Joe Herrity

Joe has spent the past 20 years traversing the social sector with a steadily increasing focus on inclusive economic mobility, including whether and how public systems are structured to reliably produce equitable economic opportunities and outcomes. He is a proud two-term alumnus of the AmeriCorps program for national service, which launched him into adulthood and a career of service.

Joe's colorful resume includes six years in direct service working with young people in the juvenile legal system, and a decade leading collective impact efforts focused on career pathways for Opportunity Youth. Along the way, Joe has served as interim executive director at Educare California at Silicon Valley, interim executive director with the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) through the pandemic, and as co-founder-turned-co-convener of the California Opportunity Youth Network. In addition to his work with VLC, Joe currently serves in philanthropy with the Stuart Foundation, focusing on alternative education.

In his free time, Joe is a community activist for Opportunity Youth in San Jose, where he is particularly committed to bringing their voices and experiences with him and facilitating community processes that make space for young leaders. He proudly serves as a founding Ally Advisor to the Youth Liberation Movement, a young-adult organization in Santa Clara County working to help public systems and agencies center lived expertise through intergenerational engagement. Joe serves on the Youth Committee of the work2future Workforce Development Board and on the Board of Directors for a statewide reengagement high school, the School for Integrated Academics and Technology (SIATech).

Joe holds a Masters degree in public administration from San Jose State University, where his graduate research focused on personalized guidance and support in reengagement education settings. But he is most proud of his community college associates degree. Joe loves being a dad to two nearly feral children, going downhill fast on snow and dirt, and forever chasing the art of Brazilian jiu jitsu.