Julie Gerdes Becnel

Julie Gerdes Becnel received her undergraduate BA in creative writing from Louisiana State University and her MA in public communication at American University. She is a published poet, essayist, playwright, and short fiction writer, as well as a contributing writer and guest lecturer on topics ranging from social entrepreneurship to cultural diplomacy. Her blog, Engaged with a Cause, is a leading source for information on wedding philanthropy. Additionally, the children’s ballet she authored, "Journey to the Emerald City," is currently touring with Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre’s Ballet for Children program. She works in marketing at National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, DC.