A fifth generation Oklahoman, Julia is the daughter of an Air Force veteran and a minister. Julia learned the value of giving back to her community from an early age and works to lift up others in her everyday life.

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Julia is an experienced community leader. For the 20 years before she was elected, Julia worked to build up Oklahoma’s creative potential as the director of two different statewide nonprofit arts organizations. She most recently served as the Executive Director of Oklahomans for the Arts, which works to improve the economy, education and communities through the arts. Previously, she led the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition, working with thousands of artists across the state to develop strong small businesses and connect with audiences.

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She graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a Masters in Art History and earned an undergraduate degree from Macalester College in Communications. She received further training through the Stanford Graduate School Business Center for Social Innovation.