive impact on the Greater Gainesville community. In 2018, Ms. Waldman was characterized by influence, success and leadership qualities that have propelled her and the Greater Gainesville community to new heights, and was selected to receive a Fierce Award.
Ms. Waldman has lived in the North Central Florida community for over 25 years, and holds a Juris Doctorate degree from Tulane University School of Law (1988), where she served on the Moot Court Board, and an undergraduate degree with College Honors from the University of Washington – Seattle (1985).