Joseph Reed is the policy director for the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists. He is a government affairs professional with nearly 20 years of experience across the private, public, and civic sectors, and has managed federal, state, and local issue campaigns. Before joining the organization, Reed was senior policy advocate at the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, where he worked on fair housing and credit access. He previously was a policy analyst at the NAACP, working on civil rights issues including criminal justice, voting rights, environmental justice, health care, education reform, and economic justice. He also served as director of government relations at the Rails to Trails Conservancy, focusing on transportation and environmental policy. Since 2019, Reed has served as a commissioner on the Prince George’s County Human Rights Commission.

He holds a master’s degree in government and a graduate certificate in data analytics and policy from Johns Hopkins University, a graduate certificate in legal studies from Georgetown University, and a bachelor’s degree in mass media from Hampton University.