Always on Board(s)
Julia Parton thrives on community service.
Julia Parton has a passion for supporting the South Bay, serving on nine boards of directors and just took on her second stint as president of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Rotary Club, an organization she joined 27 years ago. Photo by Micheal Neveux
Julia Parton loves interacting with people and supporting the South Bay community. She’s so enthusiastic that her employer, Malaga Bank, created a position capitalizing on her passion. As first vice president of business development, Parton brings in new business and heads community engagement.
“It’s the best position for me because I get to work with community organizations and make a difference,” she says. “Malaga Bank has always supported local organizations and partners even before, and that’s increased since I’ve been here.” Parton estimates the bank supports more than 80 organizations, whether through volunteer time or event sponsorships.
“I love seeing results,” she says. “So even if it’s a little difference for an organization or the community, it gives me great satisfaction.”
Parton’s community involvement reaches beyond her professional role. She sits on nine boards of directors and just took on her second stint as president of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Rotary Club, an organization she joined 27 years ago.
“My dad was a Rotarian, and when he retired, I was invited to join,” she says. “As a second-generation Rotarian, I got involved right away. I’ve held almost every position on the board. If there’s a way I think I can make a difference within the organization, I’m going to go for it. I’m going to step up, get things organized, set some goals and see if I can achieve them.”
Parton credits both her parents for her helping spirit. In addition to his role as a Rotarian, her father was the kind of person who’d run to help a neighbor who was having a plumbing problem. Her mother was involved with the PTA and welcomed new neighbors with meals and offers to help them unpack.
Parton internalized the message her parents conveyed through their actions. “You just help; that’s what you do,” she says.
Parton also serves on the board of the Torrance Police Foundation, which raises funds for equipment and other means of supporting the police. A member of the Toberman Neighborhood Center board, Parton supports the nonprofit’s mission of helping those in need with education, wellness and social support. (The organization was founded by former Los Angeles Mayor James Toberman in 1864.)
For more than 15 years, she has served as a member and past chair of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Chamber of Commerce and was honored as the Chamber’s 2023 Citizen of the Year for “exemplifying community achievement, engagement and philanthropic service.”
“It’s a great feeling to volunteer. I’ve had so many mentors and made some great friends that I wouldn’t have met otherwise,” Parton says.
Her latest endeavor involves launching a Lomita Sheriff Station Foundation to support the deputies who serve Lomita as well as Palos Verdes Peninsula, Rancho Palos Verdes and Rolling Hills Estates.
“A few years ago, our Palos Verdes Rotary upgraded the station’s kitchen. It was so outdated—there weren’t even shelves in the refrigerators,” she says. “These are our first responders, and they deserve better. There’s a list of things they could use, so we’re creating this new foundation, which we hope will be up and running by the end of the year.”
One might assume Parton feels she’s doing her share of her community involvement. Yet she still pushes herself. “Sometimes I don’t think I do enough. I’m always asking myself, ‘Am I doing enough for these organizations? Am I making enough of an impact?’”
