Julie Drake is the President of Jewel Technology Services, Inc. Julie holds a degree in Communications from Southern Illinois University. She has been in the telecommunications field since 1994. The first 8 years she spent selling telephone systems, voice mail systems and building wiring systems to clients in the Central Illinois region. After those 8 years, she left the telecommunications field to join a different type of technology – AV. Finding a deep loss for the telecommunications field she decided to again build back into this industry. However, this time she did so as an entrepreneur. Jewel Technology Services, Inc. opened its doors in early 2003. While Julie loved the telecom industry she saw a need among consumers in Illinois. A need for help making educated purchasing decisions for the technology she used to sell. Julie’s clients cross many vertical markets including nursing homes, medical practices, municipalities, and construction companies. She is an active member and Board of Director of the Society of Telecommunication Consultants (STC), an international group of independent consultants.

     Locally she authors quarterly articles for IBI magazine of Central IL, has been a member of NAWBO since 2003 when she began as an emerging vendor, and is a member of the Peoria North Rotary group. She is a member of the 2006 class of our region’s 40 under 40. Julie’s goal in anything she does is to coach people in order to help them make educated decisions.