All About Me! Joseph "Joe" LeValley
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My career path to becoming an author was unusual, to say the least. I like to describe it as a life of "outrageous good fortune." Significant roles in the past have included:
* Reporter-photographer for Iowa newspapers for seven years. During that time, I wrote thousands of articles ranging from breaking news to feature stories to personal columns. * Served for more than 30 years as an executive in Iowa hospitals and its largest statewide health care network. I was project leader on numerous expansions of services and facilities. I assisted many Iowa hospitals in developing strategic plans and was a frequent public speaker on health care policy. The team and I won four national awards for excellence in communications. * Musician. Play drums and guitar. I have performed in rock bands, a country-rock trio and as a solo artist. I also am a composer. You can hear some of my original music under the "Music" section of this website, or on YouTube at JosephLeValley. In 2016, I was thrilled and honored to be inducted with the Mourning Glory Rock Band into the Iowa Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame. * Writer. After a life of writing many different types of fiction and non-fiction, I published my first novel in early 2019. I now have written six published novels and am working on numbers seven and eight. I'm honored and humbled to note that the published novels have won a dozen awards from competitions in the U.S. and Canada. A lifelong Iowan, I am a proud alumnus of Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge, Drake University in Des Moines, and the University of Iowa in Iowa City. I have a BA in journalism from Drake and a Master of Business Administration degree from the U of Iowa. I also am proud to note that Iowa Central inducted me into its "Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame" in a ceremony in Fort Dodge, Iowa November 22, 2022. I am a member of Mystery Writers of America (MWA), International Thriller Writers (ITW), and The Authors Guild. I also am a Life Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives. My wife Jane and I have six children and two grandchildren, and live in Dallas County, Iowa. |
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Member, Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, and The Authors' Guild |
Just for Fun: My Celebrity List - What's Yours?
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I've had the opportunity to meet, talk with, and sometimes even dine with, a long list of famous people. I'm curious about your experiences as well. Take a look at the list below (it's in no particular order), and then email me with your list: joe@josephlevalley.com. Don't include performers or speakers you've only seen on stage. Your list should include only those you've actually met. ACTORS / COMEDIANS Hugh Jackman - Actor Bill Murray - Actor Ron Howard - Actor/Director Brent Spiner - Actor John de Lancie - Actor Jonathan Frakes - Actor, Director Levar Burton - Actor George Takei - Actor, Author Mac King - Magician Elke Sommer - Actor, Model, Painter Kevin Pollak - Actor, Comedian Pat Paulsen - Comedian Larry Miller - Actor, Comedian Paula Poundstone - Comedian Kevin Spacey - Actor John Lithgow - Actor Marillu Henner - Actor Randy Powell - Actor Leslie Winston - Actor Jon Heder - Actor Jon Gries - Actor Efren Ramirez - Actor MUSICIANS /SINGERS / BANDS The Who (all four original members) - Band Tom Jones - Singer Meredith Willson - Musician, Composer, Playwrite, Radio Personality Kenny Rogers - Singer The Beach Boys - Band The Temptations - Band The Oak Ridge Boys - Band Delbert McClinton - Singer Doc Severinsen - Musician Dobie Gray - Singer Harry Chapin - Singer, Composer Ed Shaughnessy - Drummer Count Basie - Pianist, Band Leader Dean Torrence - Singer (Jan and Dean) David Ellefson - Bass Player (Megadeth), Composer NOTE: I've not listed all the Iowa musicians I know, even though many of them have achieved significant successes. The list would simply be too long (and I inevitably would leave someone out who deserves to be listed). But make no mistake, I am proud and happy to know them all. AUTHORS John Sandford James Rollins Gregg Hurwitz Karin Slaughter Joseph Finder Brad Taylor Lisa Unger Phillip Margolin Susan Orlean Randi Zuckerberg - Author, Business Leader Max Allan Collins Bill Bryson James Patterson Karin Slaughter John Shors Dr. Ronald Weber Hilary Masters Dr. Tony Paustian Daniel Waters Brad Meltzer Karin Nordin Deborah Goodrich Royce Mark Alpert Al Pessin Chuck Offenberger Joel Burrows Mary Lee Ashford Heather Gudenkauf POLITICIANS / PUBLIC FIGURES Barak Obama, U.S. President Michelle Obama, U.S. First Lady Joe Biden, U.S. President Michael Bloomberg, Mayor, New York City Gerald Ford, U.S. President George W. Bush, U.S. President Rudy Giuliani, Politician All five of Iowa's governors in the past 35 years Nancy Powell - U.S. Ambassador Terry Branstad - U.S. Ambassador Mary Kramer - U.S. Ambassador Tom Vilsack - U.S. Secretary of Agriculture OTHER (Don't Skip, Some Are Amazing!) Gene Cernan - Apollo Astronaut Fred Haise - Apollo Astronaut Al Worden - Apollo Astronaut Danielle Feinberg - Director of Photography, Pixar Geoffrey Notkin - Television Host, Meteorite Men Jeffrey Morris - Filmmaker Marten Larsson - Visual Effects Supervisor, Marvel Studios Ruth E. Carter - Academy Award-Winning Costume Designer for Motion Pictures Cevin Bryerman, CEO and Publisher, Publishers Weekly magazine 
John Sandford accepts one of my novels
and asks me to sign it for him! What a treat. |
Yes, that's Hugh Jackman behind that mask.
New York City, June 2022 
Hugh Jackman reading the letter I received
from Meredith Willson in 1978. The letter is below (just so you know I'm not full of baloney!) 
Bill Murray tells his dinner companions:
"Now we like Mr. LeValley!" Chicago, 2017 
A most prized possession: A tour T-shirt signed
by all four original members of The Who. Signed for me as I held it in my hands, Des Moines, Iowa, December 5, 1975. 
With Brent Spiner and Jonathan Frakes at DMACC, West
Des Moines, in April 2024. As a genuine admirer of their work, as well as a Star Trek fan, it's hard to get much better than this. 
With John de Lancie, Actor, Writer, Ocean Sailor
With LeVar Burton, Actor, Television Host
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