NASA recognizes Crothall’s Joe Irons to receive prestigious security award

NASA recognizes Crothall’s Joe Irons to receive prestigious security award

Crothall department director Joseph Irons, well-known at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) facility in West Virginia, found solutions to nearly any problem. To recognize his outstanding work, Irons recently received the NASA prestigious “Yes, If,” award, a coin designed to recognize those who embody NASA’s originality, creativity and commitment to safety.

Irons worked for 21 years at Crothall, the Katherine Johnson independent verification and verification (IV&V) facility at NASA. He oversees facility management and environmental services, covering nearly 50,000 square feet, and works with engineers, computer programmers and other technicians every day to ensure the safety and success of all software nationwide in NASA’s top genre tasks.

Named after one of the first black women to work as NASA scientists, the site is crucial to the success of the first and subsequent US drag-and-drop space flight. Taraji P. Henson portrays her as the protagonist in the 2016 film The Hidden Characters.

“Jo always looks at a problem with an open mind and works with the NASA team to provide cost-effective but safe solutions,” said Dave Sheldon, head of NASA IV & V Operations and maintenance. “He embodies our awards by constantly demonstrating clever creativity, creativity and commitment to everyone’s safety.”

Irons is the only six people in the country who won the award, which was presented to him by Russ Deloach, head of the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance.

Iron Supervision Program is critical to NASA’s success

Irons, a licensed electrician who grew up in the home construction business, started working at Crothall at the age of 29. Shortly after joining NASA Factory, he received training as a technician to maintain his data center and his career began. He was promoted to the organization’s director in 2015 and has a team of seven people, establishing a good record of achievement.

As part of the award, Irons has been cited with the following achievements:

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Irons helped design and merge several major operations into a building. These include NASA’s 20,000-square-foot data center; software simulation labs; three special functional rooms; a 1,200-square-foot experimental oxide fuel cell system; and more than 20,000-square-foot office and conference rooms.

The new data center originally designed in 1993 is a key achievement. “We redesigned it and modernized the safety of the entire electrical distribution system to a top priority,” Irons said.

While this massive project is underway, Irons has also developed a plan to ensure the safety of everyone during the pandemic. He divided the buildings into areas assigned only to key staff. He also worked with NASA Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sheryl Ashton Jones to get his entire team working on the spot to complete the current construction project. His team had to support the remaining computer systems at the time used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other construction projects.

“Flexibility is key to keeping everyone safe,” Irons said. “I built a self-service station for each team and kept them with everything they needed to comply with COVID regulations, as well as signs above the station, updated them with information about new tasks. I kept the team small and well monitored and isolated people when needed and adapted to people with different needs.”

Design and build safe rooms

His work is also crucial to supporting the design and construction of three special functional rooms of NASA.

Irons, who holds an advanced Bachelor of Arts from West Virginia University, uses computer software to develop schematic designs that will help NASA managers understand the look and size of a room—a better way to visualize a room rather than a typical engineering drawing.

“I used to work at artists’ construction playgrounds and public artworks in rural West Virginia for national art donations. By building playgrounds, I found that engineers and architects had the same language as sculptors.

“By using the right software, we are able to show design details instead of trying to figure out the engineering drawings. This makes it easier for them to make critical decisions and move the project forward.”

Irons and his team also designed and built various infrastructure projects. The biggest, and most importantly, when we hang Katherine Johnson’s name on the building. “She is an amazing person and we feel the pressure to make her family proud,” Irons said.

Irons demonstrated his attention to detail and has installed a 360-degree camera on all construction projects to monitor the progress of each project and resolve any issues. “Our customers love it because they can check craftsmanship or problems with their cameras at any time.

“I can also reach out to the team to understand what I see may not be safe and have a complete build record.”

Establishing the ultimate customer relationship

Irons was nominated for the “Yes, If” award by Crothall’s main contact at NASA, Dave Sheldon, and is actually the website’s chief operating officer. Sheldon joined NASA shortly after Irons did 21 years ago. The two worked together on numerous projects and have built bonds over twenty years that allowed them to speak frankly and find solutions that fit the project, often with few resources.

Irons said the communication style he and Sheldon accepted has enhanced the level of trust that has been built over many years. “We both have very few resources and need to find solutions to many problems,” Irons said. “We meet almost every day and always meet in person. We know this is the best way to overcome any obstacles and get to the right solution.”

By establishing a working relationship with Sheldon and others over such a long time, Irons is able to provide a level of service that makes Crothall eager to achieve with every customer.

“For years, Joe and his team have been critical to optimizing NASA’s facility operations,” said Aric Alexander, Regional Operations Director, Crothall. “Joe demonstrated a passion for excellence and was willing to always do what it needs for a project that meets the needs of the client. He is an incredible individual and the award is well deserved.”