Julie Coxie is the Director of Human Resources at Kanakuk.  Where would we be as a company without Julie? I feel like she made Kanakuk a professional place to work and not just a camp when she came to work for us 14 years ago.  Everyone knows what HR does in companies all over the world, but I love how Julie described her job at Kanakuk: “I’m involved in an employee’s journey at Kanakuk, from the day they are interviewed to the day they leave.. and sometimes beyond. Sometimes I have to do hard things, but my goal is to make sure everything is done with grace and love. I work on benefits, payroll and any other processes connected to an employee’s work life.”  She told me that she “likes walking beside employees as they walk through life.” I am so thankful for the work she does to make Kanakuk a great place to work!

Julie is a neat person –and I hate the term “neat” because it often sounds so generic, but she is so neat. On one hand, she is the true definition of a lady who is filled with calm and grace and on the other hand, she is funny and unexpected. She loves the Lord with her whole heart and her desire is to spend time with Him and to honor Him by keeping Him as the focus of her life. And we can all see that in her face and in the way she interacts with us, as employees (and friends) and Kamp.  

Julie loves her family. She is a devoted wife, a proud mother, and an engaged grandmother. One of her favorite memories is her wedding day. Immediately after the ceremony, after she and Eddy walked down the aisle and into the vestibule of the church, they had a moment together alone.  He kissed her and she remembers being so happy and having the future right in front of them filled with love and possibilities. I feel like Julie looks forward to each day with that purity and hope–it is just the feeling I get when I am around her.

She never got to be a Kamper and was never on summer staff before coming to work at Kanakuk full time, but she loved the “glow” her children had when she picked them up at Kamp each summer. Her Kanakuk hero is Darnell (everyone knows that makes me happy).  She said, “Darnell filled our lives with goodness,” and she described her as, “fun, funny, intelligent, hard-working and wise.” I would have to agree. She is also inspired by Debbie-Jo who is a steadfast Christ-follower and admires the influence Joe has had on so many people’s lives. Julie would like to be able to spend a day with Bill Lantz and see the man who set the tone for Kanakuk and helped Spike grow up into the man he became. She would also like to sit down with Joe and hear stories about him and his brothers (wouldn’t we all) because she assumes (correctly) that there are some “doozies.”

Outside of Kamp time, Julie would choose a walk by the lake over a roller coaster and the beach over the mountains because the breeze and the salty sea air relax her. She is musical and artistic. She sings, plays the piano and writes music and once she retires, she hopes to pick up her paints and pencils again. Her grandson is her “delight” and being with him is often her favorite way to unwind. My favorite thing is that she and her husband, Eddy, still “date” every Saturday.  I love that they still make time together “dating” a priority.

Julie is a treasure and I am so thankful for all she does for Kanakuk and its full-time employees behind the scenes!