The Rev. Joseph O. Robinson, a native Mississippian, was ordained in that diocese in 1982 and served two congregations there before serving as Canon Precentor (liturgy and worship) at Denver's St. John's-in-the-Wilderness Cathedral in 1991. Returning to Mississippi, he served as Dean of St. Andrew's Cathedral from 1996–2005, then served as Director of "Camp Coast Care" on Mississippi's Gulf Coast, the largest Lutheran/Episcopal relief center during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. While there, he was called to Christ Church, Cambridge in Harvard Square where he served until his retirement in 2019. A year later, on special assignment from the bishop, Joe served an extended interim at Church of the Holy Spirit, Orleans, MA, retiring again in 2023.

A strong proponent of liturgical excellence and music education for church leaders, Dean Robinson co-created the foundational resource Lord, Open Our Lips: Musical Help for Leaders of the Liturgy alongside the Rev. Canon Susan K. Bock and the St. Andrew's Cathedral choir. Designed to teach by demonstration, the project remains an invaluable guide for seminarians, priests, deacons, and lay leaders seeking to master the parts of a sung service. He has also written deeply reflective liturgical pieces, such as his widely shared Prayers for a Nation in a Time of Anxiety. His extensive background in administrative leadership, pastoral counseling, and liturgical arts made him an exceptional guide for this year's clergy faculty.