Joy’s professional and personal journey is a testament to her lifelong passion for space exploration, education, and advocacy. Her enthusiasm for space started as a young girl, growing up on Merritt Island, Florida, in the shadow of Kennedy Space Center during the iconic Apollo era. It was a time when the pursuit of the Moon dominated national headlines. Joy’s town was regularly featured in the news with Walter Cronkite, and the drive to go to the Moon galvanized the world. Watching Apollo launches in person and learning about the space program in school sparked a fascination with space that would go on to shape her future. 

Joy began her career conducting research in space robotics, later transitioning into work on military applications and contributing to start-up companies. Her leadership skills and technical expertise led her to serve as Vice President of the Jacobs Clear Lake Group (JCLG), a large organization supporting NASA Johnson Space Center’s Engineering Directorate and Astromaterials Research and Exploration Sciences Group. Her leadership roles began as Director of Engineering and culminated as General Manager of the organization.  

In 2024, Joy celebrated a well-deserved retirement after years of inspiring dedication. Her colleagues at Jacobs recognized her commitment to creating opportunities for younger people and chose to honor Joy by donating $6,000 for Space Center Houston’s Girls STEM Pathway and Innovation Pop-Up Labs programs. These programs help ignite curiosity and open doors for young women in STEM. This tribute not only celebrated Joy’s incredible impact but also ensured her passion for creating opportunities will continue to flourish. 

Currently, Joy plays a vital role at Space Center Houston, where she serves on the Board of Directors. At the time of her retirement, she also took the reins as Chair of Space Center Houston’s Education Committee. Her leadership and vision are instrumental in shaping the center’s mission to inspire awe and wonder about all things space – bringing people and space closer together. 

If you’d like to support the future space innovation, please consider making a donation to our Education Programs: 

$500 – Funds student field trips to come and experience STEM programming 

$1,000 – Provides one deserving student a scholarship to Space Center U through the Gene Kranz Scholarship

$2,500 – Supports local, under-resourced students to compete in The Conrad Challenge, Presented by Equinor