Title:
Full-time Faculty
Highest degree and school:
Master of Professional Studies, Fort Hays State University
Teaching at SDI since: 2022
Joe Barone teaches full time for the School of Firearms Technology, where he specializes in the Shooting Sports Management, Sights, Optics, and Accuracy, and the handgun specialist courses. Prior to joining SDI in 2022, he served in the US Coast Guard Reserve, the North Carolina National Guard, and spent 30 years in law enforcement in his home state of North Carolina before retiring as a police chief in 2019. In addition to holding associates, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees in criminal justice, Joe also holds a General Instructor Certification from the North Carolina Training and Standards Commission and a basic pistol instruction for the NRA.
In his welcome letter to students, Joe shares that he joined SDI to fulfill a personal and professional goal: to pass along a lifetime of firearm-related knowledge and experiences, and to learn something new every day from his students. “SDI was the perfect place to make that dream come true,” he says. “As one of the premier online gunsmithing schools in America, SDI was the place to make that dream a reality.” In addition to is being able to share real world experiences and having a real impact on people’s lives, Joe says “I absolutely love the weekly discussion boards and having that interaction with all of my students.”
Outside of class, Joe is a certified beekeeper in the state of North Carolina; much like being a teacher, beekeeping requires one to be patient, deliberate, gentle, and understanding, or else you get stung. He and his wife Dawn keep around 90,000 honeybees, eleven chickens, and three German Shepards. Joe’s hobby is collecting antique firearms – he holds a curio and relic license, and when time permits, he enjoys discovering and learning about different types of antique firearms. His idea of a perfect day is one spent laughing and being with his wife: “to have a best friend in life is a treasure, but to be married to your best friend is truly a blessing.”