Julie Bates is the Managing Director and driving force of Delta Community Retirement & Investment Services. Her strategic vision has grown and led the practice into the thriving invaluable resource that it is today, providing actional advice and guidance to Credit Union members and community partners. Julie believes in the importance of building a diverse team with different ideas, skills and experiences, and she is proud that her team is guided by one common philosophy—that every person has a story, and that story matters.

Julie carries with her an enthusiastic quest for continuing education and she is proud to lead a team of CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals that share in this belief. She firmly believes that, as a team, we cannot properly educate and guide clients without first continuing to educate ourselves.

Likewise, Julie knows the importance in educating community members, especially women, to become engaged with their finances. She believes Credit Union members have a fundamental right to financial education. As a child, she grew up watching her family and neighbors struggle and rely on each other through financial hardships, and she has recognized that education empowers individuals with choices that allow them to experience well-lived lives.

Julie is an on-air financial contributor to Atlanta’s NBC affiliate, WXIA-TV 11, FOX 5 Atlanta, and Atlanta's Star 94.1. She is also a frequent guest speaker at prominent employers throughout the metro area. Julie serves as the Board Chair for Wellspring Living, a non-profit organization transforming the lives of those who have been victimized by or at risk for sexual exploitation.