Joe (They/He) identifies as a Mexican American first-generation college student who grew up in the Southern California area. Joe earned his undergraduate degree in Political Science at the University of La Verne and completed a Master's Degree in Organization Communication at the University of the Pacific.  He has 18 years of experience in the UC system with previous positions at the Riverside and Santa Cruz campuses and over 25 years in CA Higher Education. He supports the CCC team as they stive to create compassionate community spaces that foster identity development, critical consciousness, and collective innovation through community empowerment and social justice.