Julie Stokes
President & CEO
Julie Stokes is CEO of Flame Consulting, CFO of Stokes & Associates, President and CEO of Ellevate Louisiana and Co-Founder of the Cancer Advocacy Group of Louisiana. She is a CPA, a nonpartisan policy advocate, a civic leader, and a speaker.
Over her seven years of service in the Louisiana Legislature, Julie Stokes gained a reputation as passionate advocate for comprehensive, non-partisan fiscal policy. Julie was able to share her knowledge as a CPA, as well as gain significant legislative experience, with the Louisiana budget, comparative state tax policy, oversight of legislative audit, Louisiana’s economic development incentives, and Louisiana’s Department of Health policies. Having received numerous accolades for her work in the Legislature and leaving public life behind in 2020, she opened Flame Consulting to continue supporting projects that she is passionate about, like nonpartisan public policy, cancer advocacy and helping other worthy causes with strategic planning and management consulting.
As part of her work through Flame Consulting, Julie founded Ellevate Louisiana. Ellevate Louisiana’s purpose is to empower women leaders throughout Louisiana by connecting and educating them on the challenges impacting Louisiana with data-driven, non-partisan solutions to make a better future for the state. In its first two years of operation, Ellevate Louisiana has grown to 170 members statewide. Ellevate Louisiana hosts discussions with policy makers in key areas of state policy-making in order to study the issues and create a policy agenda for its advocacy work before the Louisiana Legislature.
Julie currently serves on the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors and was the 2017 Distinguished Alumnus of the University of New Orleans. She is currently the Policy Chairman for GNO, Inc. and a graduate of the Committee for a Better Louisiana’s 2020 Leadership Louisiana class. She is an actively member of the Louisiana Committee of 100 for Economic Development, the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce, the Jefferson Chamber of Commerce, the Louisiana Society of CPA's, the International Women’s Forum, Women United, and other groups. She is a frequent speaker to groups on the subject of fiscal policy as well as on inspirational topics such as finding your voice, making a difference in this world and fighting back against all kinds of adversity and overcoming it.
During her time in the Louisiana Legislature, she chaired the Legislative Audit Advisory Council and the Sales Tax Streamlining and Modernization Committee. She was a very active member of the Ways & Means and House Health & Welfare Committees. She also served on House Labor, Capital Outlay, and was an interim member of House Appropriations Committee. She travelled Louisiana with the Committee of 100, the Public Affairs Research Council, and the Committee for Better Louisiana as one of the lead speakers on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform in 2015 and 2016. Nationally, she was very involved with the National Council of State Legislatures, having served on the Executive Committee, as Co-Chair of their Budget and Revenue Standing Committee, and being co-chairmanship of its Executive Task Force on State and Local Taxes.
She attended the University of New Orleans on full scholarship where she received her Bachelor of Science in Accounting, Magna Cum Laude. Julie resides in Kenner with her husband Larry and their two children, Brandon and Taylor.
Mallory Kiefer
Events & Membership Coordinator
Mallory Kiefer joined Ellevate Louisiana in March 2023, bringing her expertise and passion to the organization. Since becoming a staff member, she has delved deeply into policy matters and has greatly enjoyed collaborating with the organization's members.
In her role, Mallory is responsible for planning, organizing, and managing events that are both engaging and impactful. Her organizational skills, attention to detail, and creativity ensure that every event is executed flawlessly. Additionally, Mallory focuses on maintaining and growing Ellevate Louisiana's membership base, employing strategic initiatives to foster member engagement and retention.
Beyond event management, Mallory oversees and executes various tasks related to the organization's online presence. She is responsible for developing, implementing, and maintaining an effective social media strategy to enhance Ellevate Louisiana's online visibility and engagement. Her communication abilities and attention to detail are crucial in crafting compelling content that resonates with the audience and strengthens the organization's digital footprint.
Mallory graduated from the University of New Orleans in December 2016 with a Bachelor's degree in Marketing and a minor in Management, Cum Laude. She resides in Hammond with her partner, Ryan, and two step children, Hayley and Landen.
Yvonne Krumins
Policy Coordinator
Yvonne Krumins joined Ellevate Louisiana in November 2023 to fill the newly created Policy Coordinator role working alongside President/CEO Julie Stokes to position Ellevate to take the next step of growth as a policy driven, results oriented, change maker for Louisiana. Yvonne comes to Ellevate with vast business experience, including legal, healthcare, operations, and marketing as well as applicable non-profit experience.
As the Policy Coordinator, Yvonne plays a pivotal role in advancing Ellevate’s mission to empower women leaders throughout the state by educating them on current policy issues and offering a platform for discussion and synthesis of bipartisan solutions through Ellevate’s five Policy Committees. She coordinates the five policy committees with regular meetings, scheduled guest presentations, and updates on appropriate policy initiatives in the legislative session. Additionally, Yvonne supervises a team of interns who assist her with meeting minutes, briefing of daily relevant new stories, and research on assigned topics of importance to current policy positions.
As an extension of her position, Yvonne frequently represents Ellevate at community events, partner organization affairs, and, of course, at the state Capitol. She has enjoyed meeting the many wonderful female leaders who make up Ellevate as well as community partners and supporters. You can find more information about policy matters, community partners, and events in the monthly (bi-weekly during session) newsletter that she launched in March of this year, just ahead of the 2024 Legislative Session.
Yvonne graduated from the University of New Orleans with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and from Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University with a Juris Doctor. She lives in Metairie with her husband, Kevin, and daughter, Audrey. Her son, Kevin Paul, attends college at LSU.