Joseph Costello

Joe Costello joined the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in 2015, bringing his expertise in traditional, digital and social media to his work in marketing the Foundation’s mission, programs, and priorities. “My work in early childhood development, communication’s strategies, marketing, and media prepared me well for working as part of the collaborative media team at RWJF,” says Costello.

Before joining RWJF, Costello served as vice president for external relations, business development, and government affairs for the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia, Pa. In this role, with his focus on market and business development, he helped the Museum exceed all of its earned income goals for the first time in its history. “Please Touch had a major focus on early childhood development, an area that is receiving an increasing amount of attention as we work toward a Culture of Health.”

Previously, Costello served as a senior project manager with Music Choice, a national music content provider for cable television. Earlier, he was program director for WDRE in Philadelphia, and then worked for Philly.com, the web home of The Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News. This was the beginning of the expanding electronic news movement and he was part of the first wave of communicators to specialize in online news and marketing.

Costello earned a BA in Communications from West Chester University in Pennsylvania. A devoted music lover, he still plays guitar with a band he formed in college. The group plays at colleges on the East Coast and their songs have had airplay as far north as Canada.

A native of Ridley Township, Pa., he and his family reside in West Chester, Pa., where he enjoys running, soccer and, of course, playing the guitar.