About
My Background
ERIC is the second child of four born to retired USAF Airman, USPS-LAX General Supervisor, Athlete, Alpha, and Deacon James Henry and Deaconess Sherlene “Bunny” Joseph in Los Angeles, CA.
In 2018, ERIC was named Educator Of The Year For The State Of Oklahoma by Perry Publishing and Broadcasting. In December 2017, the former Oklahoma City Mayor appointed him to serve as a member of the Whiz Kids of Oklahoma Advisory Board. In May 2014, Oklahoma Governor appointed him to serve on the Oklahoma State Advisory Group Board on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. In December 2013, the Oklahoma City Mayor appointed him to serve on the Oklahoma City Civic Center Foundation Board.
In 2010, ERIC was awarded Teacher Of The Year runner-up by the University Of Phoenix students. In December 2004, the Oklahoma Human Rights Commission honored and awarded him the keynote address on Will Rogers at their 21st annual Human Rights Day and Awards Ceremony. In September 2002, he served as the “Guest Chaplain For A Day” and opened the 107th U.S. House of Congress with the invocation prayer on C-SPAN-TV.
His U.S. Congressman honored him on the U.S. House Floor for his life-time career of services. In 2002, he appeared in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers as one of the most prominent teachers in the nation.
Internationally, ERIC taught graduate business courses on “managing cultural differences” in London (Popular), England of the United Kingdom; Gumpoldskirchen, Austria (a district of Bezirk Mödling in lower Vienna, Austria); Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany (a region of Stuttgart, District of Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg); and Schaffhausen, Switzerland (on the upper Rhine River near the German border).
ERIC is an active member of both Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity (Boule), Inc. and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
My Education
ERIC spent his formative years (K-12) of education overcoming learning challenges as a student-learner in the Los Angeles Unified School District. After he graduated from Gardena High School, he attended for two years El Camino College in Torrance, CA. During this time, he received two diplomas from two defunct Fine Arts Institutions: Carolina Leonetti School of Performing Arts, L.T.D., and the National Broadcasting School. Both schools located in Hollywood, CA.
ERIC earned an athletic scholarship to a four-year private institution of higher education across town, Biola University, in La Mirada, CA. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Communications, with a concentration in Radio, Television, and Film, and minor in Biblical Studies (Bible). He earned both his Master of Arts in Christian Education and Master of Divinity in Biblical Exposition with a minor in New Testament (Koine Greek) Languages from Talbot School of Theology. He was one of the youngest graduate and dean’s list students to received his Ed.D. (Ph.D.) with honors and concentration in Inter-Cultural Education and Studies.
He collected all five degrees from Biola University. During this time, he also received a graduate diploma from the Evangelical Teacher’s Training Association of Wheaton, Illinois.
As a student-athlete, ERIC was the recipient of the Biola University President Emeritus Samuel Herbert Sutherland Award. The following year he won the distinguished national Bob Wheeler Award as the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Male-Athlete-Of-The-Year in Track & Field. This award recognized the highest standards of Christian (moral) character, athletic achievement, and campus leadership. He became a two-time NCCAA national champion in the Men’s Triple Jump. In only two years of eligibility, he was an eight-time NCCAA All-American and the second leading scorer in Biola history. He trained and attempted to qualify for the U.S.A. National and U.S.A. Olympic teams. He retired in 1997.
My Expertise
ERIC is a noted “Intellectual Entrepreneur,” a trailblazing educator, theologian, and global thought leader on several hot button topics, but not limited to the following concentrations diversity, race, love, relationships, marriage, and of course leadership.
ERIC is a sought after Keynote speaker, strategist, educator, minister, consultant, leader, Reality TV actor, Radio personality, retired athlete, political operative, philanthropist, and humorist. He is also a noted academician in several concentrations, such as Human history/experiences, macro/micro/multi/inter-cultures, education, humanities, religion, philosophy, psychology, sociology, human development, genealogist, sociology, politics, corporate responsibility, industrial, and organizational change.
ERIC’s pedagogical and andragogical maxim is “If You Do Not Learn The Way That I Teach, Then I Should Teach The Way That You Learn.” He believes that Educators should be able to not merely reject but to adapt, adopt, and adjust to the multicultural learning style of their student-learners in the classroom without compromising academic integrity. Also, our student-learners education should go far beyond the textbook, the computer screen, or the written exam.
