In April, Nashville’s Peabody College at Vanderbilt University will be abuzz with a sense of anticipation. The crowd filling The Wyatt Center will represent a unique group of individuals—longtime philanthropists, spirited college students, professionals in social enterprise, and, of course, the family, friends, and colleagues who will come to celebrate. All eyes will be on the guest of honor: Ms. Julie Gehrki, a former recipient of the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award and the soon-to-be recipient of the 2025 Sullivan Luminary Award. In a twist of continuity, she stands as a testament to a life of service that began quietly at Rhodes College in Memphis and has culminated in her current role as President of the Walmart Foundation and Senior Vice President of Philanthropy at Walmart.

At first glance, it’s tempting to simplify this story: small-town Arkadelphia resident goes to a renowned liberal arts college, demonstrates a passion for community service, and then ascends to a transformative leadership position in corporate philanthropy. However, as with all good stories, the truth is far better than any outline. The narrative of Julie’s life is one of serendipitous connections, nurtured by mentors who recognized her innate desire to serve. It’s also a story of the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation itself, which has, for almost a century, been quietly encouraging countless individuals to fully represent the ideals of service, integrity, and mutual responsibility.

With the Luminary Award, the Sullivan Foundation has expanded its tradition of recognizing individuals who light the paths for others. This new award pays homage to those who have built upon the foundation of their earlier Sullivan experience—carrying the legacy of serving others into a broader, perhaps even global arena. In selecting Julie, the Foundation underscores how service can evolve, from distributing meals in a Memphis soup kitchen to building sustainable solutions through the world’s largest retailer. And so, the stage is set for a celebration—not only of a person, but of the enduring belief that even the most imposing challenges can yield to committed hearts.

Rooted in Small-Town Values

Julie Gehrki hails from Arkadelphia, Arkansas, a community that played a foundational role in shaping her commitment to service. Reflecting on her upbringing, Gehrki noted, “The concept of ‘service to others’ has always been in my family’s DNA.” Her parents, both alumni of Rhodes College, exemplified this ethos in their professional lives: her father, a dedicated physician, prioritized patient care, while her mother transitioned from academia to establish a yarn shop aimed at fostering community connections.

Her family’s focus on community engagement may have also guided Gehrki toward Rhodes College in Memphis, where she immersed herself in various service initiatives. Active in the Laurence F. Kinney community service program, she contributed to after-school programs in North Memphis, interned with the Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association (MIFA), and participated in the student-run soup kitchen. These experiences deepened her understanding of community issues and reinforced her dedication to service.

Julie’s commitment and impactful involvement led to her receiving the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award upon graduation, an honor bestowed annually to two graduating seniors who selflessly served others and the college.

The values cultivated during her formative years in Arkadelphia, combined with her active engagement at Rhodes College, laid a strong foundation for her future endeavors in philanthropy and community development.

Embracing Service at Rhodes College

When Julie arrived on campus at Rhodes College, she found herself steeped in a community that championed service as integral to intellectual growth. In an environment where volunteerism was woven into the curriculum, Julie got involved in projects that ranged from coordinating efforts in the Kinney Program (the college’s hub for community service) to working with local churches near the Hurt Village housing project in downtown Memphis. Long before the widespread popularity of “service-learning,” Rhodes was already utilizing Memphis’s urban environment as a living classroom, and Julie was a natural.

Academically, she majored in religious studies. “I loved studying theology,” she said, “but I also loved seeing how these ethical considerations played out in real life.” That distinction would prove pivotal: Julie’s inquisitiveness wasn’t limited to abstract theories. She wanted to see how spiritual values and community ethics manifested in day-to-day realities. As a service-learning fellow for a history professor teaching the history of philanthropy, she grasped the depth and variety of voluntary action in shaping social change. It was an education, consisting of both a conceptual and hands-on approach.

In her senior year, Julie received the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award. At Rhodes and recalls feeling both honored and slightly perplexed. “I definitely didn’t know the selection process. I just knew I was grateful and more than a little surprised,” she explained. However, to the selection committee—and to those who watched Julie devote hours to after-school programs or soup kitchens—her receipt of the award was most-likely not surprising.

