Joyce Y. Stephens-Suber is the proud mother of two children:  Arika J. Wells married to Raymond Wells, and Christopher J. Suber, married to Brittney Kuhn. She has three grandchildren. She holds a BA in History and Behavioral Science from CSU Dominguez Hills, an MA in U.S. History from Washington State University, and educational credentials from San Diego State University. She taught history at the high school and college levels and retired as the Regional Director of the AVID (Advancement via Individual Determination) program at the San Diego County Office of Education.

Joyce continues to serve as a board member to several institutions in San Diego and Orange County. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and has served as President and held multiple offices in the local chapter—Epsilon Xi Omega. Joyce additionally served as the Southern California Cluster Coordinator and a member of the International Membership Intake Process Committee in the sorority.