Joel is a mission-driven nonprofit executive and faith-based leader with more than 20 years of senior leadership experience serving at the intersection of emotional health, spiritual formation, and global missions. As Founder of Wholehearted, Joel provides strategic vision, leads fundraising and donor engagement, and develops scalable programs that promote relational health and resilience for individuals and organizations worldwide.

Joel has served in senior executive and multi-site leadership roles, where he has overseen staff teams, launched new initiatives, and cultivated healthy organizational cultures. His leadership is marked by strong financial stewardship, strategic execution, and a deep commitment to developing leaders and sustaining mission-focused growth.

A gifted communicator, Joel has spoken to more than two million people across over 20 nations. He has served as a keynote speaker for major conferences and as a teaching pastor in large, multi-site church environments, equipping diverse audiences with clarity, insight, and practical wisdom. He has also represented global organizations, including Compassion International, advocating for vulnerable communities and mobilizing support.

Joel brings extensive global missions experience, having led and cared for teams serving in approximately 20 countries. His firsthand understanding of the emotional and relational challenges faced by global workers shapes his passion for providing accessible, faith-integrated care.

He is currently pursuing a Master’s in Counseling at Liberty University, further strengthening his commitment to ethical, professional mental health care. While not a clinician, Joel is a counseling-informed leader who deeply values the integration of faith and clinical excellence.

Joel holds a Juris Doctor from Texas A&M University School of Law and a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from the University of Texas at Tyler, with additional graduate-level studies in psychology at Harvard University. He has also taught graduate-level leadership and communication courses as an adjunct professor at Belmont University.

Joel is the author of five books and co-host of the Wholehearted Podcast. He currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife, Casey, and their son, Lincoln, and daughter, Reagan.