Josh Kinchen

Josh is the Director of the LGBTQ+ Resources Center. Josh’s portfolio includes overall management and strategic direction of the Center, advising the Queer Student Leadership Council, co-chairing the Chosen Name & Pronouns Policy steering committee, liaisoning with the LGBTQ+ Faculty/Staff Alliance, serving as the external contact with other LGBTQ+ Resource Centers across the country,  leading assessment and benchmarking for LGBTQ+ institutional support, convening the LGBTQ+ departmental liaison group,  and consulting with university entities around LGBTQ+ inclusion.

Josh previously worked at Florida State University as a Program Coordinator in the Student Governance & Advocacy department, working directly with the Allies & Safe Zones program and the Pride Student Union (a student-fee-funded, student-directed, staff-advised LGBTQ+ cultural center). While there, he also served as the Staff Co-Chair of the LGBTQ+ Faculty/Staff Network. He graduated twice from the University of North Carolina Wilmington with an M.Ed. in Higher Education and a B.A. in Communication Studies. A proud first-generation college graduate, he holds an Associate’s degree from Cape Fear Community College. While a UNCW Seahawk, he worked in the LGBTQIA Resource Office, serving in multiple roles from undergraduate intern to Graduate Assistant.

Before his career in higher education, Josh served in the United States Marine Corps as an Intelligence Specialist. Informed by this experience, his Master’s thesis was focused on the experiences of LGB military veterans in their undergraduate college experience. This research was published in the Journal of Veterans Studies, to help inform the intersections of support for LGBTQ students, military veterans, and LGBTQ military veterans on college campuses.

Josh originally hails from Slidell, LA, in the greater New Orleans area but also considers the Port City of Wilmington, NC, a second hometown. Josh is an avid comic collector of nearly 30 years! He enjoys spending time with his partner Denise and their two cats Dingy and Monkey!