Due to his extensive civilian service, COL Joe has earned accolades including the FAMU Distinguished Alumni Award, FAMU President’s Service Award and recognition as one of FAMU’s 125 Distinguished Alumni. While serving as president of the 100 Black Men of Tallahassee Area (BMOTA), Inc. for four years and immediate past president for 4 years, he revived the organization’s mentoring program for youth, especially young black men via its Saturday Success and Summer Success Academies while serving as the co-chair for mentoring, a position he holds today. He incorporates the knowledge and experiences of 100 BMOTA members and community members. In those sessions he shares his definition of character, which is “What one does when no one is watching.” He encourages youth to always tell the truth and be of great character.

Education and Training Accomplishments:

• 1962 Campbell Senior High School, Daytona Beach, FL, Diploma
• 1966 Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University (FAMU), Tallahassee, FL Bachelor of Science Political Science/Pre-Law, Minor in Education
• 1966 Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant RA Armor (Distinguished Military Graduate)
• 1966 Armor Officer Basic Course (AOB) Ft. Knox, KY
• 1968 Airborne School, Ft. Benning, GA (Received Outstanding Leadership Award) 1968 Armor Officer Advanced Course, Ft. Knox, KY
• 1971 Joint Warfare Establishment (Old Sarum, England)
• 1976 Florida State University (FSU), Tallahassee, FL, Master’s of Public Administration 1977 Organizational Effectiveness Staff Officer’s Course, Ft. Ord, CA
• 1980 Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, VA
• 1988 United States Army War College, Carlisle, PA
• 2002 Certificate – University of Indiana School of Philanthropy, Indianapolis, IN

Professional or Employment History:

• 1966 Commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant
• 1966 Executive Officer (X0), Company C, 4th Battalion, 1st Brigade, United States Army Training Center (USATC), Fort Knox, Kentucky.
• 1967 Platoon Leader, Co D, 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry, Vietnam
• 1968 Executive Officer, Troop A, 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry, Vietnam
• 1969 Company Commander, Headquarters Company (HHC) 2nd BN, 68th Armor, 8th Infantry Division, (USAREUR) and 7th Army, Baumholder, Germany.
• 1970 S-3, 2nd BN, 68th Armor, 8th Infantry Division, Baumholder, Germany.
• 1971 Aide-De-Camp, Office of Commander in Chief Headquarters, USAREUR and 7th Army, Heidelberg, Germany.
• 1972 Assistant Professor of Military Science, FAMU, Tallahassee, FL.
• 1977 Chief Human Resources Development Officer, HHC Berlin BDE.
• 1979 Battalion XO, 3rd BN 33D Armor, Kirchgoens, Germany.
• 1980 Army Operations Officer, Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force Project Officer “Bright Star,” MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa, FL
• 1982 Executive Officer to USAREUR Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel
• 1984 Commander, 3rd Battalion, 33rd Armor, 3rd Armored Division, USAREUR and 7th Army (M-1 Abrams Tanks)
• 1986 Professor of Military Science, Florida A & M University, Tallahassee, FL.
• 1988 Chief, Human Resources Division, Headquarters, USAREUR & 7A, Germany. 1991 Commandant, Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI), Patrick Air Force Base, Florida.
• 1996 Director of Student Activities & Student Union, FAMU, Tallahassee, FL. 2002 Executive Director, FAMU Foundation, Inc., and Associate Vice President for Development, FAMU, Tallahassee, FL.
• 2005 Interim Vice President, University Relations and Executive Director of the FAMU Foundation,Inc., FAMU Tallahassee, FL
• 2010 Principal Director (Senior Executive Service), Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI), Patrick Air Force Base, FL

Advocacy on behalf of Veterans:

COL Joe is a staunch Veteran and military personnel advocate. As such, he is frequently requested to speak at events and always incorporates Veterans in his comments. He challenges audiences, stating known truths that America can and must do better regarding taking care of its Veterans, particularly in the areas of homelessness, education, services, and mental health. He notes that Veterans from the Vietnam and Korea era are increasing in age and should have the proper resources to care for them. Additionally, his biography is frequently featured in books, projects, and programs which promote Veterans, to include the 2018 Tallahassee Community College Black History Calendar honoring Veterans and the FAMU Alumni Spotlight Report (Veteran’s Day Edition) in 2015. COL Joe was also featured in the Department of Defense journal, Black Americans in Defense of Our Country, serving as a role model for countless soldiers. He is truly recognized as a trailblazer who represents Veterans exceptionally.

