Joan Cook is part of Coordinator and Director Services at Grand River Solutions.

Joan brings over 12 years of direct experience in civil rights compliance and investigations in higher education with student, employee, and third-party cases. Before joining Grand River Solutions, Joan served as Compliance Supervisor and Title IX Coordinator within the Legal Office at Columbus State Community College in Ohio. Prior to that role, she served as Student Conduct Administrator and Deputy Title IX Coordinator at the University of West Georgia. Before she began her career in higher education, Joan was a social worker who conducted assessments and facilitated outpatient treatment and psychoeducational groups for adults with mental health and substance use disorders. She later worked in Mumbai, India developing local career training programs for young adults from severely under-resourced communities and coaching trainees on soft skills and behavioral accountability.

Joan has expertise in Title VI, Title VII, Title IX, VAWA, ADA/ADAAA, Clery, and FERPA as well as extensive knowledge of related regulations, guidance and standards; investigation methods, including trauma-informed interview techniques; technical and analytical report writing; human resources principles; and best practices and trends in the field of higher education. Joan also has experience developing supportive measures for pregnant and parenting students, writing civil rights policy and procedure, and creating employee and student trainings in compliance with federal and state law.

Joan earned her Master of Science in Social Administration from Case Western Reserve University and her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in social work from the University of Dayton.