Venturing Beyond the Classroom

After Rhodes, Julie found herself at a crossroads. Despite her affinity for religious studies, she sensed that her calling lay elsewhere. She briefly considered theology school before concluding that ordination did not align with her long-term aspirations. Instead, she discovered a fellowship at Indiana University’s Center on Philanthropy, a program anchored by the philosophies of Jane Addams and Andrew Carnegie—two famous figures in social reform and philanthropic thought.

“It was a ten-month deep dive,” Julie recalled, “into the many facets of voluntary action for the public good.” During this fellowship, she worked in a homeless day center, assisting with strategic planning and board development. She also took part in seminars that wove ancient Greek philosophical texts with modern philanthropic case studies. In so doing, she broadened her understanding of service from simple acts of kindness to the structural underpinnings of nonprofits, foundation governance, and civic responsibility.

Buoyed by this experience, she moved to Washington, D.C. There, she spent her early 20s navigating a series of roles in the nonprofit realm, including a commission focused on anti-racism within the Methodist church. If Arkansas and Rhodes had planted the seeds of her volunteer spirit, D.C. cultivated her ability to blend practical skill with moral conviction.

Julie returned to Arkansas, enrolling in the second class ever offered at the Clinton School of Public Service in Little Rock. There, under the guidance of a brand-new institution—one still figuring out its own curriculum—she found the perfect training ground for hands-on public service. She performed program evaluation fieldwork in East Africa for Heifer International, and even turned her attention to local revitalization projects in Forrest City. It was a series of learning experiences that, in her words, taught her “how to shape the experiences I needed and own the outcome.”

A Surprising Turn Toward Corporate Philanthropy

The Clinton School, still in its infancy, prided itself on graduating students who could push boundaries. By the time she was wrapping up her studies, Julie was one of those people—a well-rounded problem-solver, driven by a desire for social good but not yet entirely sure of her next step. During a conversation about prospective job leads, the dean suggested he send her résumé to Walmart. Julie was initially unconvinced. “No, thank you,” she replied, certain that corporate philanthropy was not her calling. Fortunately, the dean persisted.

Shortly after, she was invited for an interview at Walmart’s corporate headquarters in Bentonville. “I thought of it as an interview practice run,” she said with a laugh, “plus a chance to visit my brother.” The casual plan quickly morphed into a four-hour lunch with Walmart’s new foundation president, who had recently arrived to rethink the company’s philanthropic strategy.

“She was remarkably candid about wanting fresh perspectives,” Julie recalled, “and about her vision for a corporate foundation that wasn’t just a sideline operation but really integrated into Walmart’s larger business ethos.” Impressed by the sincerity of the mission—and by the size of the potential impact—Julie joined what would become a long-term professional home. What began as a short-term experiment evolved into a 17-year (and counting) tenure.

Creating Shared Value at Walmart.org

Today, as President of the Walmart Foundation and Senior Vice President of Philanthropy, Julie oversees one of the largest corporate philanthropic efforts in the world. Walmart.org, which represents the collective philanthropic programs of Walmart and the Walmart Foundation, and spans everything from alleviating food insecurity to advancing workforce development and environmental sustainability. In Fiscal Year 2024 alone, Walmart and its foundation gave more than $1.7 billion in grants, product donations, and community investments worldwide. When you consider that Walmart’s reach extends to well over 10,000 communities across 19 countries, it becomes clear that the scope of its philanthropy is far from symbolic.

Walmart and the philanthropic team emphasize a four-pillar approach: economic opportunity, sustainability, community, and ethics. Under economic opportunity, for instance, Walmart invests heavily in frontline workforce training, forging educational pathways that empower store associates to transcend entry-level positions. In parallel, the philanthropy supports the larger workforce system moving to a skill-based system that supports broader economic mobility for all. “Philanthropy can seed innovation,” Julie explained, “but you also need the machinery of a global business to bring solutions to scale.”

Much of the work requires bridging business imperatives with social aims. For a company like Walmart, solving for sustainability is not about marginal good deeds, but rather ensuring that, decades from now, it can still deliver high-quality goods without depleting the planet’s resources. Hence the emphasis on sustainable sourcing, regenerative agriculture, fair labor practices, and transparency in supply chains. “We’re part of these massive, interconnected systems,” Julie explained. “If we can improve supply chain practices, the ripple effect is enormous.”

