Joe is fortunate to have been born into a family in Eastpointe, Michigan who valued the arts. His father a professional musician and his mother a vocalist, VHS musicals (the good ones) and Beatles CDs were not in short supply around the house growing up. Couple that with the occasional theatre outing, and it’s little wonder a real love of the work eventually took root. He would end up going to Wayne State University and earning a BA in Theatre to make it official.

He has had the honor of working at numerous companies in the Detroit area, bringing a multitude of stories and people to life over the years as an actor, (and occasionally being recognized with an award). Backstage at some of them, you might find him dressed in black as a once-in-a-while stage manager, or a wardrobe assistant at various IATSE houses. During the Michigan Film Incentive Years, he began to solidify an earlier childhood understanding of how to make a profession of taking the “play” seriously, and what it means for cooperating artists to be in mutual respect in healthy working environments; a lesson that would lead him to his former position as Associate Artistic Director of Puzzle Piece Theatre.

Joe believes in the uniqueness of Michigan artists and is glad to call so many not only his colleagues, but his friends.  In 2019, he began working in Macomb Community College’s Education & Outreach department, helping to facilitate performing arts programs for children, watching new generations of artists grow through varied disciplines.