Josh Adams has been a policy administrator since 1994. But this is only the most recent of his "many lives” in Ithaca. He arrived to attend Cornell University in the mid-seventies, where he studied horticulture. Upon finishing his studies at the university, he entered the retail clothing business, as the owner and operator of two progressive women's clothing stores on the Ithaca Commons. Several years later, Josh entered the restaurant business, working at four Ithaca establishments, including Abby's Restaurant, Dos Amigos, Dano's on Cayuga, and the Statler Hotel on the Cornell campus. In a dramatic career move, Joshua then became the consensus-builder and policy administrator at Cornell University, where he works today directing the University Policy Office at Cornell, which is responsible for the process of building, crafting, and promulgating all university-wide administrative policy and procedure documents.

Josh lives on West Hill, in a charming craftsman home that was featured in June 2007 on HGTV's National Open House, and where he won a 2003 Ithaca Pride of Ownership Award. He lives there with his husband Jon and their two dogs. Josh's son, Reuben, is a graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology. 

Josh has taken advantage of Ithaca through his work in local theatre; long walks with his family and dogs on the local Finger Lakes Trails; extensive work on his gardens, pond, and stream. 

In addition to a successful work history, Joshua is a real estate investor, owns a publishing company, is a very active member of his local Kiwanis Club, and was elected Lieutenant Governor-elect for the Chemung Division of Kiwanis International for the 2017-2018 year.