In 2002 as Commandant of DEOMI, COL Joe honored the institutional knowledge of DEOMI Veteran instructors. He brought them back to help completely revamp the course and restore it to it’s previous level of excellence. He brought in 49 former staff members, knowing their expertise was critical. He called the project “Task Force Phoenix.

He has spoken at numerous conferences for active duty Service Members to include the 1999 Department of the Army-Wide Equal Opportunity Advisors Training Conference. He served as featured speaker on numerous occasions such as for USAA’s Black Heritage Month closing ceremony in 2011, and the NAACP Armed Services and Veteran Affairs Committee in 2011. He participates regularly, assisting in state-wide Stand Downs that have assisted Veterans with legal, housing, and medical support. He raised thousands of dollars to assist Mount Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Tallahassee, FL expand their Ready4 Work Development program to assist Veterans, homeless citizens, and ex-offenders adapt to society and return to the workforce. As a retiree, COL Joe served on the Secretary of the Army’s ROTC Advisory Board, providing guidance and support to ensure the success of cadets who aspired to become future Army Officers.

Civic Activities and Contributions:

Having an extensive and accomplished military career, COL Joe never faltered on his commitment of service to country, community, and children. He is so committed to giving back that he obtained a certificate from the University of Indiana School of Philanthropy. He has been requested to serve on the Board of Directors for numerous organizations. One of them, Voices for Florida, where he served from 1995 until 2005 credits him with providing the leadership to help guide and transform their organization from The Florida Center for Children and Youth to Voices for Florida. He was an early adopter of the “three-company” model approach – Voices for Florida, The Children’s Campaign and The Children’s Lobby – collectively committed to the single vision of creating a future for Florida’s children to be as limitless as their dreams. The signature program of Voices was the Open Doors Outreach Network, a 24/7 network of care and treatment for victims of commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking. He also served as a member and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors for Search for Common Ground (1995-2000), an international non-profit organization seeking to build world peace and equity through dialogue, media, and community. Additionally, while a member of Search for Common Ground, COL Joe served as a delegate to the first “State of the World Forum.” While serving as a member and Chairperson of the Florida Council for Education and Employment of Women and Girls, he provided research support, advice, and advocacy from 1991-1999. He was frequently requested to serve as a speaker at Florida conferences on Gender Equity in Florida’s classrooms.

An exceptional speaker, COL Joe has been requested to present to thousands of personnel at organizations and conferences world-wide. He served as a guest speaker and EO Facilitator for the 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized) (1992), Guest speaker for the 50th Anniversary of the Alaska Highway (1992), the Florida Education and Employment Council for Women and Girls (1996), Black History Month Speaker for the the US Army Corps of Engineers (Jacksonville District). He utilized his extensive leader skills to present workshops such as the Organization Effectiveness Workshop for FAMU Animal Science and Veterinary Technology in 2010, provided lecture training for the Defense Council in Ottawa, Canada (1996) and presented the FAMU Army ROTC Graduation Address in 2019. He shares the sacrifices of military personnel and their families and the contributions African Americans in speeches within the community to include the John G. Riley Center/Museum of African American History and Culture (2014) Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, Bethel AME Church, and Rickards High School, (2018) and the Army National Guard Readiness Center (2005).

Due to his extensive civilian service, COL Joe has earned accolades including the FAMU Distinguished Alumni Award, FAMU President’s Service Award and recognition as one of FAMU’s 125 Distinguished Alumni. While serving as president of the 100 Black Men of Tallahassee Area (BMOTA), Inc. for four years and immediate past president for 4 years, he revived the organization’s mentoring program for youth, especially young black men via its Saturday Success and Summer Success Academies while serving as the co-chair for mentoring, a position he holds today. He incorporates the knowledge and experiences of 100 BMOTA members and community members. In those sessions he shares his definition of character, which is “What one does when no one is watching.” He encourages youth to always tell the truth and be of great character.

