Joe DeFranco
Congregational Care Minister
Joe combines his love of music and mentoring our youth by playing in the Joyful Noise praise band at Arcola UMC and teaching at our annual Summer in the Arts Camps. Joe began attending Arcola in 2019, drawn to the outstanding music program led by Tianna Durbin. He soon found himself building a school in Mexico, helping with confirmation mentoring, teaching at the arts camp, attending a Discipleship Bible Study and building wonderful friendships along the way. Originally raised in the Chicago suburbs and educated at Western Illinois University (B.S.) and University of Illinois at Champaign/Urbana (M.A.P.A), Joe now enjoys the retired lifestyle after serving 22 years as a Marine Corps Officer and 23 years in sales leadership in the I.T. industry. Joe now proudly considers himself a traffic and email minimalist and can normally be found playing his bass with his band, hanging out at the gym or trying to keep up with his grandchildren on a ski slope out west.