Buzz Joseph retired from his position as Region V Coordinator for Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID), a program designed to motivate and support students to achieve their academic potential. A graduate of Stanford University, he has taught first grade through college in the Los Angeles, Monterey Peninsula, and Salinas Union High School Districts and the University of Connecticut. He received the Allen Griffin Award for Excellence in Teaching from the Community Foundation of the Monterey Peninsula in 1995. In 1999, to commemorate his 60th birthday, Joseph and his son rode their bicycles across the United States. In 2002, he carried the Olympic Relay Torch in Carmel on behalf of the Monterey County Office of Education. Joseph is currently an education consultant and devotes his timeto volunteering in the local community. He is coordinator for the Big Sur Marathon Foundation’s JUST RUN school events.