Joe practiced law for 30+ years, and worked as a Circuit Court judge, Justice of the Peace, bankruptcy trustee, and civil litigator. He graduated from the University of Michigan and the University of California, Berkeley, law school. He worked briefly for law firms in Melbourne, Australia and Auckland, New Zealand, and then on North Slope oil royalty litigation in Anchorage, Alaska.
During his time on the Circuit Court bench presiding over juvenile matters, he never missed an opportunity to appreciate CASAs as the greatest volunteers ever. He has served on various boards in Jackson County, including the Public Safety Coordinating Council and Traffic Advisory Board. He has volunteered in community theater, as a teen mentor, and for veterans in Justice Outreach at the VA.
He loves learning, travel, and helping others. He was briefly a newspaper columnist before being re-appointed as Jackson County Justice of the Peace by Governor Tina Kotek in January, 2024. He lives in rural Talent with his wife, Ann, and three fur babies.