Julie Cleaver Malzoni is from Brazil, and has been an IPS member since 2002. She was introduced to the wonderful world of palms by her late father-in-law Roberto Malzoni, an enthusiastic planter of Corypha umbraculifera. She holds degrees in Business Administration, including an MBA. A few years ago, she decided to branch her knowledge into botany, and obtained a Foundation degree in Arboriculture. Julie currently works as a freelance translator (Portuguese/English). Her hobbies are gardening, traveling and reading. In later 2012, she participated in the Vietnam Palm Tour following the IPS Thailand Biennial, which was a great opportunity to meet international IPS members. Since then, she has attended Biennials in Miami and Singapore.

Julie keeps contact with other Brazilian palm lovers via the Facebook page “Rede Brasileira de Palmeiras”, and hopes that as a member of the IPS board she can help increase awareness in Brazil of the society’s work on the study of palms.