Joyce Nelson was born and raised in Lomita, California. She started her career in Insurance in 1985 in personal lines with a family owned agency. She transferred to commercial lines in 1990. In 1997, she went on to strictly write Environmental Insurance (Contractors & Consultants). In 2005 she moved to Idaho and hired on at Harris Dean Insurance in 2006 as a commercial lines service representative.

Joyce and her husband Dan have two children, Lanette and Gary as well as four grandchildren, Rosa, Joaquin, Mason, and Gracie all of whom reside in California. She also has four cats, Sachel, Scrapper, Midnight, and Paige. Joyce enjoys shopping, working in the yard, and watching the wildlife on her property.