After high school I proudly served in the United States Marine Corps. I loved every moment of serving my country, but something told me that it wasn’t the life for me. After leaving the Corps I wasn’t sure what path I wanted to follow, so I  took the first job available as a dishwasher at restaurant chain.

It doesn’t sound like a glamorous job, and it wasn’t, but it was a big turning point for me. I started to apply my insatiable curiosity and tinkering skills to processes rather than machines. In less than a year and a half,  I had learned and operated every position and machine in the restaurant, moving through the ranks to assistant manager. I was addicted to understanding a situation, experimenting with it to find the best possible solution, and to making it as efficient as possible.

Later, I decided to move on to other business sectors out of genuine curiosity. Working in different sectors allowed me to apply practices from one sector to another. Believe it or not, I even took a stab at creating my first event planning business.

While I didn’t go to college until I was twenty-six years old, I like to say that during my pre-college years I was taking my education into my own hands. One of my closest friends convinced me to go to college to study Engineering even though I wasn’t entirely sure what an engineer was. I was accepted at Penn State University. I had no idea how much I would love Engineering.

While at Penn State, I was awarded an internship that would eventually become a job as an additive manufacturing engineer. For those not familiar with that term –that’s a 3D printing engineer. I became mesmerized by the technology –so much so that it became my specialty area.

During my internship, I got the opportunity to work with some of the top companies and research organizations in the world.  I worked for an amazing company that provided me with the opportunity to give back to our community. I opted to visit schools and talk to students and teachers about my work.  This would become a major turning point in my life.

It was during this time that I found my true passions are Science, Engineering, Business, Education, and creating opportunities for others to pursue their passion.

It wasn’t long after that discovery that I helped create one of the most cutting-edge non-profit organizations in the country, created a globally recognized after school program and pedagogy, and enabled many others to pursue their passions.

I’ve learned first-hand that when passion is static it dwindles away.  But when passion is mixed with grit and action, you can change the world– or at least the world around you. And if enough of us are committed to changing the world around us, together we can create tomorrow.

My background includes over 10 years as a commercial loan analyst, underwriter & small business lender with FNB Corporation, a $30 billion regional bank.  My economic development experience includes serving as Assistant Director of Huntingdon County Business & Industry, where I managed accounting and oversaw the various business lending programs for the agency.

Growing up in Meadville, PA, I attended Allegheny College, where I received a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and a minor in Computer Science.  I moved to Blair County in 1992 and have made the area my second hometown.

I believe that how we live is as important as where we live.  It is my commitment to ensure that Blair County, our First Frontier, is a vibrant community, open to new ideas and opportunities.  My goal is to help entrepreneurs, so they can play their part in growing a community where we all prosper, and to create an environment where people want to live.  Our locally-born businesses employ more than 9,000 local-residents and contribute more than $100 million in economic impact each year.  The real key to economic development is through the support of local entrepreneurs and small businesses.

In my spare time, I enjoy rugby, good craft beer and hiking with my dog.

Born and raised in Somerset, I attended Somerset Area High School.  When I was 15 years old, I got my first job at the local movie theatre, The Palace Theatre.   It’s gone now, but that first job lit a spark in me that has been the drive behind my success for so many years.

After high-school, I knew I would like to one day own my own movie theatre.  Looking back, it’s funny that I used to think it would be my dream RETIREMENT job! With Entrepreneurship in mind, I moved to Pittsburgh to study Business at Duquesne University.  I graduated from Duquesne in 2008 and started to work in Canada.

While in Halifax, Nova Scotia (birthplace of Sidney Crosby for all you Pens fans!) I received a newspaper cutout from the Tribune Democrat.  It was an announcement that a local movie theatre was for sale.  I jumped at the opportunity and moved back home to see if I could turn my dream into a reality.

Although I had no money to invest, I had just the right experience and education to convince a bank to give me the loan I needed to purchase the Westwood Plaza Theatre & Café in June of 2009.   It was difficult at first but after logging a lot of hours, I was able to make the business successful enough to launch a second location.  In June of 2012, the Latrobe 30 Theatre & Café opened and both locations have been showing movies and serving customers ever since.

Running a business is fun, fast-paced, and very rewarding.  I love every minute of it and want to share that feeling with local entrepreneurs who want to make their dreams come true as well.  I am happy to help anyone and everyone launch and grow their ideas into successful businesses.  So whether you have an idea just starting to germinate in your mind or if you already have a business that is running into headwinds… and everyone in-between, reach out and let’s work together!

A few years ago, I was taking a stab at being a stay at home mom after going through a layoff from a technology company.  It was during that hiatus from my career, that I decided it was time to take a leap of faith and go in a different direction.  I took a position with Huntingdon County Business & Industry (HCBI) as their Operations Manager, assisting people with their business startups.  I quickly found that I wanted to see great things happen to our community and an even stronger desire to be a part of that success.  Today that goal is my reality as I’m now the Director of Business Development at HCBI and the Startup Alleghenies Entrepreneur and Innovation Coach for Huntingdon and Fulton Counties.

I’m very passionate about Huntingdon County.  It’s my home, my family, friends and career were all a result of moving here 15 years ago.  I’ve found that there is so much value in living and working in a small rural town.  “Everybody knows your name”- some of your greatest resources are actually your neighbors.  Need financing for your business, clueless about website design, looking for a building or land, have a product idea and need help with development, not sure if there’s a market for your idea?  There are people right here in our Southern Alleghenies region who can assist you with these and so much more!

I always say it takes an army to raise a family, and I believe our communities need that same leadership, support and team work to create a thriving environment for the future of our children.  I look forward to being a member of your army, helping your ideas grow and develop so you can achieve your goals while building an ecosystem where our next generation of entrepreneurs will flourish right here, right now!

That instinct led me to fulfill a call to service and join the United States Marine Corps. During my time as a Marine leader, I had the opportunity to travel the world and serve alongside some of the greatest men and women I will ever meet. My adventures led me to remote parts of Africa, the mountains of Afghanistan, and even Moscow, Russia! I quickly picked up on the value of other people’s perspectives. We all come from different walks of like. Drawing on the experiences of others, collaborating together, and figuring out how to move forward in a positive direction is a powerful force – and something that I am passionate about as a coach.

After nearly a decade of service, it was time for me to make a change. I felt the need to take my experiences and insights back to the region I love, the Alleghenies!

It was amazing when I returned to the region and saw so many people working towards making our area a better place. Naturally, I attuned to my new calling in life – coaching. I started a professional coaching practice working with individuals who wanted to do more in life, be leaders, and have a positive impact on their communities.

Now here I am! Your Coach! Working as your #1 advocate in Somerset County. Taking the first step as an entrepreneur can be overwhelming. I am here to help you overcome those obstacles, remove barriers, provide resources and work together, with you, to achieve your dreams.

My door is always open and I am just a phone call away.

Joe has a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, Master of Business Administration, currently attending Duquesne University’s Executive Education – Professional Coach Certification Program, and is a member of the International Coach Federation Global and Pittsburgh Chapter.