Joe was first employed by Coates in 1983 as a field agent working during the summers while in school. He graduated from the University of Southern California and received his law degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Law, while working as a law clerk for two Oklahoma City law firms. Joe served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Coates from 1995 to 2006. A member of the Oklahoma County and Oklahoma Bar Associations, Joe joined Coates on a full-time basis in 1990. He is a member of the International Right of Way Association, a former Chairman of the Pipeline Committee of the IRWA ,and is licensed by the Oklahoma Real Estate Commission. He has attended continuing legal education courses in environmental law, human resources, and real property from the Oklahoma Bar Association, the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma City University.