Joe is the Co-Owner, Founder, and Instructor of BEST – Boating Emergency Safety Training, where together with his partners they deliver safety-focused maritime and emergency preparedness training built on more than 30 years of public safety leadership. Their mission is to elevate the competence, confidence, and decision-making of boaters through evidence-based instruction, realistic skill development, and community-focused training.

A United States Army Veteran and trained Combat Medic, Joe completed Basic Training at Fort Bliss, Texas, and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Sam Houston before serving at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC.

Raised on the barrier island of Long Beach, New York, Joe spent two decades navigating the waters of Reynolds Channel and the Atlantic Ocean. His maritime experience continued throughout his 34-year public safety career in Maryland, where he regularly operated on the waterways of the Chesapeake Bay before retiring in 2020 and relocating to Cape Coral, Florida.

Joe retired as Chief of the Bureau of Education and Training for the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services, where he spent 23 years in Special Operations and more than 20 years as a Maryland Certified Fire Service Instructor, teaching emergency medical, fire, and rescue programs to thousands of firefighters.

Today, through BEST, he integrates this operational and instructional experience to deliver bilingual, community-centered boating and emergency safety training that emphasizes situational awareness, risk mitigation, and practical skill mastery—preparing boaters for both routine operations and high-risk emergency situations.

Joe is also a U.S. Coast Guard Licensed Captain, National Safe Boating Council Certified Instructor, American Heart Association Instructor (CPR, First Aid, AED), Certified Boat Handler with the Cape Coral Police Department Volunteer Marine Unit, and a U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Vessel Safety Examiner.