Joel is an attorney and career Public Defender.  He is a lifelong dog lover who also loves golf and cycling.  In 2020 he adopted Sequoyah who was a career changed service dog that became the official comfort dog for the Cook County Public Defender’s Office.

That experience has been life-changing.  He has seen Sequoyah assist with people suffering from panic attacks and on a daily basis he watches Sequoyah reduce the stress and bring happiness to Joel’s colleagues throughout the office. Joel brings his legal knowledge and perspective to this new organization.

Joel is proud to be a co-founder of Healing Hearts to help others benefit from the healing power of dogs and their amazing compassion.