Ojai locals know Joe by different names. He is "Mayor Joe", former Ojai Mayor, "Mr. D" to students from the 4th, 5th, and 6th grades he taught at San Antonio School and was the Principal, and just Joe to his friends alike.
He served on the Ojai City Council from 1989 to 2009 where he was mayor of the city five separate times. He has been involved for the past 20 years with the American Heart Association as a board member. He has been on the Boards of the Ojai Tennis Tournament, Ojai Valley Museum, Gold Coast Transit, and the Ventura County Transportation Committee.
In his spare time, he travels with his wife of 60 years, skis, and cherishes the time he spends with his children and grandchildren.