Past Speakers

Julie joined Northern Illinois Food Bank in 2009 and served as the organization’s philanthropy team lead since 2010 before her appointment to president and CEO in 2014. Julie has more than 20 years of experience in managing fundraising, operations, and marketing at a variety of not-for-profit organizations. Prior to joining the Food Bank, Julie served as director of major gifts at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, where she successfully established a new major gifts program and helped secure more than $112M to expand Orchestra Hall and construct Symphony Center. She also held positions at The Children’s Memorial Foundation (now Lurie’s Children’s Medical Center) and the Chicago Zoological Society/Brookfield Zoo. Currently, Julie serves as Chair for Feeding Illinois, the state food bank association, and is a member of the Governor’s Commission to End Hunger in Illinois. Julie has a degree in music and business from Northern Illinois University. She and her husband Ed live in Winfield with their four children.