{"id":7854,"date":"2025-06-30T18:41:14","date_gmt":"2025-06-30T18:41:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/medical-article.com\/?p=7854"},"modified":"2025-06-30T18:41:14","modified_gmt":"2025-06-30T18:41:14","slug":"nasa-recognizes-crothalls-joe-irons-for-prestigious-safety-award","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/medical-article.com\/?p=7854","title":{"rendered":"NASA Recognizes Crothall\u2019s Joe Irons for Prestigious Safety Award"},"content":{"rendered":"

NASA Recognizes Crothall\u2019s Joe Irons for Prestigious Safety Award\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Crothall Unit Director Joseph Irons is widely known at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) facility in West Virginia as a person who finds a solution to nearly any problem. To recognize his outstanding work, Irons recently received NASA\u2019s prestigious \u201cYes, If,\u201d award, a coin which honors people who exemplify NASA\u2019s spirit of ingenuity, creativity, and commitment to safety.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Irons has worked 21 years for Crothall at NASA\u2019s Katherine Johnson Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) Facility in Fairmont, West Virginia. He oversees Facilities Management and Environmental Services, covering nearly 50,000 square feet and works daily with engineers, computer programmers, and other technology specialists who ensure the safety and success of all software nationwide for NASA\u2019s highest-profile missions.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The site is named after one of the first Black women to work as a NASA scientist whose mathematical calculations were critical to the success of the first and subsequent U.S.-crewed spaceflights.\u00a0 She was\u202fportrayed by Taraji P. Henson as a lead character in the 2016 film \u201cHidden Figures.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJoe always looks at a problem with an open mind and works collaboratively with the NASA team to provide cost-effective, yet safe solutions,\u201d says Dave Sheldon, the NASA IV&V Operations and Maintenance lead who nominated Irons for the award. \u201cHe embodies our award by continually exhibiting a spirt of ingenuity, creativity, and a commitment to everyone\u2019s safety.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Irons was one of only six people nationwide to receive the award, which was presented to him by Russ DeLoach, NASA\u2019s chief for the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Irons Oversees Projects Critical to NASA\u2019s Success<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A licensed electrician who grew up in a family construction business, Irons began working for Crothall when he was 29 years old. Shortly after joining the company at the NASA facility, he was trained as a technician to maintain its data center and his career took off. He was promoted to unit director in 2015 and, with a current team of seven people, has built a strong track record of accomplishments.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As part of the award, Irons was cited the following achievements:\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Irons helped design and consolidate several key operations into one building.\u00a0 These included NASA\u2019s 20,000-square-foot data center; a software simulation laboratory; three Special Function Rooms; a 1,200-square-foot experimental solid oxide fuel cell system; and more than 20,000-square feet of office and conference rooms.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The new data center, originally designed in 1993, was a key accomplishment. \u201cWe redesigned it and modernized the whole electrical distribution system with safety as a top priority,\u201d Irons says.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While this massive project was in progress, Irons also developed a plan to keep everyone safe during the pandemic. He separated the building into areas assigned to only critical staff members. He also worked with NASA Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sheryl Ashton Jones to keep his entire team working onsite to complete current construction projects. His team was required to be onsite to support remaining computer systems used at that time by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other construction projects.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFlexibility was the key to keep everyone safe,\u201d Irons says. \u201cI set up self-serve stations for every team and kept them stocked with everything they needed to comply with COVID regulations, as well as signs above the stations updating them about the new mandates. I kept teams small and well monitored, letting people isolate if they needed, and accommodated people with different needs as they arose.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Designing and Building Secure Rooms<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

His work has also been critical in supporting the design and build-out of three Special Function Rooms for NASA.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Irons, who holds a bachelor of fine arts degree from West Virginia University, used computer software to develop schematic designs that would help NASA managers understand the look and size of the rooms \u2013 a much better way to visualize the rooms instead of typical engineering drawings.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI used to work as an artist building playgrounds and public artworks in rural West Virginia for the National Endowment for the Arts. By building playgrounds, I found out that engineers and architects speak the same language as sculptors.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBy using the right software, we were able to show design details instead of trying to the figure out engineering drawings. It made it easier for them to make key decisions and move the project forward.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Irons and his team have also designed and built various infrastructure projects. One of the biggest and most important was when we hung Katherine Johnson\u2019s name on the building. \u201cShe was an amazing, and we felt the pressure to make her family proud,\u201d Irons says.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Demonstrating his attention to detail, Irons has installed one 360-degree camera on all construction projects to monitor the progress of each project and fix any issues. \u201cOur client liked it because they can use the camera to inspect the craftsmanship or problems at any time.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m also able to reach out to the team about things I saw that were potentially unsafe as well as have a complete record of the build.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Building the Ultimate Client Relationship<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Irons was nominated for the \u201cYes, If\u201d award by Dave Sheldon, Crothall\u2019s primary contact at NASA who works, in effect, as the site\u2019s chief operating officer. Sheldon joined NASA not long after Irons did 21 years ago. The two men have worked together on numerous projects and built a bond over two decades that enables them to speak candidly and find the right solutions to a project, often with few resources.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Irons says the level of trust built over many years is enhanced by the communications style embraced by he and Sheldon. \u201cWe both have small teams with few resources that need to find solutions on many issues,\u201d says Irons. \u201cWe meet nearly every day, and it\u2019s always in person. We know that\u2019s the best way to overcome any obstacles and get to the right solution.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

By building the working relationship with Sheldon and others over such a long period, Irons has been able to provide a level of service that Crothall aspires to achieve with each client.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe innovative ways Joe and his team have served his client over the years have been vital to optimizing facility operations at NASA,\u201d says Aric Alexander, Crothall\u2019s Regional Director of Operations. \u201cJoe has demonstrated a passion for excellence and a willingness to always do what is needed to complete a project that fits the client\u2019s needs.\u00a0 He is an incredible individual and the award is well deserved.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The post NASA Recognizes Crothall\u2019s Joe Irons for Prestigious Safety Award<\/a> appeared first on Crothall Healthcare<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NASA Recognizes Crothall\u2019s Joe Irons for Prestigious Safety Award\u00a0\u00a0 Crothall Unit Director Joseph Irons is widely known at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) facility in West Virginia as a person who finds a solution to nearly any problem. To recognize his outstanding work, Irons recently received NASA\u2019s prestigious \u201cYes, If,\u201d award, a coin…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7854","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-medicine"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/medical-article.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7854"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/medical-article.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/medical-article.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medical-article.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7854"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/medical-article.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7854\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/medical-article.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7854"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medical-article.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7854"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medical-article.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7854"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}