Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1183414
12 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I NOVEMBER 2019 Feature Interview by Andy Shaughnessy I-CONNECT007 If you're a designer with 30 or 40 years of ex- perience, you might be wondering who is go- ing to replace you when you retire. If so, read on! At PCB West, I spoke with two newly minted Certified Interconnect Designers: Kalen Brown of EaglePicher and Michael Steffen of Crystal Group. After passing the CID exam, they at- tended the IPC Designers Council (DC) Execu- tive Board Meeting, where the more "seasoned" veterans were very happy to meet them. Kalen and Michael shared their thoughts on the job, the PCB design community, and the need for designers to continue their education throughout their careers. Andy Shaughnessy: Kalen, you are a newly minted CID recipient. Tell us about your class. Kalen Brown: Yes. I attended Kelly Dack's class. We just finished, and it was a great class. I learned a lot of stuff I didn't know that I didn't know. Shaughnessy: How long have you been in the industry? Brown: I graduated and joined the industry about five years ago. My first job was at an Ea- glePicher Technologies doing software, electri- cal design, and board layout. We don't fabri- cate the boards; we just design and send them out to be built and assembled. EaglePicher makes mission-critical batteries and the group that I am in works on battery management systems to keep a battery safe. I have learned a lot and didn't know very much about cir- cuit board design from out of school. It was an eye-opening experience getting thrown into it. Now, I realize that it wasn't always a job for electrical engineers. I had no idea that a board designer and an engineer were two different people; that was a very big learning experience too. Everybody here has been very passionate about what they do. It has been incredible to hear all of the stories, and everyone wants to help. It seems like it's a great group to be in, which makes me very excited. Shaughnessy: We were just at the IPC DC Ex- ecutive Board Meeting, which was open to the public. Was that your first IPC DC meeting? Brown: Yes, this was my first time attending PCB West, my first CID class, and my first IPC DC meeting. It was a lot of firsts for me. Meet Two New CID Grads: Kalen Brown and Michael Steffen Michael Steffen Kalen Brown