Joel Navarro currently serves as a member of the Tempe City Council. He was elected to this position in 2008 and is serving his fourth term. He served on the Executive Board and Board of Directors of the National League of Cities (NLC), president of the Hispanic Elected Local Officials (HELO), and chairman of the NLC Public Safety & Crime Prevention Steering Committee.

Joel works as deputy chief with the Phoenix Fire Department. He worked as a firefighter and paramedic with the Phoenix Fire Department. He previously oversaw Special Operations, FEMA, Fire Resource, Facilities, Safety, and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) departments of the Phoenix Fire Department.

Joel was born and raised in Tempe. He attended Phoenix College and Mesa Community College. He holds a bachelor's degree in advertising design from New Mexico State University and a second bachelor's degree in secondary education from Ottawa University. He is married to his wife, Stephanie, with whom he has 3 children.