Joe Mackin received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Gonzaga University, and upon graduation entered the US Army, where he completed Airborne School, Ranger School, and Helicopter Flight School. Mackin served a tour in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot. After his overseas tour of duty, he had the honor of being a company commander of an infantry company and working in the Army Training Study (a research study into effective training methods). In all, he spent nine years on active duty. After leaving the active Army, Mackin continued his service in the Texas National Guard assigned to an aviation battalion.
Mackin began his 43-year nondestructive testing (NDT) career in the oil field pipe inspection sector, primarily casing, tubing, and drill pipe. All but six years of his career has been in that industry sector. It was during this time he received his master of business administration degree from University of Houston, Clear Lake.
Mackin has been a member of ASNT for 32 years and holds ASNT NDT Level III certification in six methods (MT, PT, UT, VT, MFL, and ET). He has worked through the chairs of the Greater Houston Section. Nationally, Mackin has completed a previous four-year term on the ASNT Board of Directors as Director at Large, and from 2001–2005, he served as ASNT Secretary/Treasurer, Vice President, President, and Chair of the Board. Mackin’s current focus is on ASNT’s certification programs. He has served as secretary, vice chair, and chair of the Education and Qualification Council, and currently chair of the Chair of the Certification Management Committee (CMC) and a member of the Board of Managers of the ASNT Certification Services LLC. He also nine years' experience as former chair of the Methods Division of the Technical and Education Council and 12 years as chair of the SNT-TC-1A Interpretation Subcommittee.
Mackin is also involved in committee work for the American Petroleum Institute, Committee on Standardization of Oilfield Equipment and Materials. He is a member of the Resource Group on NDT and a member of the Committee on Drilling and Servicing Equipment. He is the project leader for the development of an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard ISO 10407-2 Inspection and Classification of Used Drill Stem Elements. Mackin is also a voting member of several ASTM International technical committees. He has also served on the Nondestructive Testing Management Association Board of Directors.
