Julia Gilliam Sterling is the Director of Grant Making for her family foundation, The Richard and Leslie Gilliam Foundation, which invests in programs and initiatives that support the following areas in their home region of Southwest Virginia: education, health and wellness, community service, entrepreneurship and the arts. Formerly a teacher in Virginia Public School system from 2015-2017, she has always had a passion for education.

Sterling and her husband also own and operate Cumberland Heritage, a holistically minded food and events company. She received her undergraduate degree in English and History from the University of Richmond, and graduated with a Masters in Elementary Education from the University of Virginia in 2015.