Julie Grimes Waldorf

As the University of Mississippi’s first female Newman Scholar, Julie Grimes Waldorf graduated in 1992 with a bachelor's degree in philosophy and French.  Waldorf was a Taylor Medalist and was inducted into the Ole Miss Student Hall of Fame.  She was also selected by Glamour magazine as one of the nation’s the Top Ten College Women for her work in international affairs and race relations.  She then attended Harvard Law School, where she was Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Harvard International Law Journal.

After graduating from Harvard in 1995, she clerked for Judge Barksdale on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which hears federal cases from Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi.  Waldorf then practiced corporate law for three years at a major international law firm, Pillsbury Winthrop, in New York City.  She worked primarily on international and domestic transactions in the areas of securities, finance, and mergers and acquisitions.

Waldorf then founded and served as chief executive officer of TravelCharts, a travel media company.  Her passion for travel as a means of education stems from her studies in France and Spain and extensive travels in Europe, Asia, North and South America, and Africa.   Pursuing her other passions—public service and international relations—she previously worked for the U.S. Trade Representative in the Office of Europe and the Mediterranean, USAID in the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, and the NATO Information Office.  Waldorf was a 1990 Truman Scholar based on her work in public service.  She was also a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a founding member of Network 20/20, both of which promote understanding of foreign policy issues.

Starting in 2002, Waldorf was General Counsel of The Vitamin Shoppe, an international retailer of nutritional supplements with over 300 stores nationwide, which was purchased by Bear Stearns for over $300 million.  Most recently, Waldorf served as Corporate Counsel of Ford Models, the top international model management company which was founded in 1946 by Eileen Ford and conducts the Supermodel of the World competition.

Julie resides in New York City with her husband Michael Waldorf and their two sons born in 2005 and 2007.  Her other interests include traveling, the arts, activities with her children and studying foreign languages and cultures.