In addition to mentoring youth, he also mentors college students as president of the FAMU National ROTC Alumni Association where he assists with fundraising and programing to ensure FAMU cadet success. He is a mentor with the Leon County School Board, mentoring at least 7 young men beginning in their 3rd grade year and continuing to mentor through 5th grade and constantly encourages his fellow 100 BMOTA to participate. He organizes, participates, and involves 100 BMOTA members and community members to participate in the annual African America Read-In in February at Sealey Elementary to expose children to literature written by and about African Americans. During his presidency of 100 BMOTA, he planned and coordinated two community forums on equity and inclusion, “We Are One.” The main facilitator at these forums was noted anti-racism activist, educator, and diversity trainer, Jane Elliott, known for her Blue eyes-brown eyes exercise conducted for her all white class after the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

He is a member of the local chapter of the NAACP, member of Alpha Zeta Boule1 of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, Life Member of both the FAMU National ROTC and FAMU National Alumni Associations, a Life Member of Blacks in Government, former member (1995-2020) of the Board of Directors of Voices for Florida, and former member (2016) of FAMU President Larry Robinson’s FAMU Forward Think Tank. He has served on numerous Boards of Directors to include Midland Marines Institute, a national organization for mentoring, educating and, counseling youthful offenders. A dedicated fundraiser, COL Joe has helped raise funds for breast cancer research and education for children of color. He strongly supports FAMU sports programs as a contributing member of the 220 Quarter Back Club, the Rattler “F” Club and the FAMU Rattler Boosters, where he currently serves as Vice-President. Additionally, COL Joe served on the American Red Cross National/lnternational Diversity Council providing advice and advocating on behalf of equality, diversity, and inclusion from 1995-96. COL Joe is a dedicated fundraiser and contributes to many worthy causes. He is a scholar, mentor, activist, living role model, husband, and father figure to many. He and his wife, the former Lenita Jones, are Daytona Beach, Florida natives. They have one adult son, Ronald M. Joe II, one granddaughter, Caitlin, one great-grandchild on the way and a host of mentees.

Awards and Honors:

In recognition of his outstanding contributions, COL Joe received the Secretary of Defense Award for Outstanding Public Service in 2012, the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (2nd Award), Bronze Star, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Army Meritorious Service Medals (two Oak leaf clusters), Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Award and the Horatio Gates Award. He is listed in the Office of the Secretary of Defense’s (OSD) publication Black Americans in Defense of our Nation.

For exemplary civilian service, COL Joe received the FAMU President’s Service Award (2008), FAMU Distinguished Alumni Award (2012) and was named by FAMU and the Tallahassee Democrat as one of FAMU’s 125 Distinguished Alumni in 2012. Due to his community support, COL Joe received the 1994 Florida Civil Rights Award and the 2004 NAACP Black Achiever Award. He is a member of the FAMU College of Arts and Sciences and ROTC Halls of Fame. As a student, COL Joe was Cadet Commander of the FAMU Army Rattler Battalion. He was recognized in Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities (1966) and graduated as a Distinguished Military Graduate (1966).

Narrative:

​Colonel (Retired) Ronald M. Joe dedicated his life to military service as a 30-year United States Army Officer. After his retirement in 1996, he continued to serve the military, the community, and the nation. He has followed a standard of excellence that is infectious, inspiring those around him to rise above their perceived limitations. He credits his success to his grandmother who raised him, high school teachers who mentored him, “the village,” hard work, loyal and competent subordinates and being blessed with great supervisors who exhibited the standards of leadership that he wanted to emulate.

Born in Daytona, Florida, COL Joe attended Florida A & M University (FAMU) majoring in Political Science/Pre-Law with a minor in education. While at FAMU, he rose through the ranks as a member of the FAMU Army Reserve Officer Training (ROTC) Battalion. Even as a cadet he stood out as an outstanding soldier. As a result, he was selected to serve as the FAMU Rattler Battalion Cadet Commander. He was elevated to the rank of Cadet Full Colonel and commanded a cadet Brigade (two Battalions, 890 plus cadets).He was the Top Cadet at ROTC Summer Camp and was a Distinguished Military Graduate (DMG) when commissioned as a Regular Army Combat Arms Armor Officer in 1966.

Joe initially joined the military having lived through the Jim Crow era of segregation because he felt it was the segment of society that offered him the greatest opportunity to advance to the highest levels possible. He believed that if he were consistent with his abilities, he would experience the least amount of discrimination based on his race, religion or ethnicity than in the civilian workplace. He proudly served the nation as an Officer, always remaining committed to promoting equality within his sphere of influence.

During his military career, COL Joe served in Vietnam, Africa, South East Asia, Canada, Germany, Russia, and the United States. Prior to attending the Armor Officer Basic Course, Joe served from July 1967 to July 1968 in Long Gao, Vietnam as Tank and Armored Cavalry Troop Platoon Leader and a Troop Executive Officer. He faced many challenging days in Vietnam, traversing heavily jungled terrain that could submerge M-48 A3 tanks in murky mud. He returned from Vietnam to an America that overtly expressed an aversion to both the military and people of color, but he did not allow either to deter him from his personal standard of excellence. He was proud to serve the nation as a commissioned officer and did so with dignity and great pride, and was always impeccable while wearing his uniform.

