Julie A. Burkhart is the Founder and President of the Wellspring Health Access Health Care Services, Inc. Ms. Burkhart is also the Founder of Trust Women and was at the helm as its CEO for twelve years. She built Trust Women from her kitchen table into a $5M organization. She established two abortion clinics from the ground up, as well as overseeing the acquisition of a third reproductive health care clinic.
Ms. Burkhart worked side-by-side with Dr. George Tiller for seven years. She first began working with him as the Chair of the Wichita Choice Alliance. It was there that she led the community response against the anti-choice organizations that were attempting to “finish the job” and shut down Women’s Health Care Services, Dr. Tiller’s clinic, during the 2001 Summer of Mercy Renewal. Ms. Burkhart was the spokesperson for his clinic between 2002 and 2006.
In 2002, Dr. Tiller created ProKanDo, establishing what would become the largest political action committee in Kansas. Ms. Burkhart built and for seven years directed the organization, which engaged in legislative and political work on behalf of physicians and women’s rights constituents. Ms. Burkhart now continues Dr. Tiller’s vision for reproductive justice through the Wellspring Health Access.
Before working for Dr. Tiller, Ms. Burkhart was at ground zero during the infamous Summer of Mercy in 1991. She worked at the Wichita Women’s Center, which was heavily targeted by Operation Rescue, the Lambs of Christ and other anti-choice extremists. Driven by political justice, she went on to manage a number of political campaigns in Washington State as well as work for the Washington State Democratic Party and the Washington Senate Democratic Campaign Committee.
Ms. Burkhart holds a bachelor’s degree from Seattle Pacific University and a master’s degree from Wichita State University, both in political science with an emphasis on African studies.
Ms. Burkhart is a frequent speaker and commentator on reproductive justice issues and has appeared on the Rachel Maddow Show, MSNBC Live, the Alan Colmes Radio Show, Democracy Now, The Young Turks, NPR and various local news and radio programs. She also has had opinion pieces appear in a variety of newspapers such as the San Francisco Chronicle, the Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, CNN and the Kansas City Star. She has been quoted and interviewed by national press including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Guardian, MORE Magazine, Mother Jones, ThinkProgress, Rolling Stone, the Los Angeles Times, the Huffington Post, Pacific Standard Magazine, PBS NewsHour and international media such as Annabelle in Switzerland and ARD in Germany. She has been interviewed in extensive pieces by MSNBC and for various documentaries.
