Team Member Details

Through JMPAYNE24 PR, Julia M. Payne provides strategic communications, crisis communications, public relations, public affairs, media relations, strategic philanthropy, and litigation communications. With her vast experience in public relations, Ms. Payne can handle any communications challenge, no matter what industry. Current and previous clients include regional, national, and global brands in higher education, tech, retail, digital, renewable energy, sports, non-profit, individuals, and entertainment.

A strong public affairs professional, Ms. Payne creates and leads multi-level, multi-platform strategic communications and issues management campaigns for her clients at the federal, state, and local levels with keen understanding of the intersection of media, policy, and political landscapes.

Ms. Payne managed a public affairs campaign for a solar company using her knowledge and record of success, including grassroots, elected officials, influencer outreach, legal, government relations, earned, paid, and social media, as well as public policy communications. Navigating the client through an extremely difficult political and regulatory process, helped them to win approval to construct the largest solar center on the east coast. Payne also created, coordinated, and managed a Fortune 50’s market entry in Washington, DC. This market entry consisted of a multi-million-dollar campaign that provided good jobs with good wages as well as access to affordable and healthy food. In a media-controlled battleground, the retailer won on an unprecedented level of external relations, media relations, grassroots activities, and public affairs. The retailer exceeded expectations and met its promises to the city because of Ms. Payne’s leadership.

In addition, Julia served as vice president of communications for the Washington Football Team—the first female to hold this position. Her first leap into professional sports was a logical application of skills honed during her years in national politics to a field with the same high profile and precision demands as national politics.

Ms. Payne’s career began during the Clinton Administration when she served as a Special Assistant to the President and assistant press secretary, director of broadcast news, and as a deputy press secretary to Vice President Gore. At the end of President Clinton’s second term, Julia continued to work for the former president, becoming the director of communications for the William J. Clinton Presidential Foundation.

She is a graduate of Randolph Macon Woman’s College in Lynchburg, VA and serves as a pro bono advisor to Women First, an advocacy group for women owned businesses, as well as serving on the First Tee of Greater Washington Board and Executive Committee as its Communications Chair and working with the National Links Trust, a non-profit committed to renovating and reinvigorating the three historic public golf courses in Washington, DC.