Photo by Brad ZweerinkJulia King has worked in cities across the nation, including Knoxville, Los Angeles and Atlanta. Now she's using that experience for her next big thing: serving as Alderman Ward III for the City of Branson.
Leadership
Julia King Offers the City of Branson a New Perspective
After only two years as a local resident, Julia King was appointed the city’s first female Black City Council member and plans to run for election in April.
By Jenna deJong
Jan 2021
Kansas-native Julia King is making big moves in the Branson community. Since 2007, she’s worked in the healthcare information technology industry and has zeroed in on helping health systems across the country. She’s used to seeing large projects through, whether they take months or years to complete. King believes “to whom much is given, much is required,” and uses this belief as she immerses herself in the Branson community. In the two years she’s lived in the region, she’s served on the Pointe Royale Property Owners Association, and now she’s on her next adventure: serving as Alderman Ward III for the City of Branson.
“I’m here because of my credentials, not because of my race or gender. If there is a silver lining in all of it, I would say that people are talking about it. Even if they are talking about it for the wrong reasons, they are getting engaged and they are getting more involved. If they are interested in what’s going on in City Council because now there’s a black woman on City Council, at least they’re interested, and maybe they’ll stay interested and stay engaged and take part in their community.”
“I always want to know the operations of what keeps things going in my surroundings. I want to know what’s what, who’s who, why, what gets things done.”
“Have your moment. It’s okay to acknowledge when things are unfair or unfortunate so we shouldn’t deny those things or pretend that they’re not happening. Allow yourself a moment, and after that, get on with it. Grab the bull by the horns. Don’t be defeated. Tell yourself that you’re going to come out of this and win.”
“Be sure to recognize what you can learn from it. When things get hard, instead of complaining about what’s going on, try to take a step back and ask yourself, ‘what can I learn from this and what am I grateful for?’”
“I’m inspired to help others. I feel like if I have been blessed enough that people have helped me get to where I’m at, it would be a disservice for me not to extend that grace to other people.”
“There’s a sense of being anonymous or a sense of privacy that’s gone in certain places. I just told myself that all I can do is be myself. I can’t come up with a different personality. I’m not going to be perfect all the time. I’m not going to say the right thing all the time.”
“There are so many people that are different from us and so many places that are different from where we were born and raised, and being exposed to different cities, different cultures, different people broadens your horizon. It helps you bring in perspective when you settle somewhere whether it be your hometown or, such as myself, in Branson. It helps add perspective to the town that you end up being in.”
