Joe Marino

Joe Marino started their professional career in 1993 as an Officer in the US Army, where they served for eight years. During this time, they led a platoon and developed crowd control tactics for a deployed unit. Following their military service, Joe worked as a Corporate, Contract, and Professional Recruiter, placing veterans in management positions at Fortune 500 companies and recruiting for various firms.

In 2002, Joe joined the Florida House of Representatives as a Legislative Analyst, providing analysis, recommendations, and drafting legislation in the Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs. Joe authored language protecting military funerals and corrected fiscal impact analysis on bills.

From 2006 to 2008, Joe worked at the Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs as the Deputy Director for Legislative Affairs, advocating for positive legislation and serving as a registered lobbyist to the Governor, Cabinet, and legislature.

From 2008 to 2010, Joe worked in the Executive Office of the Governor as the Defense Coordinator, promoting defense economic development and managing contracts with Space Florida and Enterprise Florida.

In 2010, Joe co-founded the Florida Defense Contractors Association, a nonprofit networking and advocacy association for defense contractors. Joe served as President and managed all association operations, communications, and corporate membership sales.

From 2015 to 2017, Joe worked as the Operations Director at Veterans Florida, a startup nonprofit. Joe established operations policies and procedures and provided consultation to the executive director on budgeting, staffing, and board management.

Finally, from 2017 to the present, Joe has served as the Career Services Director and Executive Director at Veterans Florida. Joe leads a team that connects veterans with employers, manages a budget of over $2 million, and oversees an employer grant program.

Joe Marino attended the United States Military Academy at West Point from 1989 to 1993. Joe earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Management during their time at the academy.