Julie Staley
WICS Anchor/Reporter

Julie Staley anchors at 5pm on NewsChannel 20, and is the main anchor for FOX Illinois' 9pm newscast.

She comes to NewsChannel 20 from St. Louis, MO where she was the morning anchor at KDNL-TV.

This year, Julie won two national Communicator Award Crystal Awards of Excellence, one for her skills anchoring breaking news and another for anchoring live in the field. She also recieved three Awards of Distinction from The Communicator Award for anchoring special reports. Julie won first place for the 2006 Illinois Associated Press Best Investigative Series, and was honored in 2005 with The Communicator Award's Crystal Award of Excellence for anchoring. Also in 2005 the Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation gave Julie their national reporting award. She also received the 2004 Media Award from the Junior League of Springfield, and the 2003 News Reporting Award of Excellence and Feature Reporting Award of Excellence from the Association of Women in Communications. Julie was also awarded Heartland Continuum of Care for her excellence in reporting on issues facing Springfield's homeless population. She was also given the SPARC Media Service Award for 2002, the 2003 SPARC Appreciation Award for co-chairing their black tie fundraiser to help disabled adults and children. She was honored with the 2002 United Cerebral Palsy's Outstanding Community Partner Award for her investigative report that helped people with disabilities.

Besides KDNL-TV, Julie has also worked at KSDK-TV in St. Louis as the overnight anchor, WAND-TV in Decatur, IL as a reporter and fill-in anchor, the All News Channel in Minneapolis, MN as a producer, KCCP-TV in Kansas City, MO as an anchor, at WSIU-TV in Carbondale, IL as an anchor, reporter, and news director, and CNN, Atlanta, GA as a production assistant. In 1991 and 1992 Julie worked in communications for Sprint in Kansas City, MO, where she was honored with the President's Award for being among the company's top employees in the country.

Julie received her MS degree in Mass Communications from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville in 1997, with a 4.0 GPA. She received an award from the University for outstanding work on her thesis: Violence in Television News in St. Louis and Central Illinois Markets. Julie received her B.A. in 1988 from the top rated radio-television program at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. She was also named the top student of 1988, being awarded the honor of "SIU Broadcast News Student of the Year," as well as a University Scholar. Julie also studied radio and television in London, England.

Julie has also been seen on television in another capacity. As a feature twirler for SIU, you could see her twirling one and two batons, and fire batons at halftime of the Chicago Bears, St. Louis Cardinals football games, and Saluki football games. She was crowned Miss Majorette of Illinois, Miss Majorette of the Midwest, and placed among top 20 finalists for Miss Majorette of America. She was also an NBTA World Championship Silver Medalist, along with winning hundreds of trophies. Years later, she still returns to SIU to perform at halftime for Homecoming games.

Julie always knew she'd have a career behind a microphone. Her father, Bob Heil, owns the world's largest amateur radio microphone manufacturer, where they also make broadcasting equipment. He also invented rock-n-roll's revolutionary "Talk Box", and is regarded as one of the world's foremost authorities on audio systems. His work is featured in a permanent display in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Because of his celebrity clientele, Julie gained an insight into the television industry at a young age.

In the community, Julie serves on the Board of Directors for Land of Lincoln Goodwill. She is a member of Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Springfield, singing with their contemporary service Praise Team. While a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Decatur, Julie was a vocal soloist and member of their Praise Team, as well as the founder of the church's Singles Ministry. Through Bible studies, social activities, and fundraisers, it grew to have a membership that reached more than 250 people of the congregation.

Julie is married to Mark Staley, great-grandson of the Chicago Bears original owner, A.E. Staley. He heads up the Staley Family Charitable Foundation and family business partnership. They keep busy with two dogs, Chessie and Summer, whose goal it is to eat their weight in dog biscuits every day!