Dr. Joe Bound -- The Sum of the Parts

There’s a common phrase, "The whole is greater than the sum of the parts." The reality of that concept is evident in the value of the wide range of education and experience that Dr. Joe Bound brings to his mission as director of education for Diocese of Green Bay.

In his position at the Diocese, Joe is responsible for the overall direction of diocesan efforts in the three forms of Catholic lifelong learning: Catholic schools, religious education programs, and ongoing adult faith formation. He believes that his greatest challenges are related to the implementation of the strategic plans for each area. He is committed to working closely with parishes, staffs, and the diocesan board of education to increase enrollment in all areas, create strong curricula, promote professional staff development, and ensure that all programs are conducted as cost-effectively as possible.

Joe is a native of the Washington State, born in Seattle and raised in a rural area near Snohomish. He attended Catholic elementary school and graduated from John F. Kennedy High School, an archdiocesan high school in Seattle. After graduating from Seattle University with a B.A. degree in business administration, over a 12-year span he completed the California teacher certification program at University of the Pacific and earned an M.B.A. degree from California State University, Stanislaus in Turlock, California. In 1994, he was awarded a Ph.D. in educational administration from Purdue University.

At each step in his varied work experience, Joe developed skills that prepared him well for the educational, spiritual, and business sides of diocesan education operations. He’s been an industrial salesperson in Washington, Oregon, and California, a credit and loan officer for financial institutions in California; and business manager for Kappa Delta Pi, the Indiana-based international honor society in education. His career in Catholic education spans over 20 years, first as a teacher at St. John the Evangelist School in Carmichael, California and later as a teacher and business manager at St. Mary’s High School in Stockton, California. He also held the position of assistant superintendent of schools for over eight years for the Archdiocese of Hartford, Connecticut and was simultaneously the middle and high school principal at St. Paul Catholic High School in Bristol, Connecticut for one year.

Over the years, he has been an adjunct faculty member at Humphreys College in Stockton, California; Indiana Business College, Lafayette, Indiana; Indiana Wesleyan University, Marion, Indiana; Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, Connecticut; and Albertus Magnus College, New Haven, Connecticut. He has taught courses in business management, economics, educational administration, international business, marketing, and strategic planning.

In 2004 he moved to Wisconsin as president of the ACES Xavier Educational System in Appleton where he was instrumental in developing comprehensive strategic and business plans. Two years later, Bishop David Zubik appointed Joe as director of education for the Diocese of Green Bay with responsibility for all adult faith formation, parish religious education, and Catholic schools in the Diocese.

Dr. Bound is Byzantine Catholic, has been married to his wife Linda for 30 years, and has two grown sons: Nicholas (25) who lives in Londonderry, New Hampshire with his wife Cara, and Andrew (22) who lives in Oxford, Ohio. Joe and his wife are members of St. Pius X Parish in Appleton and St. George Melkite-Greek Catholic Parish in Milwaukee. Outside of the office, his interests include biking, camping, cross-country and downhill skiing, hiking, model railroading, reading biographies and mysteries, studying French, and watching Green Bay Packers games.

His favorite Scripture verse is John 6:51: I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world."