Josh grew up in Southern California, but moved to the Midwest in middle school when his father got a job in Minot, North Dakota. When his family moved back to California at the end of his high school career, Josh decided to stay in North Dakota, attending the University of Jamestown where he got a B.A. in History and attending University of North Dakota, where he worked toward getting an M.A. in Community Counseling. During this time, Josh worked in various restaurants and enjoyed spending his visits with family in California touring local wineries and developing his knowledge and passion for wine. After working in mental health for several years, he decided that his passion was in food and beverage, and he rejoined the restaurant industry in a management capacity in Fargo and Sioux Falls for almost a decade, during which time he successfully passed his Certified Sommelier exam with the Court of Master Sommeliers. He continues to demonstrate his passion for wine education and appreciation in the Fargo-Moorhead area and after joining the Rootstock team in late 2022, he has continued to be instrumental in helping start the expansion of Rootstock/Worldwide Cellars wines in various locations in North Dakota. He is currently the Rootstock Account Manager for Fargo-Moorhead and northern Lakes Country, MN. In his free time, Josh enjoys traveling and especially visiting wine regions, golfing, binging prestige television, and cooking.