Governor Jose Antonio Nieva Carrion was born in Calapan, Oriental Mindoro to Ramon Carrion and Rosario Sarmiento Nieva of Boac, Marinduque. His maternal grandfather was Juan Morente Nieva who served as Governor of Marinduque from 1907-1916.

He is married to Armi dela Cruz of Nueva Ecija, has two (2) children, Chino Zamora Carrion and Marie France Imelda. An avid reader of biographical books, Carrion is a daily Bible reader, lay minister, fitness buff, and a nature lover. His vision in life is to actualize his dream for Marinduque to be an economic success through his ecotourism & cultural-tourism development programs.

He is the first provincial governor recognized by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to have submitted a comprehensive provincial master plan for the Philippine Agenda 21 of former President Fidel V. Ramos, with the creation in 1996 of the Philippine Council of Sustainable Development (PCSD). He is a founder of MIMAROPA - the economic zone composed of Oriental and Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan.