Joy has a 30-year career working with local governments in both the private and public sectors. As a planning professional, she has a deep understanding of issues affecting local governments in Pennsylvania.

In 2019, Joy became the Executive Director of Local Government Academy, which is a Non-Profit organization that provides non-partisan, fact-based education relevant to local governments in Pennsylvania. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Arts in Communication Studies, from California University of Pennsylvania (now Pennsylvania Western University – California).

She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, American Planning Association, Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Planning Association, and appointed to the Board of Directors of the Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority.