Joel is the Transportation Planning Director and has worked for WMSRDC since 2007.  In this role he oversees all transportation programs for the Commission, managing the small urban and rural transportation initiatives across the five-county region.  He is responsible for the selection and programming of transportation projects and administers the MPO’s traffic count program, which collects approximately 100 traffic counts annually.  Additionally, Joel oversees the region’s asset management program which gathers data on hundreds of miles of federal aid-eligible roads each year.

He is a member with the American Planning Association and is a Certified Planner through the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). He has also completed the Michigan Infrastructure Council’s Asset Management Champion Program. Joel’s prior experience includes serving on the City of Roosevelt Park’s Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals. Prior to joining WMSRDC, he worked in several planning roles, focusing on economic development, historic district planning, grant writing, and recreation planning. Joel holds an undergraduate degree in economics and a master’s degree in public administration, both from Central Michigan University.