Julia Cochran, our HR Generalist, brings 35+ years experience in management and employee relations. After obtaining a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management from Iowa State University, Julia managed restaurants and hotels, then switched to property management for a better balance between work and life and enjoyed community management, regional management and consulting for 21 years. She then opted to guide the next generation for the next few years, staying home with her twins, now 17. Wanting to return to the work force, Julia held several temporary assignments – managing an apartment complex, working for the Village of Highland Park in the finance department, working for a private firm to draft their employee handbook and procedure manual, and assisting a non-profit organization specializing in affordable housing by looking for and purchasing homes. She also worked as a temp through GovHR, where she served as an administrative assistant at West Deerfield Township, and was later hired by the Township as the Program Coordinator.
Throughout Julia’s entire career, human resources was large component. She is a natural relationship builder and prides herself on building strong teams through mutually respectful relationships and listening to staff members, who often have the best ideas.
