Joe Eldridge has spent more than twenty five years working in the public policy arena as an advocate and analyst on international human rights and humanitarian issues. In 1991, he established the Washington office of the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights; during the mid-1980s he worked in Honduras consulting on human rights and development issues; and after a three year sojourn in Chile in the early 1970s he co-founded the Washington Office on Latin America and served as its first director.

He has a MA in International Relations from American University, a MDiv from Perkins School of Theology at SMU, and a DMin from Wesley Theological Seminary. He is married to Maria Otero and they have three children.