Joseph ‘Joe’ Linton was born on December 11, 1976 in Escondido, California.  He grew up on the Santa Ysabel reservation, where he attended Warner Elementary School and Julian High School.  He spent time on the Rincon reservation throughout his life to be with family.

Prior to working for the tribe, Linton worked for the Valley Center Pauma Unified School District for 11 years. He shifted to working for the tribe in 2009 as a Tribal Law officer. Over the course of his 13 years with Tribal Law Enforcement, he worked his way up to becoming a lead officer and eventually the Tribal Law manager until elected to Rincon Tribal Council. Joseph is very proud of his time spent in Tribal Law Enforcement, and the work he did to improve the safety of the reservation.

He is a proud member of the Culture Committee, a group of tribal members dedicated to the preservation and repatriation of ancestral artifacts, remains and culture.

Joseph Linton’s goal as a Vice Chair is to help the people of the Rincon Reservation and be part of the vision and growth of the tribe.

His father Dennis Linton Sr. is a tribal member of the Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel, and his mother, Mary Louis Kolb Linton, is a Rincon tribal member. While his three children, Shuuluk, Nyemetaay and Pawiiy Linton are all members of the Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel.