Sharkey, Joel Allan.

Joel Allan Sharkey was born in Detroit, Mich., on June 14, 1941. He attended Monteith College and graduated from Wayne State University in 1963 with a bachelor's degree in philosophy. In 1966, he was granted a Ford Foundation Legislative Fellowship, and he served in the Office of the Speaker of the House during fiscal year 1966-67. He went on to become Legislative Analyst to the Speaker, and later House Minority Leader, until March 1969. At this time, he transferred to the Senate, where he worked in the same capacity for the Senate Minority Leader. This job ended in Jan. 1974, and Sharkey became assistant to the chairman of the Michigan Public Service Commission. He held this job until March 1977, when he was appointed supervisor of Issue Analyses in the Dept. of Commerce. In March 1979, he was promoted to Supervisor of Interstate Supplies in the Gas Division.