Joy has more than 25 years of experience in working with color guard programs and began her career in Arkansas, where she first fell in love with the activity in junior high school. She continued as a performer through college and spent a summer with Southwind Drum and Bugle Corps. After choreographing and consulting for many years with several programs throughout northeast Arkansas, her family relocated to the St. Louis area in 2002. She spent a year with the Spirit of Northwest guard before becoming a color guard director with the Rockwood School District, where she coached for 16 years (3 with Eureka, 13 with Rockwood Summit). During that time, she led teams to a medal placement at MCCGA Championships 8 times. Outside of color guard, Joy has spent 19 years as the manager of the Flow Cytometry Research Core Facility in the St. Louis University School of Medicine. She lives in Fenton with her husband, two children, and her mom, who all make juggling career, coaching, and family possible.