ERIC believes that age is no longer just a pathway to opportunity and success, but a pre-requisite, and that early childhood education matters and that it is a continuous development “From The High Chair to High School to Higher Education.” He concurs with First Things First research that “90% of a child’s brain develops before they start kindergarten. And research shows that the quality of a child’s experiences in their first five years helps shape how their brain develops.” Furthermore, the findings found that “Kids with positive, stable relationships with parents and caregivers, as well as quality child care and preschool experiences, go on to do better in school and life. They are more likely to read at grade level and graduate from high school. They are more prepared for college and career. They also tend to be healthier and demand less from the public welfare system. These are better outcomes for kids that also save taxpayers money.”
As an advocate for early, middle, and later education, ERIC continues to travel across the country, promoting and speaking on his “hot button” Pre-K to grade-16 readiness and survival skills workshop entitled “From The High Chair to High School to Higher Education.” He supports that school readiness and preparatory programs should include pre-kindergarten children from the high chair age. These programs, through education, should serve every social, economic status, health, spiritual, and other “macro-micro culture” services of the child from not only the high chair age but through high school and higher education.
As an educator, ERIC champions the Arizona State University (ASU) innovative charter, and he further believes that maybe every comprehensive public research university should be “measured not by whom it excludes, but by whom it includes and how they succeed; advancing research and discovery of public value; and assuming fundamental responsibility for the economic, social, cultural and overall health of the communities it serves.”
Right-On ASU!
My Employment
ERIC is the Founder, Owner, President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of both E. A. Joseph Ministries, LLC, and E. A. Joseph Consulting Enterprises, LLC, with the headquarters in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and other locations in Los Angeles, California, and Phoenix, Arizona.
During ERIC's historic three-decade plus career in higher education (from faith-based universities, an HBCU, and division one flagship university), he had the privilege of providing strategic leadership in nearly every major area of the academy – strategic planning, diversity, academic affairs, educational outreach, student services, information technology, enrollment management, government affairs, community engagement, athletics, fiscal affairs, external/internal affairs, university advancement, and institutional effectiveness.
ERIC served nine years from 2010 to 2019 as the first Vice President for Strategic Initiatives at Mid-America Christian University (MACU) in southwest Oklahoma City, OK. He was the first Afrikan-American executive administrator (VP) in the history of MACU and the first among the three other sisters Church Of God (Anderson, Indiana) institutions of higher education. He also served as the founding VP/Chief Diversity Officer, founding Executive Director of the James Earl Massey Center for Ministry and Leadership, Executive Cabinet Member, and Full Professor status in both the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) and the College of Adult and Graduate Studies (CAGS).
ERIC serves as a Peer Reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association (NCA) with headquarters in Chicago, IL.
He volunteers time and expertise to help colleges and universities advance their quality. The HLC is an independent corporation that is one of six regional institutional accreditors in the United States. HLC accredits degree-granting post-secondary educational institutions in the North Central region, which territories include the area of nineteen states. His jurisdiction is in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Before arriving at MACU, ERIC served as an educator at The University Of Phoenix (2007-2010), Langston University (1992-2010), Azusa Pacific University (1992-1997), and Biola University (1985-1994). After his tenure at MACU, he serves Arizona State University as a consultant.
Ecclesiastically, ERIC is an ordained and licensed Minister and Elder of the Gospel of the Messiah Jesus Christ. During his formative years, he was reared and baptized with his siblings in Liberty Baptist Church of Los Angeles, CA. He served from 1982 to 1998 as Associate Minister and Elder at Hope of Glory Christian Center in south-central Los Angeles, CA. Upon his arrival at Langston University in rural Langston (OK), he served from 1998 to 2010 as the fourth university Chaplain and founding Director (Associate Dean) of the John William & Annie Laurie Coleman Heritage Center (Chapel) at dear Langston University.
My Hobbies
When ERIC is not working with clients, he enjoys reading, working out, playing basketball, golfing, attending the arts, attending sporting events, traveling, and hosting family gatherings with his wife. They are active philanthropists and enjoy participating in their respective fraternity and sorority social and scholarship activities. One of their favorite weekend activities is enjoying worship services and watching documentary-dramas.
CV/Resume
