Josh grew up in Riceville where he graduated from Riceville Community High School in 1992. He went on to graduate from Luther College, earned a Master’s Degree from Winona State University, and is currently completing his doctoral work at Iowa State University.

Josh was a high school teacher for eight and a half years and also served as an administrator at the community college level. Byrnes has taught or coached in the districts of Denison, Osage, Riceville, Mason City, St. Ansgar, and Clear Lake.

Josh is passionate about education, agriculture, and manufacturing and wants to see these areas continue to grow and be progressive. He believes these areas can grow through entrepreneurship and training.

Josh currently resides on an acreage in Mitchell County with his wife, Colleen, daughters, Alexandra and Scarlett, and son, Nolan. Colleen is a family nurse practitioner at the Mitchell County Regional Hospital. The family enjoys their acreage where they have a small cow calf herd, raise gourds and play ball on their diamond.