A native of a small historic courthouse town outside of Cleveland, Ohio, Julie Langan fell in love with Virginia while pursuing an MA degree in Architectural History at UVA. At the time of her graduation, preservation jobs were few and far between, so she launched her preservation career in Arkansas. Though she didn’t think she would stay long, Julie fell in love with “The Natural State” and spent five years. As the only architectural historian in the state historic preservation office (SHPO), she was exposed to the full range of the state and federal preservation programs. Despite being named Acting SHPO by then Governor Bill Clinton, an opportunity at DHR was too enticing to pass up and she returned to Virginia.

Julie’s 26 years at Virginia’s Department of Historic Resources (DHR) was interrupted by a 10-year stint in Cleveland where she held leadership positions with a regional nonprofit and founded and directed a local organization. Julie returned to DHR in 2007 with the intent to finish out her career in Virginia. First appointed in 2014, Julie has served four Governors as Director of DHR. She is passionate about historic resorts, especially spring resorts, a topic that she first pursued in Arkansas and has continued to explore here in Virginia.