COL Joe consistently strives to walk in excellence. His high standards are evident based on his results. As a Major, he was selected as project officer for the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force (RDJTF) Exercise Bright Star 81. It was the largest deployment of US armed forces outside of the continental United States (OCONUS) since World War II. COL Joe was personally selected to brief the exercise to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Since he did such an exceptional job, he was tasked once again to plan and write and the significant military exercise brief (SMEB) for OCONUS Exercise Bright Star 82.

Education is critically important to COL Joe. He can personally attest to the change it made in his own life. He returned to FAMU twice to instruct. The first assignment was as a military instructor, and in 1986, he returned to serve as Professor of Military Science (PMS) for the Rattler Battalion. While there, he implemented numerous programs that developed the cadets in preparation for their service in the Army. One such program was establishing a reading and writing improvement training for his cadets and establishing the Army Rangers on the campus of FAMU. His tenure was cut short as PMS because he was selected to attend The Army War College in Carlisle, PA.

COL Joe served four tours of duty in U.S. Army Europe. He commanded 3rd Battalion, 33rd Armor, an M-1 tank battalion, and was later the Chief of Human Resources for U.S. Army Europe during Operation Desert Storm, providing human resources policy for more than 500,000 soldiers and family members. While in that role, COL Joe focused on improving the quality of life of the soldiers and families he served. He executed general staff responsibility for child development services, health promotion, drug, and alcohol abuse prevention and family programs (to include Exceptional Family Members, Family Advocacy, Family Action Plan and Family Force Forum), USO and Department of Defense Dependent Schools (DODDS) and served as a liaison for the Red Cross. As Chief of Human Resources, he executed and oversaw a $40-million budget and served as the leader of a special HQ USAREUR Staff Task Force responsible for providing coordination support for the family members of soldiers and civilians who fought in Desert Storm. Due to his work to aid in USAREUR’s support of and participation in Desert Storm, he was cited in an Army history book on the USAREUR role in Desert Storm. The programs that he created for families were unparalleled. COL Joe was specifically featured due to his creation of policies and emphasis on family programs designed to assist families of a forward deployed Army where members were further deployed to serve in combat operations (Desert Storm). His policies remain unrivaled.

COL Joe has been a staunch supporter of equal opportunity, diversity and inclusion while in service. In 1991 he was selected to serve as Commandant of the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI), a joint service military school supporting all Department of Defense and U.S. Coast Guard equal opportunity (Military) and equal employment opportunity (Civilian) program requirements. During his tenure, DEOMI provided 16 weeks of human relations training to establish equal opportunity professionals for each branch of service. The training is unequaled in its importance.

In 2010, Joe returned to DEOMI as a member of the Senior Executive Service (SES), a grade equivalent to the military rank of brigadier general. He completely revamped the DEOMI curriculum, instituting the first online Equal Opportunity Learning Management System and developed the first Cross-Cultural competence symposium website. Additionally, he spearheaded Department of Defense (DOD) hazing prevention initiatives and implemented a program for the prevention of sexual assault. His efforts changed the perception of DEOMI from being focused on equal opportunity training to being a force multiplier. Due to COL Joe, human relations were seen as a leadership issue.

As leader of DEOMI, COL Joe played a critical role in the battle against overt and covert forms of racism and discrimination in the military. The school was founded in 1971 due to the racial turmoil within the services. He oversaw a staff of more than 110 personnel and graduated an average of 850 students each year from its resident courses, training more than 3,600 DOD military personnel annually through Mobile Training Teams. DEOMI also provided advice throughout the DOD on EO and EEO policy and concerns.

DEOMI is the only DOD institute that conducts education, research, and training for all military and civilian EO Advisors and diversity practitioners. As Commandant of DEOMI, COL Joe conducted and presided over training and discussions. COL Joe conducted and presided over training and discussions on EO, Diversity and Conflict Resolution in the USA, Canada,Germany, Poland, Russia, Egypt, Somalia, and S. Africa. He also provided consulting services to governmental agencies at all levels. Additionally, COL Joe was responsible for the equal opportunity and diversity training of all newly appointed General and Flag Officers (0-7) and Senior Executive Service (Civilian General Officer equivalent). Through his external training services (Mobile Training Teams), he provided leadership, education and, training to every level, from private to Senior Executive Service for all branches of service.

