This month, we're delighted to shine the spotlight on Julia Durgee (MO#501) in the Beet, and on Friday at SEAT as we celebrate creativity, meaningful work, and mutual flourishing in Women's History Month.

Julia is an accomplished impressionist painter, winning "Best in Show" at the 2024 Stockage Villagers' Outdoor Art Show, and an incessant volunteer.  She guided Union College & Schenectady's SEAT Center students in the creation of an indoor mural and volunteered her artistic talents to "live-scribe" the Schenectady County Food Council's Food & Poverty Speak-Out last May.  Julia was also recently featured in the Schenectady Gazette & WTEN for her "Galapalooza" challenge: attend one Capital Region gala a month in 2024.

Julia is a Niskayuna resident and Sr. Manager, Omnichannel Marketing & Insights at Beech-Nut baby food in Amsterdam, N.Y. She has an B.S. in apparel design from Cornell University and an M.B.A. from the University of Notre Dame. She went to Shaker High School ‘98 and lived in NYC, Florida, Maine, and finally returned home to Albany, NY in 2020.

1.What do you like about being part of the co-op community? 

I love the vibrant community gatherings and communications. I think the new "electric beet" logo is pure brilliance.  

2.What will having a downtown grocery mean to you?

I currently subscribe to Misfits Market, a home delivery service of actual "food waste" - oddly shaped vegetables that would never have made it to grocery stores. The service doesn't include everything, so I would love to shop for needed items in a convenient downtown setting. Also, I would love to look at new/cool food items, due to my baby food marketing day job. AND I am always on the lookout for ways to shop for food where I can reduce plastic packaging waste.  (Looking at you, tooth floss.)

3. What do you love about Schenectady?

Schenectady has history & mystery. 
It has a building that houses 20,000 art prints, a museum with priceless science artifacts, a gym (Hardwired Fitness) that kicks my butt every morning, an art store (Mohawk Valley Art Shoppe) with artists who draw together every Friday night, a gallery (Bear and Bird Boutique), a world-class rose garden, touring Broadway, politicians you can talk to, and more.