IPC International Community magazine an association member publication
Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1503860
IPC COMMUNITY 91 SUMMER 2023 utive director includes a lot of connectivity with our industry members and with the gov- ernment, but one element that really stands out is setting forth our strategic direction on where we need to go as an organization, with our industry members, and with the govern- ment. USPAE is a trusted third party and as I take the leadership helm, I will be able to identify emerging needs or technologies across these organizations, both in government and indus- try, while working to solve the large problems in the defense electronics sector. Share with me a little bit about your background. I'm a mixed bag of tricks. As you go through your career and life, you continue to discover things about yourself. Years ago, I spent a few years in college studying mechanical engi- neering. But then the opportunity to serve my community presented itself, and I left school to work as a firefighter and paramedic for nine years. When I returned to school I focused on computer and electrical engineering as I real- ized that electronic controls were paramount to all other fields. That led to several oppor- tunities in electronics research where I fre- quently studied questions like, "How are you going to build these things?" It increased my interest in assembly and supply chain issues. Ultimately, one graduate thesis and five pat- ents later, I moved to work in secure technolo- gies of the energy and defense sectors, where I started to understand the broad needs for government. My technical background in circuit assem- bly and failure analysis along with a broad knowledge of electronics applications and the defense sector led me to work for USPAE. I bring a broad perspective to the table that I believe will help USPAE members engage in government, understand their needs, and shape technical solution development. It's been a tremendous adventure from where I started 17 years ago. What were you doing at USPAE prior to this new role? In August 2022, I was hired as the director of government development to cross-con- nect industry and government, develop new projects and programs, and to identify what electronics industry members could execute. One of the key questions for the government is, "What kind of emerging technologies work best to reduce risk?" Some of our member