Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1367446
20 SMT007 MAGAZINE I MAY 2021 ers, decided to propose this idea of a trade show to the IPC. is was a new path for IPC and the discussion was…inter- esting, as IPC had primarily been a stan- dards organization. e result, however, was the founding of IPC EXPO, the first totally PCB industry-run trade show. Over the years, EXPO grew: a second show was added to cover assembly and the result is the present IPC APEX/EXPO combo of trade show, technical presentations, and multiple committee meetings event. Government Relations Committee is second non-standards committee I was asked to join had already been formed the previous year. e following year, I became chair of this committee and, as I was already also involved with the Califor- nia Circuits Association, we partnered to help lobby the state government. Over the next few years, representing the IPC, or in partnership with other technology associ- ations, we sponsored and took part in sev- eral lobbying meetings with members of congress to build relationships with our gov- ernment representatives and to push an agenda that was helpful to our industry. We found that many of them were attentive and able to help; some of them were (and still are) totally, let's just say, not helpful. One of the more productive meetings we had was with California Gov. Arnold Schwarzeneg- ger. In fact, he was so accommodating and encouraging that, as a thank you, we framed his image on a gold-plated circuit board. is was presented to him in 1994 at a special Sac- ramento Day event. I believe he is the only pol- itician that has ever had his image included in a high technology circuit. ere are many volunteers doing so much great work on so many committees and not all of them are writing or updating standards. As important as it is to focus on standards, there is so much more being done that is "good for the industry." SMT007 At that time, I had evolved from being a pro- cess engineering manager at Trans/Circuits to president of iokol/Dynachem. By then, IPC had decided to allow suppliers to become full members and that a "suppliers council" should be formed. I was asked to help form and head that council; in 1993, we formed a commit- tee under the council to define it and set goals. e suppliers strongly felt they needed to form a trade show that would be supported by the industry. I recall naming the goal, "Getting the Most Bang for Our Trade Show Buck." e sup- pliers had been spending a fortune at the com- mercial shows and the industry was not getting much of a bang. I was head of the new PCB Sup- pliers Council and Jerry Siegmund (MacDer- mid) chaired a subcommittee that was formed to set up the show. at original committee, which included the presidents or founders of companies such as Shipley, DuPont, MacDer- mid, Excellon, Chemcut, Dynachem, and oth- The IPC Government Relations Committee showed their appreciation to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger by framing his image on a gold-plated circuit board.