Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1541367
32 PCB007 MAGAZINE I NOVEMBER 2025 What do you like to do in your off time? What keeps life balanced for you? I still enjoy gardening and fishing. I have always found great satisfaction in helping others. I give back to my family, community, and church, in return for the excellent support they have given me. I have coached Little League and been a Cub Scout leader. I have served as an office for several non- profit organizations. Finally, I have taught Sunday School and been the church council secretary. You are "retired," but not really. In the work you are doing now, what do you find most fulfilling? I describe my status as "retired, but technically active." I still engage in some consulting activities concerning Pb-free solder, but most of my work is pro bono for the Global Electronics Association or other technical interests. Looking back, is there an experience or story that left an impression, or helped you learn and grow professionally? In 1998, when I left full-time work at MacDermid, I asked them to allow me to consult on interconnect technology and developing industry roadmaps, which they agreed to. For over 25 years, that activ- ity has kept me alert to new technology and on the bleeding edge of electronics interconnection. I con- tinue to consider myself "technically active." The PCB manufacturing industry has always been a stimulating and exciting place to be, now more than ever. But it's also a tough business. What words of wisdom can you share about surviving and thriving in this industry? Be in the interconnection business. Don't be nar- rowly defined by one specific substrate material— not "just" organic/glass circuit boards or silicon sub- strates or flexible substrates, etc. Be in the solu- tions business, whatever that looks like. Pay atten- tion to the engineering/manufacturing process part of it, not just the invention. High-tech electron- ics interconnection does not depend on dramatic breakthroughs or hitting home runs. It depends on steady, energetic engineering and development— consistently hitting singles. Finally, know exactly what value you are providing for your customer; it is more than just a product in a box. What do you love about an industry you have devoted your career to? When I compare my first DuPont assignments— organic chemical intermediates and pigment pro- duction—the move to electronics was a huge bless- ing. The pace of technology in electronics is orders of magnitude faster than chemical manufacturing. The printed circuit industry is the most open busi- ness I have ever been exposed to. OEMs, manu- facturers, and suppliers all come to the discussion table as equals. They openly share answers and solutions. My observation is that all horses in the electronics technology race are running. However, the hard choice is to pick the technological horse that will advance the fastest. PCB007