Julie Lux brings more than 30 years of communications experience in healthcare, animal health, and agriculture to her work with Rural Minds. Her interest in agriculture and farming came about “by marriage.” Julie’s husband, Ron, shared his appreciation of rural America through stories of his many happy times working on his grandfather’s farm in Illinois. Also, because of Ron’s goal to live in the country, which led to their owning a 120+-year-old farm house on 10 acres right in the center of Missouri’s cow-calf producing area.

Additionally, through her work for ag and animal health companies, including FMC and Elanco, Julie has seen firsthand the important contributions made by U.S. farmers and ranchers to feed our country – and the world. For nearly five years Julie produced an online educational program, The Minute for FMC. Producing these segments took her from the cornfields of Indiana and Illinois to the wheat fields of Wyoming and grape orchards and strawberry fields of northern California. Her work in video production also allowed her to be on location at cattle operations including one of the largest stocker cattle ranches in Texas and a small show cattle ranch in Kansas.

Meeting and learning the stories of so many people in farming and ranching has underscored her appreciation of the unique challenges faced by this critical part of our society and supports her commitment to the work done by Rural Minds.

Julie is grateful to have worked with and for Jeff Winton for many years, including at Merck & Co., Inc. (formerly Schering-Plough Corporation) and at Pharmacia Corporation (until it was acquired by Pfizer Inc.). It is because of their longtime friendship and his dedication to provide a conduit to resources for people in rural America dealing with mental health challenges that Julie is excited and honored to be part of the Rural Minds team.

Combined with her work in communications, Julie also spent 15 years in broadcasting with KSHB-TV in her native Kansas City, Missouri, including eight years as host and co-producer of “AM Live,” a morning talk show.

Julie is an active participant in purebred dog shows across the U.S. showing her beagles, which she and her husband, Ron, have shown and bred for nearly 30 years.