Brookside resident Julie Stromberg currently serves on the Los Angeles Central Area Planning Commission. (photo courtesy of Julie Stromberg)

Brookside resident Julie Stromberg has been a driving force behind improvements in her neighborhood for nearly two decades.

An education attorney by profession, she served on the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council’s board from 2014 to October 2023, when she was appointed to the Los Angeles Central Area Planning Commission, currently serving a two-year term. Born in Montreal, she moved to California with her family as a child and attended high school in Orange County. Stromberg graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, and received a juris doctorate from Loyola Law School.

It was during her time in law school that Stromberg’s passion for the community flourished. She lived in Sycamore Square and fell in love with the architecture. Stromberg and her husband, Winston, later moved to Windsor Village before settling in Brookside, south of Wilshire Boulevard and east of Highland Avenue. The community is rich in architectural history and is a great place to live and raise a family, she said.

“I love the sense of community. We live in this giant city with millions of people, but in our little pocket of Los Angeles, it’s a little oasis,” Stromberg added. “We feel like we’re in a small town and you get to know people. You really have that sense of community.”

Stromberg’s community involvement burgeoned in 2012 when she became involved with an effort to renovate Harold Henry Park. Two years later she was elected to the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council and served as chair of the Land Use, Transportation, Sustainability and Neighborhood Purpose Grants committees.

Through the Disability Rights Law Center, Stromberg has advocated for people with disabilities and children with special needs. She is also a current member and former board member of the Ebell of Los Angeles, and a current board member of the Los Angeles City College Foundation.

Stromberg cited important accomplishments such as collaborating with the city to get a crosswalk installed on Highland Avenue at Eighth Street, an area she said was dangerous for pedestrians. She also started a water-wise garden tour and sustainability fair. Improving the natural environment has always been her passion, she said, along with giving people a voice and an outlet to get involved.

“It’s about really uniting the community and giving the community somewhere where they can have a voice and feel like they matter and have a sense of belonging,” Stromberg said. “I encourage everyone to get involved with their communities. It’s really fulfilling, and they can really make a difference.”