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R. Joshua Drywater is a Training and Technical Assistance Associate at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Rehabilitation Research and Training Center. Joshua works within the center on activities geared towards Indigenous inclusivity and Native Initiatives. Previously, Joshua served as the Program Manager for Native Initiatives at the University of Arizona’s Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities, where he and his staff took pride in providing assistance to individuals overcoming difficult barriers to employment. Joshua attained an M.B.A. with an emphasis on Native American Leadership from Southeastern Oklahoma State University and is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute (OUEDI). Additionally, Joshua is an Army combat veteran, who was assigned as a Platoon Leader and Executive Officer during his stint in Baghdad, Iraq.
Joshua is a Cherokee Nation citizen with tribal government work experience managing several economic and workforce development programs, including the Comprehensive and Accessible Reemployment through Equitable Employment Recovery (CAREER), Employment Recovery (ER), Trade and Economic Transition (TET), and Disability Employment Initiative (DEI) grants, as well as, oversight of portions of tribal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and Public Law 102-477 funds.