A North Carolina native, Julie has been a resident of the High Country for the past 17 years. She holds a M.A. in Gerontology and a B.S. in Sociology, with minors in business and French, from Appalachian State University. Julie has worked for the High Country Council of Governments, an organization serving local governments in a seven-county region, for the past nine years.

She loves the mountains and enjoys trail running, rock climbing, traveling, and spending time with her family, friends, and two cats.