IPC International Community magazine an association member publication
Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1544398
26 I-CONNECT007 MAGAZINE I APRIL 2026 CAD/CAM engineer at Northrop Grumman Enter- prise Services, her primary responsibility was to develop a common, shared EDM (Electronic Docu- ment Management) library to support the electrical and PCB design tool initiatives across Northrop Grumman Mission Systems. An active Global Electronics Association mem- ber and volunteer for over 30 years, Karen first got involved while working for Lockheed Martin, when one of her bosses presented at a meet- ing. She told Patty Goldman in a 2021 interview upon hearing of her HOF honor that she became engaged during "the GenCAM/ODB++ data wars of the 1990s," and that "IPC decided to host the peace talks." She recounted working closely with Dieter Bergman on the 2-10 and 2-16 committees. Lockheed Martin was very involved in standards creation and review. Karen recalled that it was a high priority, and feels fortunate that her current employer, Northrup Grumman, has remained sup- portive of her involvement. Among her list of Association achievements, Karen received the President's Award in 2013. At one time, she was the chair of nine committees, including the Technical Activities Executive Com- mittee, the Technical Activities Executive Global Committee, and the IPC Design Community Lead- ership team. She has been a staunch advocate for new engineers, serving as one of the first mentors for the Association's Emerging Engineer program. When she was awarded her Hall of Fame trophy in 2021, John Mitchell said, "Karen's contributions to IPC are extraordinary, and her passion for the industry and commitment to the growth of younger engineers moved them, as well as IPC (the Global Electronics Association) and the overall electronics industry, forward". About her work with the As- sociation, she has said, "Everybody I have met at IPC cares about the industry, cares that things are done correctly, and cares that it costs their com- pany less." I-CONNECT007 Many members who have contributed significantly to the Global Electronics Associa- tion (formerly IPC) and our industry have been awarded the Raymond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame (HOF) Award. Though many early HOF members have passed away and are not known to today's Association membership, their contributions still resonate. This special series on Hall of Fame members provides a reminder of who was hon- ored and why. This Hall of Fame Spotlight Features Karen McConnell In 2021, Karen McConnell was awarded the Ray- mond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame award in recogni- tion of her contributions to the Association and the electronics industry. As a senior staff member and Highlighting Karen McConnell Editor's note: Dan Feinberg continues his series on the Hall of Fame, spotlighting the achievements of past Hall of Fame members of the Global Electronics Association.