A San Antonio “cybersecurity education social entrepreneur and evangelist” for over twenty five years, Joe established a prominent Cybersecurity educational base and promoted the growth of San Antonio’s burgeoning cybersecurity ecosystem.
Joe has been passionate across five decades in military and community activities involving, Cybersecurity, Cybersecurity Education, Network Operations, Intelligence, External Affairs and Legislative matters.
He served in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives as a Congressional Fellow. He is a Creator and Executive Director of the CyberTexas Foundation, a cybersecurity educational non-profit providing opportunities for students in cybersecurity and STEM from elementary school to university – with the goal of developing the Next Gen Cybersecurity workforce and educators.
In March 2019, he retired as an Air Force senior civilian from 25th Air Force after serving 34 years in the fields of network operations, cybersecurity, external affairs, innovation and executive leadership. In his terminal assignment with the 625th Operations Center, he led 25 AF’s situational awareness of worldwide secure communications, network operations and mission systems supporting intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
Over the past two decades, with his congressional legislative experience and contacts, Joe lead the creation of cybersecurity-based programs, degrees and institutions at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) to include the Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security (CIAS) and the Institute for Cyber Security (ICS). He co-founded the Information Technology and Security Academy (ITSA) at Alamo Colleges, a high school dual-credit program. He convinced and led his alma mater, St. Mary’s University, to develop a cybersecurity master’s degree and program and assisted in the standup. He aided other institutions initiate their cybersecurity programs at Texas A&M-San Antonio, Hallmark University and Northwest Vista. Through his work, San Antonio has nine NSA/DHS Centers of Excellence (CAE) – more than thirty plus U.S. states. As noted, he found many of them.
He created and chaired the Cyber Innovation and Research Consortium (CIRC) comprised of area colleges and university professors focused on cybersecurity and information technology. The establishment of the CIRC played a key role in the Air Force selecting San Antonio for the home of its new “Cyber Command” at 24th Air Force. He created or co-created many programs at numerous other San Antonio primary, secondary and post-secondary educational institutions. He serves on numerous boards and associations in academic, STEM-based organizations and area non-profits and religious organizations. He served on San Antonio’s Archdiocese School Council, chaired many church-based committees and created multiple high school and college-aged retreat programs at his parish.
Joe is the Co-Founder and Principal of the San Antonio CyberPatriot Center of Excellence, founder of the San Antonio Area Federal Intelligence and Law Enforcement Partners Group, founder of the Center for Terrorism Law at St. Mary’s University School of Law, co-founder and co-director of the nation’s first metropolitan-based cybersecurity exercise called Dark Screen Exercise in 2002.
Most recently, in 2022, Joe teamed with area STEM nonprofits to land the coveted DSEC Hub designation for San Antonio. He identified and partnered with the five area DoD Labs, many military agencies and the primary and secondary education networks he knows very well to help develop the ASE-DSEC Hub.
Through his leadership of the CyberTexas Foundation, he is a recipient of the 2016 F.B.I. Director’s Community Leadership Award. He received an Exemplary Service Award from the NSA/CSS Texas Commander. The National Association of Hispanic Federal Executives awarded him a Distinguished Public Service Award. He is a recipient of the Pres. George H.W. Bush, Point of Light earned as a Mentor at Southwest Middle School. He served as a Director for the Leon Valley Economic Development Council. He was conferred a Special Achievement Award as a “Tech Titan” from the San Antonio Business Journal.
Joe completed Air War College by seminar. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and Applied Statistics from St. Mary’s University in 1985. Through an Air Force-wide scholarship selection, he earned a Master’s Degree in Computer Information Systems from St. Mary’s University in 1995.
