Joan was born and raised in the East Bay into a large family (she has 8 siblings!). Her parents raised them all with a sense of social activism and involvement.

She graduated later in life from Cal State Hayward (she refuses to say East Bay) with a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies with an Option in Early Childhood Education. She intended to go into teaching but life had different plans and she ended up working in accounting. She worked part time while raising her two boys for her brother who was a CPA. She has volunteered over the years for various school, scouts, music, and athletic organizations that her two boys have participated in. She has volunteered and worked at several non-profits throughout her career.

She re-joined Alegria in September of 2022 as a part time Senior Bookkeeper. She is very active in her community and currently serves on the Board of the Hayward Education Foundation. She lives in Hayward “Heart of the Bay” with her husband Roger and their dog Ellie.

When not working, she can usually be found doing genealogical research, going to a baseball game, reading, working a puzzle, walking her dog, or binging something on Netflix.