Worcester Business Journal

16 Worcester Business Journal | February 23, 2026 | wbjournal.com BY LAURA FINALDI Special to WBJ J ulie Bowditch knows the chal- lenges foster kids and their fam- ilies face, and not just because she's the head of a nonprofit serving vulnerable youth. Growing up in the Fitchburg area, Bowditch was the only biological child in a family full of adopted and foster children. She and her older sister, who was adopted from South Korea, essen- tially grew up as twins, and her parents specialized in caring for babies with medical needs. Two of her siblings have diagnoses requiring lifelong care. Bowditch can't remember how old she was when she realized most families were not like hers. But it was normal, she said, and she knew from a young age that diversity of families was a beautiful thing. "I can remember as a child being deeply angered by people saying things to me like, 'Oh you don't have any real siblings.' I can remember getting enraged and thinking, 'ese are my brothers and sisters,'" she said. "I had a different perspective about what makes a family, the need out there for kids, and that kids weren't always born into circumstances that were privileged or even sustainable. It gave me more of an organic awareness of the system." Today, as executive director of CASA Project Worcester County, Bowditch gets to work every day with children in the foster care system, the same system that brought so many of her brothers and sisters into her life. "A lot of people either have business sense or people sense, and being able to do both effectively is a critical skill, and Julie has mastered both," said Erin Jan- sky, vice president of the CASA board and chief human resources officer at Webster First Federal Credit Union in Worcester. CASA, part of a national organi- zation, recruits, screens, and trains volunteers to become court-appointed special advocates (CASAs) for vulner- able children navigating the Worcester County courts. Last year, CASAs provided 50,000 hours of advocacy work in Worcester County, and that's just the court-ap- pointed advocates, not other volunteers that help with things like events. CASAs undergo background checks and rigorous training, including 12 hours of continuing education every year. It's a 15-20-hour-per-month commitment. Because of the complexi- ty and specificity of being a child in the foster care system, CASA aims to keep the same volunteer on the same case for its entire length, which can be months or even years. Bowditch was on the board of CASA before she became executive director. When the previous executive director le, Bowditch said she went on a retreat with the rest of the board, where they discussed what kind of person they wanted to bring in as the next leader. Aer the retreat, some of Bowditch's fellow board members told her she should resign from the board and apply for the role. e board conducted a national search and interviewed several candi- dates, but Bowditch was hands-down the one for the job, Jansky said. Since Bowditch took over, Jansky said she's been particularly impressed by just how much she inspires the team. "ere's no turnover. e staff is so happy. I've never seen such a dedicated crew," Jansky said. "ey're committed to the mission. ey understand what their purpose is. ey are advocates for their work, not just on the clock, but championing CASA and the cause because they love it." Bowditch possesses a unique combina- tion of business acumen and genuine em- pathy and care for the people she meets, Jansky said. She's full of energy, constant- ly attending galas and networking events to get the word out about CASA. "I don't know where she gets her energy from," Jansky said. Bowditch previously worked as a fundraiser for UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester, and she has become a fundraising savant for CASA Project. Its annual Champions for Chil- dren event has become a must-attend event and set new fundraising records for the organization each year since Bowditch took over. e 2025 event raised $150,000. Spending her days supporting vul- nerable youth and families, Bowditch knows she is living her dream. She's proud of her hyper-focused team, who understand the mission and are full of enthusiasm. "It's a lot of hard work, emotional labor, and physical labor, but I do pinch myself every single day," Bowditch said. "I never wonder, I never think, 'Oh is this working?' I know we're making a difference." F O C U S BUSINESS LEADERS OF THE YEAR W Bowditch brings new vigor to child advocacy Small Nonprofit Business Leader of the Year Julie Bowditch Executive director CASA Project Worcester County, in Worcester Employees: 15 Annual revenue: $1.5 million Age: 42 PHOTO | MATT WRIGHT

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