Josué Cruz began his teaching career as a pre-k teacher. A graduate of our Lady of the Lake University, he earned his M.S and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin. He is a former Fulbright Scholar and recipient of the Ford Foundation Fellowship in Urban Education. His professional academic career includes administrative and tenured faculty positions at the University of Virginia, The Ohio State University, and University of South Florida. More recently, he served as Professor of Early Education and Dean of the College of Education and Human Development at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. From 2007 through 2010 Josué was President and CEO of the Council for Professional Recognition (home of the Child Development Associate credential) in Washington, DC. Beginning 2012 through 2015, he served as Accreditation Consultant and Visiting Professor of Early Education at the College of Education, Sultan Qaboos University in Muscat, Oman. Aside from his extensive involvement and work in the Middle East, his work has taken him to Central America, Caribbean, Eastern Europe, Indian Sub-continent, and Cuba.

Josué’s professional career has included membership on the governing board of the National Association of Young Children (NAEYC) , serving as Secretary, Vice President and President. In addition, he was a member of the Bright Horizons and Nick Jr. magazine advisory boards, editorial board member ofYoung Children and Journal of Research in Early Education, and consultant to Head Start programs, McGraw-Hill publishing, and various NGOs and foundations.