Joe Anderson, 36

By Mary Erpenbach

As a person, Joe Anderson isn’t all that comfortable with acclaim. But he can’t escape the fact that, as a talented architect and a dedicated community volunteer, he is in the rare position of simultaneously enhancing the face of Rockford – and improving the quality of life of many Rockfordians.

Anderson, the married father of three, is a Rockford native who grew up to earn his degree from Iowa State University of Science & Technology in Ames, Iowa, and study abroad in Rome. He returned home to take jobs with prestigious local firms, including Gary W. Anderson & Associates, which nurtured his respect for the city’s historic buildings and his enjoyment of joining in community endeavors.

“I guess I have a feeling that if you do things on your own and in a bubble,” Anderson said, “it just will never end up as good as it could be if you do them with other people.”

Now he is a partner with Anderson McInnis Architects, an architecture and interior design firm that is one of two local companies he has helped establish. The other, Rockford Renewal, is turning a 1900s-era school building into snappy new offices that will be as energy-efficient as they are attractive.
Anderson is a past-president of the American Institute of Architects Northern Illinois Chapter, a charter member of Next Rockford, a youth soccer coach, and has served on the board of Family Counseling Services since 2002.