Joe Anderson

He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Anthropology from Tufts University. Joe came to St. Mary’s County from Connecticut in 1974 as a Vista volunteer, and has devoted much of the last 40 years to community service. He has served as a St. Mary’s County Commissioner (1998–2002), is a past member of the St. Mary’s County Planning Commission, served on the Greenwell Foundation and on the gubernatorial-appointed Board of Governors of the former Southern Maryland Higher Education Center (now USMSM). He is also president of the Board of Directors for the St. Mary’s County Watershed Association. (Note: The need for workforce development is a passion for Joe, who likes to point to his own struggles finding employment after being caught in a downsizing in 2017. Joe currently works in the hospitality industry in St. Mary’s County—or as he likes to describe it, “I’m a prep cook in a local seafood joint.” He is adamant that the USMSM needs to become a regional leader in education and workforce preparation, helping young people in the region prepare for and find good jobs that will allow them to stay in Southern Maryland.