Julia Kaufman, MPA, SHRM-SCP

Julia believes people are the most important force in propelling long-term organizational success. As the director of people, culture and talent at McKinley Advisors, her role focuses on co-creating conditions for successful professionals and thriving organizations. 

Julia is a trusted partner to nonprofit and association leaders. Together, she and her clients take change-management journeys to transform culture and workplaces, aligning business goals with talent initiatives that nurture high-performing teams and future-ready leaders. She operationalizes best practices that strengthen workplace satisfaction and fosters cultures of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. Grounded in people-centric practices, Julia is a seasoned leader in designing and implementing strategic and inclusive talent management efforts. 

She brings 25+ years of experience, including work with a variety of association clients with missions that support medical and scientific research, healthcare access and equity, K-12 education, environmental conservation and government associations. Previously, she worked as an HR practitioner and leader for an HR-focused consulting firm, as well as other positions leading social service, community development, and philanthropic programs. 

She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin and a Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship at Tulane University to analyze benefits and retirement plans for nonprofit organizations and charter schools. She holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and is a Society for Human Resource Management Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP).

Julia lives in Austin, Texas, where she enjoys hiking in the hill country, live music, and Tex-Mex with her family. When not in Austin, she and her family travel as often as they can to explore new cultures, food and landscapes.