Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1493016
REAL TIME WITH... IPC APEX EXPO 2023 SHOW & TELL MAGAZINE I I-CONNECT007 81 REAL TIME WITH... IPC APEX EXPO 2023 SHOW & TELL MAGAZINE I I-CONNECT007 81 cool to see two people who I'm currently mentoring are now holding leadership roles in IPC T-50. I was named Chair Emeritus of that group, so I'm still helping to guide them. What lessons have you learned from all this? Do you want the good or the bad? Well, they're lessons regardless, right? It's a pretty broad question, and I guess it depends on the group and the activity. One lesson I've learned is that we have the oppor- tunity to really affect where the industry moves forward, and if we don't have participation from everyone—the larger OEMs, the board fabricators, design houses, the assembly firms—then we're not truly representing the industry. We absolutely need good quorums and different perspectives within these groups. I've also learned there are definitely oppor- tunities for some to stonewall progress. It's critical to have good leadership within these committees and individuals who will drive progress. They must keep these groups on task and stay on top of progression through revi- sions of standards. When working with a group of volunteers, it's like trying to herd cats. But you can't herd cats; you need to lead them. Drag a string behind you and they follow you. Lots of encour- agement and cheerleading and, of course, your volunteers must want to work with you. That's accurate. It becomes more difficult the larger the size of the group. Our big commit- tees are just giant cogs and it's tough. That's the reason we have the A-Teams—a core of motivated individuals. What are some special moments you've had during your involvement with IPC? There are quite a few memories. I've attended 10 or 11 IPC APEX EXPOs in that time frame, and those are usually enjoyable experiences for me. One of the most awesome memories was when IPC rolled out the Rising Star Award in 2015, and I was the first recipient. It felt good to be recognized for taking on leadership roles and actively participating in committees. Even if we have 1,000 more Rising Star Award recipi- ents, I get to say I was the first. I have some other fond memories around taking on some other leadership roles like the flex circuit materials. For years, we hadn't revised some of those documents, even know- ing that industry was moving ahead and now had new material sets that weren't included, etc. Jumping into a leadership role there and splitting duties with my colleague Rich Wessel at DuPont—just the two of us driving that for- ward was powerful. We've already released two publications in the last couple of years, and we're working on the third. Memories like that stick because you see progress. You see others stepping up to the plate and actively taking on work. We see these A-Teams that are developed to hyperfocus on specific categories. Seeing the progress in the different publications and knowing I was involved in that is a good feeling. Outside IPC, I appreciate that the organiza- tions I've worked for over the years have sup- ported my IPC travel to conferences and com- mittee meetings. It's a good feeling when your company supports the work you do outside of their organization because they know there's a benefit to them as well. Thanks, Steve, and congratulations. As I was told after winning the President's Award many years ago: Now they'll really put you to work. Thank you. I may be strapped on bandwidth, so if anyone asks for more support, I'll prob- ably start recommending my mentees at this point! S&T IPC Presidents Award