Life & Work with Julie of Arvada

Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie.

Hi Julie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Coming from a midwestern family with a strong culture of public service and the arts, I always loved singing, acting and writing, but I felt passionate about politics at a young age [my apologies to Tom D, who dealt with my daily wrath about President Reagan in sixth grade]. Even so, I thought I wanted to be a veterinarian, at least until I attended Michigan State University and balked at the overwhelming number of required science classes. I eventually studied English and Sociology with no idea where it would lead, and it was my summer college employment that led me toward child welfare. For four summers, I worked for a community outreach program in the Tennessee Appalachians (Mountain T.O.P.), helping to support families and communities after years of intergenerational poverty and limited resources. That experience shifted my focus to child welfare and abuse prevention, but I struggled to find a relevant job after graduation, given my degree. I considered returning to school for a master’s degree in social work, but something held me back. So I spent a few years working in a corporate sales job, performing in community theater and volunteering as a drama coach in a local runaway shelter. It was there that I witnessed social workers dealing with constant frustration about policies that tied their hands and often made things worse for the kids who stayed there, and I felt inspired to fix the problem, rather than accept and comply. But that meant I needed more than a social work degree, so when I found the dual JD/MSW program, which was in its infancy at the University of Denver, I dropped everything and headed west. After completing both degrees in 1999, my plan was to work on child welfare policy, but I wanted to stay in Colorado, and I found what I thought was a dream job as a School Violence Policy Specialist at the National Conference of State Legislatures in Denver. The position gave me exciting opportunities to travel, speak, write and work on federal grant programs, but I really struggled to remain neutral about opposing political ideologies, and I realized–I needed to be an advocate.

In 2002, a friend encouraged me to apply for an Assistant County Attorney position in Adams County, Colorado to litigate child protection cases for the Department of Human Services, and I found a better fit (once I overcame my fear of the courtroom). Not only could I help protect children and promote their best interests, but I got involved in public policy work at the state level and continued to have opportunities to speak, write and learn about social justice issues. I stayed there until 2022, when I took early retirement to spend more time with family, pursue creative goals and start a consulting business. Now, in 2025, I have a thriving consulting/mediation/child advocacy business that provides training, support and coverage to other county attorneys, mediation and advocacy for specific children in family law cases, and Title IX support to local charter schools. And in 2024, I started teaching public policy courses at Metropolitan State University as an adjunct professor in the Graduate School of Social Work.

To keep doing something creative, I began singing in local bands in 2000, meeting my husband Trent (a talented drummer and criminal defense attorney) in band #2. We were married in 2003, and I only took breaks from singing to have my two amazing sons, Ronin and Theo, who are now 21 and 17 and pursuing their own mixtures of public service and creativity. When they were still young, I started writing again to convey fictionalized stories about the families and children I saw in my cases, since I believe personal connection is the key to empathy and positive change. Along the way, I was encouraged to try my hand at pure fiction, and after many years of stolen hours and multiple revisions, I recently finished a first novel, “A Branch for Each New Sky.” It tells two intertwining stories–set in medieval Wales and the modern Midwest–about past life progression, the impact of trauma and the evolution of women’s choice.

These days, I spend most days writing in the morning, mediating, consulting or teaching in the afternoon, and spending evenings with family, dear friends, our dog Woody, or the band (“Dive Bar Diva”) while we practice in the garage.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I tend to take on big challenges with almost blind optimism, including applying for law school on a “whim.” But the latter became one of my biggest struggles because it was so far outside my comfort zone, and nothing about it came easy. When I almost failed out my first year due to relationship drama, I managed to regroup, accept help and gather internal resources to keep going. But the entire graduate school experience–including the cognitive dissonance of law and social work–was a monumental growth experience, and I love having the unique perspective of both degrees. Another big challenge has been digesting the trauma I saw and heard about every day as a child welfare attorney, especially after I had children of my own, but I developed outlets along the way, including singing, writing and lots of humor.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I may be the only child welfare consultant in Colorado who is a former county attorney and focuses on training and consultation to support others in doing the same work. I love helping attorneys, caseworkers and others in the child welfare system achieve success, especially when it lessens their stress and betters the lives of children and families. Years of navigating the difficult and emotional dynamics of child welfare cases helps with mediating family law cases, and if I have a chance to advocate in the public policy arena, you might see me butting in on stakeholder meetings or legislative hearings. I also really enjoy teaching social work students about public policy, promoting positive change, and communicating effectively with lawyers.

Regarding my writing, I try to weave my experience around barriers facing children and families into interesting storylines and themes, such as the evolution of choice for women, with a little humor thrown in when possible. And I still can be found around town occasionally, singing an “angry chick song” or two and dancing with people in the crowd.

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
Choosing one factor is difficult because Denver has so many great qualities. Overall, I appreciate the openness of the culture, as well as the surrounding beauty and growing diversity, and most of the people I love are here. At the same time, I regret the wear and tear caused by the increasing population (knowing I came here in 1995 and am part of the problem), and I am frustrated by the insufficient services and supports for the unhoused in our city, even though the issue is so difficult and available resources are shrinking.

Contact Info:

• Website: thomersonconsulting.com and juliemannina.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliemanninaauthor/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julie.mannina
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-thomerson-b38161251

Image Credits
Susan English Photography