Julia Winer
Chief of Staff
Julia Winer returned to CREC in 2026 to serve as Chief of Staff to Executive Director Desi Nesmith and CREC’s Executive Leadership Team. In this role, she drives organizational priorities, strengthens cross-functional alignment, and ensures the effective execution of CREC’s strategic initiatives.
During her previous decade-long tenure at CREC, Julia held several key leadership roles, including Director of Public Policy and Strategic Planning, Assistant Director of Communications, and Chief of Staff under former Executive Director Bruce Douglas. She advanced legislative agendas, managed high-impact projects, oversaw strategic planning, and implemented key operational processes and efficiencies across all parts of the organization.
Her broader leadership experience includes serving as Chief Financial & Operations Officer at Watkinson School, an independent day school known for its progressive educational approach. There, she oversaw financial operations, human resources, facilities, food service, technology, and ancillary services. Julia also served in executive roles within mission-driven healthcare startups, including VP of Operations and Chief of Staff at MD Ally, and Chief Corporate Officer at Silver Fern Healthcare.
Julia’s dedication to education is rooted in her early career as a special education teacher and education consultant. She has also served as an adjunct professor at the University of Connecticut’s School of Business, teaching business communications and statistics to MBA students. Julia holds a Master of Science in Education from Oxford University and an MBA from the University of Connecticut.
Phone: 860-509-3635 E-mail: jwiner@crec.org
