Joy began her career in education, earning 4 degrees at Arizona State University, including her doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction. While at ASU, she taught English Composition, consulted with school districts across the state in curriculum design and was recognized by the Arizona State Department for her Outstanding Contribution to Education. Her experience formulating developmental, measurable, and effective learning plans continues to inform her work today. In 1980, Joy began a 14-year career as an Investment Advisor, and in 1987 was named Vice President, Investments with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, a title achieved by fewer than 5% of women in the financial services sector. Joy specialized in designing portfolios tailored to her clients’ individual interests and needs.

In the non-profit sector, Joy was a founder and Board Chair of the San Juan Island Community Foundation and developed the community engagement, record keeping, grant proposal, award, and evaluation policies for the Foundation. In Austin, Joy was a founder of A Legacy of Giving, a non-profit with a mission to grow a new generation of philanthropists among Central Texas students. As the Development Director of MINDPOP, Joy doubled the nonprofit’s donor base and contributed income in 3 years. Joy has served local, national, and global nonprofits as trustee or advisor and has developed a model she calls The Case for Support to guide nonprofits in attracting sophisticated donors.

During her 15 years on Austin’s ZACH Theatre board, Joy provided leadership as Board President, and chair of Education, Membership and a 2-year Education Vision Task Force. She also led a 5-year Strategic Planning Committee as ZACH completed construction of the $22 million Topfer Theatre. Upon her resignation in 2019, Joy was named an Honorary Lifetime Member of the ZACH Theatre Board.

Joy is the author of two books. You Don’t LOOK Sick! Living Well with Invisible Chronic Illness, published in 2013 and co-authored with her physician, was named one of the Best 11 Books for Living with Chronic Illness and Pain by Upworthy. The second, CeeGee’s Gift is a novel about the transformative power of generosity. Published in 2019, CeeGee’s Gift was recognized with many awards, including both the Pencraft and Many Books awards for Best Young Adult Fiction. Joy has also served as a content writer for both profit and nonprofit organizations in many sectors, helping them to tell their compelling stories. Joy is now working on her memoir titled, Stay in the Saddle and Keep the Reins Tight.

Learn more about Joy and her books here: joywrites.com