The Art of Systemic Change

In many ways, Julie’s background—steeped in liberal arts inquiry, fellowship experiences, and service immersion—uniquely suits her for the complexity of her current role. She speaks often about “systems thinking,” the idea that philanthropic, corporate, and governmental actions must align. Consider Walmart’s emphasis on economic mobility for frontline workers. While wages and benefits are a crucial part of the conversation, equally important are intangible factors like skill validation, mentorship opportunities, and credential portability. Thus, Walmart invests in creating training in-house, while its philanthropy invests in creating frameworks so that these credentials are recognized by future employers.

Philanthropy steps in where immediate business incentives might not exist. The Walmart Foundation funds research into workforce best practices, fosters sector-wide coalitions for upskilling initiatives, and invests in nonprofits devoted to bridging skill gaps. Meanwhile, the business side of Walmart can open policy doors with local and federal stakeholders, encouraging them to consider workforce legislation that acknowledges alternative credentials rather than relying solely on traditional college degrees. “You need both the philanthropic capital to nurture early-stage ideas and the business commitment to embed them in day-to-day operations,” Julie noted.

This approach resonates deeply with the spirit of the Sullivan Foundation, which for close to 100 years has recognized the good that arises when private citizens invest in their communities. The difference is scale. Where a non-profit might assist thousands of individuals in reskilling programs, Walmart has the capacity to amplify that number perhaps by millions, when an initiative proves successful.

Lessons from the Clinton School and Beyond

Many who hear Julie’s story focus on her decision to join Walmart, but she is quick to highlight the influences that guided her there. She speaks fondly of the Clinton School, with its emphasis on experiential projects that often left more questions than answers. According to her, this was precisely the point: “Sometimes you have to build the plane while flying it. That experience taught me how to create clarity out of ambiguity—something that happens often in corporate philanthropy.”

She also acknowledges the mentor figures who shaped her thinking, including the college president-turned-foundation-president who recognized her potential. “She encouraged me to lean into that blend of academic rigor and real-world application,” Julie said, referring to her earliest days at the Walmart Foundation.

Over the years, Julie has been guided by three different direct supervisors—all of whom, interestingly, were women. “To be honest, Walmart has a diverse leadership culture,” she emphasized. “I’ve had men and women mentors across the board. But working under strong female executives was invaluable. It showed me that the intersection of empathy, strategic thinking, and business acumen is a powerful leadership formula.”

The Sullivan Legacy Lives On

Now, Julie has been chosen to receive the Sullivan Luminary Award. This relatively new honor recognizes those whose lives have become beacons of service, illuminating broader circles of society. For some, the original Sullivan Award they received at graduation was a gentle nudge—a sign that others saw a spirit of giving within them, even before they fully recognized it in themselves. The Luminary Award is both a continuation of that recognition and an affirmation that service can be expansive, eventually touching countless lives.

As Julie explained, she felt honored and also a bit astonished when she originally received the Sullivan Award at her graduation from Rhodes. “It’s not something I sought out,” she said. “If anything, it reminds me that when I received the Sullivan Award at Rhodes, I felt a responsibility to continue the kind of service that I had been recognized for. The Luminary Award reinforces that commitment on an even larger stage.”

The upcoming ceremony, to be held on April 11, 2025, at The Wyatt Center, will align with the Foundation’s traditional gatherings with dinner, dialogue, and storytelling. However, it also signals a forward-leaning direction: a testament to how the 21st century demands innovation, partnerships, and a willingness to tackle global challenges. By honoring Julie, the Sullivan Foundation underscores that philanthropic leadership is not confined to a single space such as government, nonprofits, or community groups. Instead, it can reside within corporations that see themselves as catalysts for equity and environmental stewardship.

References

Clinton School of Public Service. (2023). Clinton School of Public Service Overview. Retrieved from https://clintonschool.uasys.edu/

Rhodes College. (2023). People and planet: A life of service and sustainability. Retrieved from https://news.rhodes.edu/magazine/winter-2023/people-and-planet

Rhodes College. (2023). Rhodes alumna Julie Gehrki ’02 named president of Walmart Foundation. Retrieved from https://news.rhodes.edu/stories/rhodes-alumna-julie-gehrki-02-named-president-walmart-foundation

Sullivan Foundation. (2025). Sullivan Luminary Award Announcement. Retrieved from https://sullivanfdn.org/

Walmart Inc. (2024). Corporate philanthropy and sustainability report. Retrieved from https://corporate.walmart.com/

Walmart.org. (2024). Walmart Foundation’s impact. Retrieved from https://www.walmart.org/

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