Joshua Macer

A Southern Indiana native who, at the age of 17, embarked on a decade-long journey with the Army, experiencing the world through four combat tours that eventually led him to Southwest Louisiana. He found a new home in Iowa, Louisiana, where he lives with his wonderful wife, Melissa, and their exceptional daughter, Evangeline.

A major Dungeons & Dragons nerd and sci-fi lover, Joshua also harbors a profound love for writing and editing. With 12 drafted novels, a screenplay, and numerous short stories, he has honed his skills in these fields over an 8-year professional career. He holds a BS in English and Journalism and is finishing his thesis for his MFA in Creative Writing.

Joshua’s journey with CYPHACON began in 2012, shortly after his return from Afghanistan, when a friend encouraged him to attend the convention. He felt safe and welcome there for the first time since leaving the Army, marking the beginning of his deep connection with CYPHACON. His and Melissa’s non-profit, the Molly Frank Foundation, was honored as the 2019 CYPHACON charity recipient. Following their successful fundraising, they were asked to take on the convention’s charity coordinator role.

Over the years, Joshua’s involvement with CYPHACON has grown. Starting as a vendor and volunteer, he has since taken responsibility for co-coordinating the charity department and managing food vendors. More recently, he has spearheaded CYPHAKIDS alongside Melissa and Kat, integrating it into a 501c3 to support underrepresented youth in the community. They are working to build a team to keep CYPHAKIDS an active and engaging part of the community year-round.

When not engaged with CYPHACON, Joshua is a dedicated stay-at-home father, writer, and editor. He and Melissa love nonprofit work; they still run the Molly Frank Foundation and are happy to add CYPHAKIDS to the chaos. He shares a passion with his daughter for their town’s only Little Free Library and is actively involved in local community improvements. Joshua and his family are often found supporting the arts and humanities, local charities, acting on stage, and giving.

Say hi to him at the con; just look for his trademark green beard.