I had the pleasure of working with Julie Carroll for nearly seven years on The Northern Cross, the diocesan newspaper for the Diocese of Duluth. That time began with the successful design from scratch of what was then a new monthly diocesan newspaper and included collaborating with her on the next 80-plus issues, all while working in separate locations 150 miles apart. She deserves considerable credit for how well the paper has been received by our readers.
Over that time, Julie proved herself exceptionally capable, as capable as anyone with whom I have ever worked. The pages she helped design were consistently excellent. As a copyeditor, she has a sharp, accurate eye, attentive to the myriad little details that so often go overlooked in a time of shrinking newsrooms, which helped ensure we would have consistently clean copy when we went to print. She brought good journalistic sense to her work, as well, asking the right questions to help ensure we got our stories right.
Julie is smart, friendly, concerned for others and easy to work with. Moreover, she has shown a wonderful work ethic and dedication to getting the job done, whether in ordinary circumstances, like a difficult deadline that required extra effort, or in extraordinary ones, like when a family illness had me working from a hospital room far from home and office and she helped make sure we never missed a beat. Julie is a pro who has often gone beyond the call of duty, without even being asked.
I am pleased to recommend her as a talented and dedicated addition to any newsroom.
Kyle Eller
Editor, The Northern Cross, newspaper of the Diocese of Duluth
Julie is a very talented reporter with a keen eye for detail. She is a thorough interviewer as well as a skillful and meticulous writer. In short, she’s a storyteller par excellence whose work will both engage your mind and touch your heart.
And, Julie’s talents extend beyond the written word: She is fluent in Spanish and also has an eye for attention-grabbing page design and visuals.
Joe Towalski
Former editor, The Catholic Spirit, newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis
Julie Carroll is the most meticulous journalist I have ever worked with or known during my 29-year newspaper career. Her talents as an interviewer, writer, proofreader and page designer have not only won her awards, but helped The Catholic Spirit capture recognition nationwide as the best newspaper among its peers in the Catholic Press Association.
Pat Norby
Former news editor, The Catholic Spirit, newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis
I got to know Julie quite well while I was her supervisor at The Catholic Spirit newspaper in Saint Paul, Minnesota, for several years. I hired her for a reporting position we had in 2000, and I can honestly say it was one of the best decisions I've made in my 25-plus years in journalism.
Julie is a committed team player who consistently meets deadlines. Her work ethic is outstanding. She is also an excellent writer, copy editor, and photographer, and was always eager to tackle new opportunities. She took the lead in several special projects we initiated, and they were always well done. I found her to be very professional and eager to help us meet our needs in any way possible.
I know Julie recently took the initiative to learn Spanish, and her sense of humor is a welcome asset too.
I am happy to recommend her for a position in your company, and I know she would be a valuable asset to your organization.
Mike Krokos
Former editor of The Catholic Spirit, newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis
I have worked with Julie Carroll at The Catholic Spirit for the last 11 years. More than a coworker, she is a friend. The longer I have worked with her, the more I respect her as a talented journalist. Her work is always characterized by her high attention to detail. She strives to always get facts right in a story, and she relentlessly pursues the best information she can gather, whether it be from people she interviews or materials she searches for online. With the time she has, she leaves no stone unturned. Yet, she is always aware of her deadline and meets it every time.
As hard as she works to gather information, she is highly sensitive to her interview subjects. She is careful to bring up delicate issues or topics, and does so in a way that helps make the people comfortable.
Julie has very high ethics when it comes to her practices as a journalist. She is honest and can always be counted on to do what she agrees to do. She has consistently done so for all 11 years. Everyone in our newsroom knew they could always count on Julie. Not only that, she is humble and cooperative at all times, never stubbornly holding on to her own point of view. I could always have a civil, meaningful, respectful conversation with her, even when we disagreed.
But, make no mistake. Despite being a great team player, Julie always has been passionate about her work. That has led her to consistently go above and beyond the call of duty. The truth is, she has higher standards for her work than others do for it. On many occasions, I have told her a story she wrote was outstanding, but she often would reply that it could have been better. Catholic Press Association judges, however, often liked her work, which led to many national awards over the years. More often than not, a story or stories of hers would end up winning a CPA award.
Yet, Julie is much more than an award-winning journalist. She is a wonderful person and a great friend. Her loyalty is striking, her talents remarkable. She is a whiz when it comes to technology and has a constant desire to learn new skills. We talked about photography on numerous occasions, and I gave her lots of tips along the way, which she tried to put into practice.
Julie is a competent, highly professional writer and journalist who will help reap great benefits to whatever organization is fortunate enough to bring her on board.
Dave Hrbacek
Staff photographer, The Catholic Spirit, newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis