JULIE ADKINS’ DRAGON STORY

Whether you’re a lifelong local or an outof-towner looking for a fresh start, a Tiffin University education has primed graduates for making impacts time and time again. Many alumni move out of state or even country to chase exciting opportunities, whereas others opt to stay in the Buckeye State and further their careers locally. Either way, alumni leave the institution well equipped to enact change within their circles. For Julie Adkins `87, change certainly did begin at home, as the old saying goes.

Julie graduated from TU with an associate degree. Born and raised in Seneca County, she has served as the County Auditor since 2008 and worked as a Deputy Auditor for nearly 20 years prior. According to Julie, there is no such thing as a normal day in the office.

“The only constant for my line of work is deadlines,” she said with a laugh. “The foremost priority of the Auditor’s Office is to serve the residents of Seneca County to the best of its ability and this looks quite different each day.”

Julie continued this thought, summarizing the primary responsibilities of the Seneca County Auditor and staff.

JULIE ADKINS

“Julie is a wonderful example of someone who takes advantage of every opportunity they find and possesses the desire to be and do better. The TU motto is, ‘without risk, there is no gain,’ and Julie Adkins has lived it. It has been my pleasure to work with her as a student, as a member of the Auditor’s office and as the Seneca County Auditor. We are also fellow Kiwanians, and I know from experience that Julie is someone you can count on to be there to help. She is a great credit to our county and our University.”

“First, we act as the paymasters,” she explained. “The Auditor is the Chief Fiscal Officer and serves as the accountant for all financial reporting pertaining to local departments and agencies. I am also the Chief Property Assessor, so my office works with an appraisal company to assign a fair market value to all real-estate property and manufactured homes for tax purposes. Finally, the Auditor is the sealer and inspector of weights and measures on behalf of the Ohio Department of Agriculture. This role works to protect consumers, as the sealer makes sure the quantity of a product advertised is what the consumer receives. Issuing dog licenses is certainly a fun bonus, but we also sell vendors’ licenses, collect lodging tax when needed and administer various programs to assist homeowners with tax relief.”

– Dr. John Millar, Emeritus Professor of International Management, Dean Emeritus

even offered the same piece of advice to my daughter before. Every opportunity presented to you during your professional life – take what you learn through the experience and build on it. Knowledge can always be applied in different ways, and you never know what may come in handy down the road. Use what you learn, no matter what it is, and get better at it every day. Tiffin University was a great facilitator for me in this sense, as I was taught a number of new skills and was given access to the resources I needed to hone them both in the classroom and through internships. This exploration was also encouraged by my teachers, as I’m sure they knew its value.”

When Julie was asked how she felt about working for and giving back to the community that reared her, she had this to say:

“When I was elected to my first Seneca County public representative seat some years ago, I ran into an old family friend at the grocery store. They stopped to congratulate me, and I just remember them saying, ‘whatever you do, stay true to your roots.’ I’ve always carried that saying with me. It is my pleasure and privilege to do all I can for the residents of this wonderful community.”

“I’ve always valued the merging of classroom learning with real-life experiences. One is rendered useless without the other, and I greatly appreciate that TU not only recognizes this, but actively structures their coursework around the practice.”

– Ms. Julie Adkins

Julie was inspired to pursue this line of work through her desire to remain close to her hometown of New Riegel and attributes much of her success in the field to the education she received through TU. By her own account, the degree program allowed her to work and intern with many local professionals and establish some useful connections prior to officially entering the field.

“My mentors at TU taught me something very important. I’ve

Outside of work, Julie loves spending time with her husband Rusty and daughter Erica and son-in-law Michael, and was just blessed with her first grandchild, Madison. In celebration of their 35th wedding anniversary, she and her husband recently took a cruise to the Dominican Republic.