Julie Ferris-Tillman has more than 20 years of experience in professional communication and marketing spanning integrated campaigns, public relations strategies, marketing and lead gen and new business development. As a vice president and practice lead at Interdependence, Julie is driving agency teams to deliver great results across multiple categories, including tech, government and financial services. A Jill of all trades, there are a few Julie’s mastered. She’s been a life-long public speaker, from her days in national forensics competitions to her role as on-air broadcast talent and live host to her stage time in improv comedy and sketch performances. She parlays that talent into her client programs as well, building great interviews, video content and roundtable and panel discussions for subject matter experts.
Her public relations experience spans consumer and business-to-business work and she’s helped clients like Can-Am, Evinrude, InSinkErator, Generac, Enchanted Rock, Panduit, Whirlpool, LiuGong North America, Church Mutual, Corteva Agriscience, Kent Nutrition Group, ArcBest, Jasper, Pryon, Kunes Automotive, USDA check-off campaigns like The Paper and Packaging Board and The Popcorn Board and other government entities from the City of Milwaukee to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. She’s earned placements for clients with outlets such as Real Simple, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The New York Times, TechCrunch, USA Today, GeekWire, CNBC, Fox Business and more. She earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a bachelor’s degree in speech communication from Eastern Illinois University where she also earned a master’s in rhetoric. Her doctorate in journalism and mass communication is from the University of Iowa and she is happy to talk Hawkeyes with anyone who will listen.
You’ll find Julie crafting strategies and building teams. When she’s not earning impressions, managing a trade show or shepherding talent to a morning show appearance, she’s likely advocating for rescue dogs (her two rescue pit bull-type dogs, Ollie and Athena, would like you to follow their hashtag, #tailsofollieandathena). You can also find her cycling, writing or performing on stage somewhere. She teaches adjunct at Marquette University and makes her home in Milwaukee, WI with her husband and the dogs.
