Joe received a B.S. in Geology from The Ohio State University in 1969.  He served on active duty as a naval officer in the United States Naval Reserve from 1969 through 1972 in the Western Pacific and Iceland.  He returned to Ohio to pursue graduate work in geophysics; and received a M.S. in Geology from Bowling Green State University in 1975.

He joined Exxon Company U.S.A. in 1975 and held a variety of technical and managerial assignments in petroleum exploration and production covering Alaska, the Rocky Mountain region, and the Southeastern U.S.  In 1990, He transferred to Exxon Production Research Company to lead an exploration study of Eastern Europe to investigate petroleum opportunities in the former Warsaw-Pact nations. In 1992, He became coordinator of geoscience technology advisors for Exxon's worldwide exploration efforts. He has held positions as Geoscience Exploration Manager for Esso Norge, Geoscience Technical Manager for Exxon Ventures CIS, Inc., and New Venture Development Manager with ExxonMobil Exploration Company.  In November 2002, He accepted the position as President of ExxonMobil Ventures Mexico Limited in Mexico City with responsibility for development of new petroleum exploration and development opportunities in Mexico. He retired from ExxonMobil in March 2006.

He is an active member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, American Geophysical Union, European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers, Geological Society of America, and the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists. He has served as a technical committee member and technical session chairperson for technical conferences in Istanbul, Baku, and Mexico.

He currently serves as an Alternate Member of the Lower Blue Planning Commission for Summit County, Colorado. He is a member of the Executive Dean’s Advisory Committee for the College of Arts and Sciences and Chair of the Alumni Advisory Board for the School of Earth Sciences of Ohio State University. He, also, volunteers with the Friends of the Dillon Ranger District of the White River National Forest, as a Summer Ranger Patrol and conducts educational geological tours. He has served on the Resource Advisory Council for the Bureau of Land Management in NW Colorado. He, also, served on the Board and as President of a volunteer fire department.