Joe was born and raised in the Roanoke Valley and has lived here most of his life. He received his Bachelor's Degree from Averett University, in Danville, VA, and then went on to receive his Master's Degree at Southeastern Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC. He is married to Kim, a visual artist and employed with Medtronic, a medical device company. Joe and Kim have two sons, Bryce and Hunter. They reside in Vinton, Virginia of Roanoke County.

Joe has been a REALTOR® since 1994 where he started as an agent in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Sutliff family moved back to the Roanoke Valley in 1998 where Joe has won Sales Awards every year.

Joe is involved in many community activities. He has been on the Averett University Alumni council for many years. He is a member of the National Association of REALTORS®, the Virginia Association of REALTORS®, and The Roanoke Valley Association of REALTORS® where he has been a member of the Governmental Affairs Committee and the MLS Monitoring Committee. He is currently the President – elect of the Roanoke Valley Association of REALTOR and will be the President in 2011. He is a 2010 member of the Virginia Association of REALTORS Leadership Academy.

Joe has interests in creating contemporary sculptures, gardening, woodworking, skiing and traveling.