Joseph Otto

Joseph Otto has a diverse work experience, starting in 2003 as a Seasonal Worker at Garst Seed Co, where they performed various tasks related to seed processing. Joseph later worked as a Field Organizer for John Edwards for President in 2007. From 2007 to 2010, they served as a Docent at the Burwell School Historic Site while also working as a Site Manager at The Alliance for Historic Hillsborough. In 2010, they became a Graduate Research Assistant at Appalachian State University. In 2012, they moved on to become a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Oklahoma, helping with undergraduate history classes. Joseph then worked as an Executive Director at the Jasper County Historical Museum from 2017 to 2018. In 2018, they took on the role of Communications Specialist at the Iowa Water Center. Joseph joined the Soil and Water Conservation Society in 2019, initially as a Historian and Archivist, later transitioning to Project Manager/Historian and finally serving as Special Projects and Partnerships Director, and Historian. Joseph'smost recent position is as the Climate SMART Deputy Project Director at Truterra, LLC, starting in 2023.

Joseph Otto received their Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in History from Iowa State University - College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in 2007. Later, they pursued a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching from East Carolina University from 2008 to 2009. Joseph went on to complete a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in History from Appalachian State University from 2010 to 2012. Finally, Joseph Otto obtained their Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in History from the University of Oklahoma from 2012 to 2017.