University of New Orleans alumna Julie Stokes—an accountant, small business owner, policy advocate and civic leader—will serve as the principal speaker at the University’s spring 2025 commencement ceremony, which will take place on Friday, May 9 at 10 a.m. at the Lakefront Arena. Stokes is a past winner of UNO’s Homer L. Hitt Distinguished Alumni Award, a former state legislator and a current member of the Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System.

“Julie Stokes is a force of nature who has a remarkable passion for improving the lives of people in Louisiana; she’s also fiercely proud of her UNO education,” said President Kathy Johnson. “I know her message for our graduates will be thought-provoking and inspirational. Julie’s commitment to her alma mater is unmatched, and we can’t wait to welcome her back to campus.”

Stokes is the co-owner and chief financial officer of Stokes & Associates, a vocational rehabilitation and life care planning company that she owns with her husband, Larry Stokes, who is also a UNO graduate. They have grown the firm from two employees in 1998 to more than 50 employees today.

Stokes served in the Louisiana Legislature for seven years, where she developed a reputation as a passionate advocate for cancer patients and a respected voice for comprehensive, non-partisan fiscal policy. After leaving public office in 2020, she launched Flame Consulting to continue advancing initiatives aligned with her commitment to good governance and better health outcomes.

Through Flame Consulting, she founded Ellevate Louisiana—an organization dedicated to empowering women leaders across the state by educating and connecting them around the most pressing policy issues facing Louisiana. Ellevate hosts annual events and facilitates deep, non-partisan policy discussions through six focused committees.

As a cancer survivor, Stokes brings personal perspective and purpose to her advocacy. She represents the Louisiana Oncology Society at the legislature and founded the Survivor’s Cancer Action Network (SCAN), a committee within Ellevate Louisiana that unites survivors, advocates and clinicians to identify policy solutions that enhance the patient experience and expand access to cutting-edge cancer care across the state.

In addition to her work on the Board of Supervisors of the University of Louisiana System, she also serves on the executive committee of Leaders for a Better Louisiana, the state’s premier business roundtable.

Stokes graduated magna cum laude from the University of New Orleans in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting.