As state relations strategist, Joel is dedicated to building relationships with key state policymakers and stakeholders from across the political spectrum and supporting them in developing their education priorities. He is the liaison for Alaska, Connecticut, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia. Prior to joining Education Commission of the States, Joel worked for more than 10 years in the nonpartisan bill drafting office of the Colorado General Assembly and served for nine legislative sessions as the amendment clerk in the Colorado House of Representatives. Joel has a bachelor's degree in English and political science from the University of Mississippi and a master's degree in fiction from the University of North Carolina Wilmington; he's slowly plugging away at a master's degree in public administration from the University of Colorado Denver.