Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1519075
66 PCB007 MAGAZINE I APRIL 2024 e "new world order," as I had hoped for in my youthful American idealism, did not come to fruition. But it certainly highlights the importance and role of advocacy for our busi- nesses today. In 2024, the stakes are as high as they have ever been. So, I was thrilled to speak with Richard Cappetto and Kate Koger, mem- bers of the IPC advocacy team in Washington, D.C. ey explained exactly what IPC advo- cacy is doing for the electronics value chain, why now is an important time for electronics, and how you can help. Marcy LaRont: Rich and Kate, please introduce yourselves. Richard Cappetto: I'm the IPC senior direc- tor for North American government rela- tions. I am the lead lobbyist for IPC, advocat- ing for the electronics manufacturing industry in the United States. Most of my time is spent meeting with policymakers and staff on Capi- tol Hill and within the administration, letting them know what electronics manufacturing is, its role in the economy and national security, how public policy can strengthen or weaken the industry, and making a case for the U.S. government to back policies that promote a strong electronics manufacturing industry in North America. Kate Koger: I'm the public affairs coordinator for IPC. I provide project management sup- port and content when needed across all sec- tors of the team. I work on sustainability with Dr. Kelly Scanlon, and with Rich in govern- ment relations. I also assist Michelle Merm- elstein, senior director of media relations for IPC, and I work with IPC's marketing team to coordinate efforts between government rela- tions and IPC headquarters. Rich, tell me about the rest of IPC's advocacy team. It has grown quite a bit. Cappetto: Kate and I joined IPC last summer, along with two other colleagues. e four of us came aboard within a few weeks of each other. Michelle works to bring more attention to the industry by working with national, business, and tech media. She works across IPC—stan- dards, education, advocacy, and solutions— and with the marketing team to bring stories about our industry into the national press. We're quickly learning about IPC and its mem- bers. ere is a lot of energy and new ideas in the office. Everyone is eager to make an impact for the industry. Another exciting new team member who joined last summer is Nyron Rouse. Like Michelle, Nyron is establishing a new role at IPC as the director of government grants and strategic funding. He is building a grants pro- gram for IPC so that we can identify and secure funding both for our member companies and for IPC to enable us to deliver solutions faster and at a greater scale for the industry. Chris Mitchell is our VP of global govern- ment relations. He leads the IPC advocacy division (North America, Europe, and Asia), sustainability, and industry intelligence. Since IPC is a global organization, he keeps the pedal to the metal in Asia and Europe as well. Alison James is the senior director in Europe. She is engaged in work similar to mine in Europe: building relationships and advocat- Kate Koger