Honoring Advocacy: Dr. James T. Webb Friend of the Gifted Award

We are also honored to present the Dr. James T. Webb Friend of the Gifted Award to Julie Gunnigle for her outstanding advocacy and commitment to gifted education in Arizona.

Julie, a Phoenix native and daughter of a public school teacher, was educated in the gifted programs in the Paradise Valley School District. She credits her PV teachers for her love of learning, history, and chemistry. Julie holds a B.S. in Chemistry from Northern Arizona University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Notre Dame Law School.

Her nearly two-decade career as a lawyer has focused on standing up for individuals, from prosecuting politicians for misusing public funds to fighting unethical landlord practices. In 2018, she was sworn into the United States Supreme Court Bar in a ceremony sponsored by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Julie joined AAGT as a parent of three gifted children—one of whom started community college at age ten. She attributes AAGT’s Parent Institute with helping her find a supportive community of like-minded parents navigating the education system.

Since 2015, she has been a key player in AAGT’s advocacy efforts, contributing to the multi-year push to secure funding for gifted education in Arizona—the first funding of its kind since the Great Recession. Julie served as AAGT President from 2019-2020 and remains a passionate advocate for fully funded public schools and better maternity care policies in Arizona.

Congratulations to Julie Gunnigle, a true champion for gifted students and their families!