Joanna has modeled since adolescence and enjoys the opportunity it provides to collaborate with highly creative types. Her ethnocultural background includes Native American and Scottish ancestry, and she is a descendant of William McIntosh (native name Tustunnuggee Hutkee), a biracial chief of the Creek Nation (Muscogee Nation today).

Joanna’s essay, A Leap of Faith: A Generational Model’s Story, about her return to modeling at age 58 that prompted a cross-country move from the San Francisco Bay Area to New York City, appeared on Fashion Week Online in July 2026.