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MAY 2020 I DESIGN007 MAGAZINE 35 challenges affecting printed circuit engineering and our local chapters are real. I've read from some of our chapter leadership about post- ponements of chapter meetings and some stag- nation of activities due to our present shelter- in-place conditions. Speaking with Steph Chavez, we discussed the realities of how our chapter members are being challenged. While some are working from home, some may have no work at all. There are a lot of unique conditions that the COVID-19 restrictions have cast upon our com- munity. We have asked our chapter leaders for feedback or stories from our members, which we would like to share with you in the coming months. As the PCEA continues to organize, we will find our niche for helping our mem- bers as they "hunker down" with their own unique local conditions. We are actively form- ing means by which our members and the en- tire PCB engineering communities can use this time to tap into resources that will help them prepare for when the world reopens. Share Your Stories and Photos In the meantime, we are looking for heartfelt stories from any of our readership who would like to provide personal stories with regard to how your PCB engineering, manufacturing, or connected job has been affected and how you are coping and adapting. Considering your per- sonal accounts might help all of us to adjust our focus on how we can help. We would love to read any content or reports you have to share, which we may include in this column. Photos? Heck yes! We'll take all of the isolation photos of you performing your PC engineering tasks that we can print. Please send your stories and photos to kelly. dack.pcea@gmail.com. Message From the Chairman by Stephen Chavez, MIT, CID+ CHAIRMAN OF THE PCEA The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped our daily lives and work environments. Most of us are working re- motely or in isolation in one form or another these days. The industry as a whole is getting hit hard. Our country and the world are going through some tough times. Many feel like they're going stir crazy from staying in our homes al- most 24/7 or with very limited outside social in- teractions due to "social gathering restrictions" in response to fighting the spread of this virus. I, too, feel cooped up. My only outside inter- actions these days is that not-so-frequent trip to the local grocery store. Wearing a face mask in publicly populated areas is not something I have gotten used to yet. Part of our communi- cation as humans is facial expressions. I feel that wearing these face masks makes our pub- lic interactions with one another a bit cold and impersonal. It takes away that simple gesture— a smile—that we usually give without hesita- tion to others. Sometimes, a simple smile can make someone's day. I miss in-person, face-to-face chats that al- ways included a handshake or a hug because I am definitely a people person. This isolation may be tough, but I know it is helping. Please join me in sending prayers to all our first re- sponders who are going above and beyond to help and keep us safe. THANK YOU! God bless you and keep you safe. The negative impact of this pandemic is be- ing felt all over. From many business closures, cutbacks, furloughs, and layoffs unfolding across the board throughout the globe, these are tough times we are going through. But dur- ing these tough times, we do what we always do: We adapt and overcome. Now, virtual meetings—such as WebEx, Go- ToMeeting, and Zoom, just to mention a few— seem to be our way of life. It was once thought that only certain professions used these types of tools for remote collaboration; today, these tools are almost as common as cellphones. Almost everyone is adapting and using these tools. It has gotten to a point where we now have kids in grade schools using them daily to continue their education. With domestic and international travel at an extreme low, many have taken to this virtual lifestyle. I, like many others, find myself jump- ing from one online meeting to another, and in some instances, actually participating in two