Hello and a HUGE thank you for visiting this site!

For my first “Birch Blog” posting I want to take the time to tell you a little bit about myself and why I’ve decided to take on this new adventure…
I’m Julie Park a super proud mama of four, one girl and three boys! We just welcomed our youngest, Lincoln, to the world in January!

Over ten years ago I graduated from George Mason with a degree in Tourism and Events Management. My parents thought that I was crazy for changing my major from Special Education to Event Management but I knew that this was my calling. Six short months later I landed a dream internship at the Vice President’s Residence (VPR)… and I’m not talking VP of the University people! I was working and planning official and private events for the Vice President of the United States of America! Needless to say, my parents were convinced that perhaps I could make something of my degree!

I continued on at the VPR for three more years taking on the duties as Volunteer Coordinator, for special events, and I managed the logistics for the Annual Holiday Parties. The women that I worked with at the residence, Liz Denny and Heather Mascolo, were true examples of professional women who loved all of the small details that go into making each and every event special and unique. Their hard work and dedication to the craft taught me more than I could EVER learn at school and they fostered in me the desire to make this a career. Without their mentorship right at the start I don’t think that I would be where I am today.

My next job was with the Republican National Committee where I went from planning smaller and more intimate gatherings to planning large-scale meetings and conventions. I even had the pleasure to assist in planning portions of the 2008 National Convention.

After 2008 I decided that I wanted to get into government planning and took a job at the Pentagon. I started working for Ash Carter when he was Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics and as he moved up positions, within the Department, I had the pleasure to move up offices with him. I have had an amazing seven, plus, years traveling and supporting events all over the world. My government career culminated as the Director of Protocol for the Secretary of Defense where I planned and executed over one hundred events annually for the Secretary and his counterparts around the world.

After eight years of government planning I’ve decided to take on my next big adventure as the owner of Birch Event & Design.

I’m looking forward to working with our clients to plan and execute all aspects of their special events, whether it be a large-scale corporate meeting, investor dinner, international partnership meeting, or wedding — We can do it all! Between our attention to detail, design sense, and my background as a leading protocol expert and event planner for the United States Government we are uniquely qualified to handle any situation!