I met with Joe at the Raw Deal (a place that held good memories from his time at UW-Stout) for coffee while he was home visiting his family. Joe has had an interesting life so far, due to the unique choices he made in high school and beyond.
Joe’s memories of high school were different from most people’s. Early on, he knew that he wanted to have a career in technology of some sort. Because he was so focused on that, his final two years of high school were devoted to Communication Technology, and he thanks former MHS teachers Phil Winegar and Jude Marion for guiding him on his pathway to success.
During his junior and senior years, with support from Jude Marion, he was in the Youth Apprenticeship Program (leaving school every afternoon at 12:36 to work at Cedar Corp.) as well as Cisco Academy I and II. Consequently, Joe wasn’t in “traditional” school much of his junior and senior years. Joe knew college was in his future, so he worked many jobs in the summers to save up money—a lawn-mowing business (including a number of area cemeteries) and the Dunn County Highway Department where he worked in the front office developing its first Geographic Information System (GIS) program. While at the Highway Department, he got familiar with all the county roads in Dunn County by using GPS—a new technology just beginning to be used—to locate every culvert in the county!

In addition, during his senior year of high school, Joe enlisted in the Wisconsin Army National Guard out of Chippewa Falls to help pay his future college expenses. There he was trained as a Combat Engineer 12B.
Enrolling at UW-Stout, Joe pursued a degree in Technology Management. While a student there, he was approached by a professor asking if he wanted to be a TA (Teaching Assistant). Consequently, Joe was a TA 1 and 2 in Java until graduation. He joined ROTC his junior year and was one of the first three students at UW-Stout to become a commissioned officer.
After graduation, Joe moved to Minneapolis and worked as a network engineer, deploying technology systems.
From 2010 – 2011, he was also deployed to Balad, Iraq. After his tour in Iraq, Joe began working at UnitedHealth Group and Optum. In 2014, he transferred to the Air Force Reserve. Joe mentioned that among the reasons he transferred was the fact that it had been a family tradition to go to the annual EAA Air Show in Oshkosh with his grandpa, a tradition he continues to carry on today.
Joe currently is a Watch Officer assigned to the Pentagon supporting the Joint Staff and the SecDef at the National Military Command Center (NMCC). He has served in the Wisconsin Army National Guard for twelve years and in the Air Guard for almost twelve more. He credits his decision to enlist in the military as a wonderful way to finance his education as well as have a broad variety of opportunities to learn and grow.
After he completed his active duty, Joe began working at UnitedHealth. In Acquisition/Merger, his job there was to integrate the technology of the companies UnitedHealth Group (UHG) acquired. Joe estimated that he probably worked with 50 different companies during his ten years there.

On September 9, 2024, Joe—along with colleagues he had previously worked with at UnitedHealth—founded PointHealth AI. PointHealth was founded with a simple, but powerful mission—to help people get the right medical treatment the first time. The company combines genomics, big data, and artificial intelligence to give doctors and patients precise, personalized insights about which medications are most likely to work—and which to avoid. Joe’s title is CEO, and his co-founder Rachel Gollub, serves as CTO (Chief Technology Officer).
So far, Joe’s story sounds like his entire life has been taken up in military and corporate work, doesn’t it? But this energetic young man also makes time to pursue his other interests.
Joe has lived in Minneapolis and now spends his time between Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Tucson, Arizona. He is an avid mountain biker and an adventurer who enjoys exploring natural landscapes throughout the country and the world. “I’ve traveled across South America and Europe. My colleagues at PointHealth AI call me ‘Tumbleweed’ because, ever since I sold my home in Minnesota in 2021, I’ve been living in my RV and traveling around the Southwest.”
We’re glad this “Tumbleweed” tumbled into Menomonie this summer so that we could learn what this MHS Grad is up to!
Judy Foust is a retired longtime 7th Grade Reading Specialist at Menomonie Middle School. To submit info to her or to request an interview she may be contacted at [email protected]