Member Spotlight - August 2015 

MEET PRSA AUSTIN CHAPTER MEMBER: Julie Weaver

What do you currently do for a living? Communications Director for the Downtown Austin Alliance, a partnership of downtown property owners, individuals, and businesses devoted to preserving and enhancing the value and vitality of downtown Austin.

What did you want to be growing up? When I was about six, my uncle took me on my first airplane ride and I was determined from that moment to be a pilot. The thought of being able to get in a plane and go anywhere I wanted was so enticing to me. As I got older, I realized I like to talk way too much to have a job that would require me to be that quiet.

What motivated you to pursue a career in the communications industry? It took me awhile to figure out what I wanted to do, what I really “wanted to be when I grow up”. I had many different interests and the thought of picking one thing to focus on always felt limiting. What led me to communications is the ability to be in the know about many different things. My grandmother called me a nosey child, I now know I was just preparing for my career. My job and the topics I work on are diverse and change almost daily. I love that I get to continually learn about a variety of subjects from transportation, to urban design, to economic development. The work I do never gets stagnate. 

Where are you from? Where have you lived? I grew up in Rochester, Minnesota, but after high school lived in Missoula, Montana for 13 years before making the move to Austin in 2011.

What college(s) did you attend? I attended Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota for a year and a half, and then transferred to the University of Montana where I earned my Bachelors Degree in Business Administration: Marketing and Management.

What was your first job in PR/communications? I spent seven years as the Assistant Director of the Missoula Downtown Association where I led all marketing and communications efforts for the organization as well as event planning and other projects. I have a passion for cities and downtowns, and love to tell the stories that come from them. This job is a perfect fit for me.

What is your best piece of advice to your fellow PR practitioners? Have a willingness to learn and an ability to listen.

What is the best part about your job? I love that the work I do makes a difference in the city I live in. I also get to work with an incredibly talented group of people that I constantly learn from.

iPhone or Android? iPhone, definitely iPhone.

What do you do in your free time? What are your hobbies/interests outside of work? My free time is spent outside, primarily at Lake Travis. I love to wakesurf and wakeboard, there is no better way to beat the summer heat!