October Guest Speaker
Julie Stokes
Julie Stokes is a Certified Public Accountant, small business owner and conservative State Representative from Jefferson Parish, Louisiana.
Julie Stokes is actively involved with the Jefferson Chamber of Commerce, the University of New Orleans Alumni Association, the Louisiana Society of CPA’s, and local economic development activities, including the Kenner 2030 Economic Development Committee.
She is the Chairman of the Sales Tax Streamlining & Modernization Commission, working tirelessly for the last year to bring repair to the state’s fractured sales tax system. Rep. Stokes is also Vice Chair of the Legislative Audit Advisory Committee and serves as one of only two interim members on the Joint
Legislative Committee on the Budget. She also serves on the House Executive Committee, Ways & Means, Health & Welfare, and Joint Legislative Committee on Capital Outlay.
Nationally, Stokes serves on the Executive Committee of the National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL). She is very actively involved with the Task Force on State & Local Taxation of NCSL. She also serves as Co-Chair of the Budgets & Revenues Standing Committee of NCSL.
She was recognized nationwide as one of a handful of State “Tax Legislators of the Year” by State Tax Notes in 2015 for her work on Sales Tax reform in Louisiana. Similarly, she was awarded as a “Tax Legislator of the Year” by the Tax Foundation in 2016 for work on tax reform in Louisiana.
Rep. Stokes was also selected for the 2017 Class of Governing Magazine’s Women in Government Leadership Program. She currently participates in the 2017 Leadership Program Class with 24 other Women in Government from across the country.
She received the Southwest Chamber Louisiana’s Fusion Five Award for best new up-and-coming legislator in 2015. In 2016, she was named one of four “Women of Distinction” by the Girl Scouts of Louisiana East. She has also been honored as one of New Orleans City Business Magazine’s “Women of the Year” in both 2003 and 2014.
Rep. Stokes travelled the state of Louisiana with the Committee of 100 in 2015 & 2016 as one of the lead speakers on Tax Reform in Louisiana, earning accolades from many media outlets such as the New Orleans Advocate, the Baton Rouge Business Report, and WKRF as one of the most knowledgeable Louisiana legislators in the field of Louisiana’s fiscal environment.
Before public life, Rep. Stokes served as a Commissioner of the Regional Transit Authority and as President of the Chateau Estates Civic Organization, the Accounting and Financial Women’s Alliance, and the Jefferson Chamber Young Leaders.
Rep. Stokes resides in Kenner with her husband Larry and their two children, Brandon and Taylor. She attended Jefferson Parish Public Schools and the University of New Orleans. After four years on full academic scholarship at UNO, she received her Bachelor’s of Science in Accounting, Magna Cum Laude. She started working at a Big Four accounting firm right away and passed the CPA exam on her first effort.
Other legislative awards include:
• “Champion of Economic Development” in 2013-2016 by the Louisiana
Industrial Development Economic Association,
• Louisiana Family Forum’s “Liberty Award” in 2014 – 2016,
• Louisiana Family Forum’s “Family Advocate” in 2014 – 2016,
• “Small Business Champion” in 2013 and 2014 by the National Federation
of Independent Business,
• “Legislative All-Star” in 2014 by the Louisiana Association of Business &
Industry, and
• “Legislator of the Year” for 2014 by the Louisiana Orthopedic Association
• Education Choice Champion by the Louisiana Federation for Children’s in
2013 & 2014.