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2023 CWW Lunch November 2: Networking as a Professional Woman
Speaker: Julie Wilkinson, Business Development Director, City of Morris
Topic: Networking as a Professional Woman
- Networking as a professional woman- our challenges and unique strengths
- Strengthening your existing network through authentic relationships
- Social media and its place in networking
- Building your team of professional champions
About Julie Wilkinson:
Julie Wilkinson became the first Business Development Director for the City of Morris in January of 2022. In this role, Wilkinson strives to foster and sustain a favorable environment for businesses of all sizes, focusing on recruitment, retention, community engagement, and partnerships. With an emphasis on Downtown Morris and its commercial corridors, she serves a liaison for the retail community, overseeing more than 55 annual events and festivals in the city while facilitating reinvestment of the Hotel/Motel tax fund to support tourism and quality of life initiatives.
Prior to joining Morris Mayor Chris Brown’s leadership team, Wilkinson served as Vice President of Investor Relations for the Will County Center for Economic Development where she worked with the Board of Directors to grow the organization’s capacity, leading to new jobs and additional investment in the region. Throughout her career in the nonprofit sector, Wilkinson facilitated more than $30 million in contributed revenue to launch critical social service programs, fund lifesaving hospital equipment, establish scholarships, renovate academic buildings, and attract business investment. She is a former adjunct faculty member at Joliet Junior College in the Fine Arts Department.
Highly involved in civic leadership, Wilkinson is a Board member for the Grundy County Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Heritage Corridor Convention & Visitors Bureau. She is a three-term Board Chair for Grundy-Three Rivers Habitat for Humanity and cofounder of 100 Women Who Care of Grundy County- a giving circle raising more than $10,000 annually for charities. In 2023, she was appointed by Joliet Junior College President Dr. Clyne Namuo to serve on the Grundy County Expansion Committee.
Wilkinson earned a bachelor’s degree in communications and Spanish from Illinois College, where she was honored as Young Alumna of the Year in 2020. She holds a Master of Arts in Speech Communication from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy® designation from the American College of Financial Services.
A native of Arenzville in West Central Illinois, Wilkinson moved to Morris in 2009 with her husband Phil. They are proud to raise their two children in the community.
Special opportunity during this luncheon!: A door prize will be up for grabs! All current members will receive a ticket to enter, but for every non-member you bring with, you get an extra ticket. AND if they become a member at the luncheon, they get a ticket entry, and you get a 3rd entry!
Date and Time
Thursday Nov 2, 2023
11:45 AM - 1:00 PM CDT
Fees/Admission
$25.00 per person
Cancellation notice applies to all reservations no later than 48 hours in advance
*If you need a vegetarian meal please indicate in the comment section.
Contact Information
Jen Howard
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