Due to his expertise, COL Joe was appointed a member of the presidential and congressional Military Leadership Diversity Commission (MLDC). The Commission assessed equity and diversity for minority officers for all services. Their objective was to identify obstacles that prevented promotions on an equitable basis for all armed forces. By helping top leaders within the Department of Defense identify promotion obstacles, COL Joe helped influence the culture of their respective organizations.

Additionally, promoted equal opportunity training within the units. His efforts placed DEOMI on the map as the “go to” institution of choice. As a result of the increased and effectiveness of the training and education provided by DEOMI under the leadership of COL Joe, units experienced increased cohesion and cultural awareness.

When the South African leadership struggled to integrate African officers into higher ranks, COL Joe was specifically requested and traveled to South Africa to provide advice to the government. He served on the Commandant of the Marine Corps (4-star General Mundy) Diversity Advisory Council. As a result, the Marine Corps assigned its first ever Marine to DEOMI, LTC Willie Jones, to serve on staff. Also, after the Tailhook scandal, the Commandant of the Marine Corps brought his senior leaders (2-star and above) to DEOMI for a week of human relations and sexual harassment prevention training.

After retiring from the military, COL Joe leveraged his military leadership experience to give back to FAMU, his beloved alma mater, serving for 13 years as an administrator and bettering the lives of countless students through example and mentoring, especially Student Government Association (SGA) leaders. As Assistant Vice President for Development, COL Joe provided leadership for the FAMU Foundation, Inc., overseeing total assets in excess of $100 million dollars. The FAMU Foundation received “unqualified” (excellent) ratings annually based upon an independent audit review during his oversight. Joe raised over $12 million dollars in philanthropic contributions, an unprecedented sum for the university. Due to his dedication, Joe received the Distinguished Alumni Award and was named as one of FAMU’s Distinguished Alumni.

Well versed in the importance of mentorship, Colonel Joe is extremely active in his community. He served from 1995 until 2005 as a member and vice chair (2000-2005) of the Board of Directors for Search for Common Ground (SSFCG), leveraging his experience to provide critical advice on diversity, human and race relations for the largest Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) working worldwide in the field of conflict resolution. Joe also provided key advice on SFCG initiatives to develop ways to resolve inter-ethnic conflicts and improve diversity and human relations in American cities and communities, particularly during times of racial unrest.

Focused on improving the lives of youth, COL Joe encourages Floridians to become caring mentors. He stresses to mentees the importance of will power, hard work, and paying remarkably close attention to detail. He served as president for four years of the Tallahassee chapter of 100 Black Men of America, Inc. and continues to serve as mentoring co-chair where he influences the lives of young men in the Tallahassee community. In 1991 he was honored to be appointed by Florida Governor Lawton Chiles to serve on the Florida Education and Employment Council for Women and Girls. He served on that board for eight years as a member and vice chair and as Chair in 1995 and 1996. He reported directly to the Florida Commissioner of Education, Frank T. Brogan, and the Florida Cabinet. The Council provided strategies to obtain equal employment and working wage opportunities for women and girls.

Whether serving his country or his community, COL Joe remains a trailblazer who inspires others as he charges ahead, always following the edict he learned in Army ROTC of “Lead, Follow or get the Hell Out of the Way!” He is a man of faith who brings out the best in those he interacts with and mentors. His favorite poem is “If’ by Rudyard Kipling. He lives his life by those principles, and shares those important tenets with his mentees along with General Colin Powell’s “Thirteen Leadership Precepts.”

We can think of no other Service Member who is more deserving to be recognized in the Florida Veteran’s Hall of Fame than COL (Retired) Ronald Mack Joe. He is a man of integrity who inspires others by walking in excellence and striving to be the best in every undertaking, guided by the hard leadership lessons learned throughout his 30-year military career. After military retirement, he continued giving back as an Executive at Florida A & M University, influencing future leaders and showing them the possibilities they could achieve if only they believed. He is a man of vision who takes every undertaking seriously and treats every task placed before him as a major military operation. He takes responsibility seriously and impresses the same values on others, particularly our responsibility to Veterans. Thankfully, his mentorship is no longer confined within the Department of Defense. He continues to give back, promoting positive human relations throughout his sphere of influence. We are ever grateful for his service to all.