Board Spotlight: Julie McDowell, WWPR Operations Chair

Stepping into the spotlight this month is WWPR Operations Chair Julie McDowell, a strategic marketing and communications executive with 20+ years of experience leading mission-driven work at the intersection of healthcare, science, and public affairs. Currently, she serves as Director of Strategic Communications and Digital Content at the College of American Pathologists, where she’s spent her career translating complex clinical and scientific narratives into communications that move people and organizations forward.

Tell us about your background and what led you to your current role.

My path into communications wasn't a straight line and I've come to believe that's actually a strength.

I started in journalism, drawn in by what I still consider the heart of this work: storytelling and the art of a great interview. But as I looked ahead, I could see that PR and communications offered something journalism didn't — more opportunity, more growth, and more ways to shape the narratives that matter.

What I didn't anticipate was how much I'd fall in love with the challenge of making science human — turning dense clinical guidelines and diagnostic innovation into stories that clinicians, patients, and policymakers actually want to engage with.

There was no single defining moment that set me on this path. What there was, was a willingness to follow what energized me, say yes to stretch opportunities, and keep growing even when the next step wasn't obvious. You don't need a perfectly mapped career to build something you're proud of. Curiosity and commitment will take you further than a plan.

What has been one of the most exciting or rewarding projects in your career so far? 

One of the most rewarding projects of my career was leading the communications strategy that helped secure a five-year, $11 million federal contract with the Veterans Health Administration.

What made it personal: my husband and father are both veterans. So when the opportunity came to help connect veterans with the most advanced diagnostic medicine available, it wasn't just a high-stakes business win — it was deeply meaningful work.

My role was to craft the communications strategy that made the case for why our organization was the right partner — and when we won, it felt like a culmination of everything I believe communications can do at its best: tell a compelling story, build trust, and ultimately help people get better care.

That project reminded me that the most powerful communications work happens when strategy and purpose are aligned. It's something I carry with me in everything I do.

What do you enjoy most about serving as a WWPR Board Member?

What I enjoy most is how much this community gives back. There's something energizing about being in a room — or a Zoom — with other women in communications and marketing and feeling that immediate sense of recognition. We share so many of the same challenges, the same frustrations, and the same wins. That common ground makes connection feel effortless.

I'm also deeply passionate about professional development — both my own and others'. There's nothing quite like watching someone gain confidence, find their voice, or land the opportunity they've been working toward. Supporting other women in this industry genuinely fills me up.

WWPR is one of the rare spaces where you can be ambitious and vulnerable in the same conversation. That's not something I take for granted, and it's why this work feels so meaningful to me.

How do you like to spend your time outside of work?

Outside of work, I'm most myself when I'm moving. I'm an avid trail runner and love the mental reset that comes from being outside and pushing myself physically.  I also lift weights and train with kettlebells, which has become a real passion. There's something about that kind of discipline that carries over into everything else.

I recharge through faith and community at my church, and I'm an enthusiastic reader — always with a book nearby. But honestly, some of my favorite moments are the simplest ones: watching Parks and Recreation on the couch with my husband and teenage son. It never gets old, and neither does the laugh track of a 14-year-old who thinks he's discovered it for the first time.

Is there a book, podcast, or resource you’d recommend right now?
For a book, I'd recommend The Correspondent — a beautifully written novel that reminded me why I fell in love with storytelling in the first place. And on a more nostalgic note, I recently reread Wuthering Heights in a Penguin Classics paperback, which reignited a love I first discovered as a teenage girl. There is something about holding an actual paperback that no e-reader will ever replicate.

For a podcast, I'm a devoted fan of HBR's Women at Work — honest, smart conversations about the real experiences of women in the workplace. Fair warning: it's no longer in production, which is a genuine loss, but the archive is rich and absolutely worth your time.

What advice would you give to women looking to grow in their careers or get involved in WWPR?

I know "be ambitious" can sound like a bumper sticker, but I mean it with everything I have: be as ambitious as you want to be. Don't scale it down to make others comfortable. Go for it.

And when you do, give yourself permission to be imperfect. Some of the best decisions I've made were roughly right, not perfectly planned. Mistakes are not detours, they're part of the path. The women I admire most didn't wait until they were ready. They moved, and figured it out along the way.

Finally — and this one I feel strongly about — pay it forward. Advocate for the women around you. Celebrate their wins loudly. Open doors. This industry is better when we pull each other up, and WWPR is one of the best places I've found to actually live that out.

So get involved. Show up. You belong here.