Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1544707
12 SMT007 MAGAZINE I MAY 2026 When we're having regional impact, when this works as a strategy, it should be everywhere. North America just happened to be the last one? That's right. We are a global association, but each region has unique profiles and unique needs. It's important that we're listening to this large member contingent that is here in the United States, and in North America. What are the current opportunities, challenges, and dynamics that you're seeing in North America? Just in my first year, without question, it's the extreme growth in data centers. The United States is huge, and it's put a lot of stress on our EMS and manufacturing communities, and on our member- ship, of breaking ground, hiring thousands of employees, and getting them ramped up. It has called for our Association to develop standards for AI data centers. Also unique are educational programs that are directed exactly toward how to manufacture data centers. It's an exciting time on that. In addition, there's a huge emphasis here in the United States for aerospace and defense. Not only because of current situations, but historically, aerospace and defense are a strategic direction for our Association. We've brought on a new account director, George Rivera. He's here at the show, and he has extensive experience working with defense com- panies. He's a U.S. Marine veteran, and it's defi- nitely a signal to our region that this is an important strategic direction for us. There's a need to build out data centers and defense, so very cutting-edge manufacturing, de- sign, and electronics make total sense there. Our capacity here in North America may not be suf- ficient to deliver all those needs, so the response would be to go overseas. But with current geopo- litical situations, how do we address that? I'd say today we are addressing that with signifi- cant investment in infrastructure and new facilities with our manufacturing community here in the U.S. For our large members, it used to be where all the manufacturing focus was to go outside the U.S., and that's changed. It's quickly becoming a very focused region globally, with certain markets like data centers growing here in the United States, which is great news. Inside your team to help accomplish that sort of a mission, what would be your top three priorities for 2026? The top three priorities are to help with workforce training so our members can achieve their goals in terms of ramp-up, using apprentice programs, and developing unique curricula for dedicated programs such as data centers. That's key. The additional focus is on defense. What else do our defense members need from us? We're here to learn and focus on them. As they grow and are challenged to do things they haven't done before, we need to be there for them. What's your call to action for non-members here in North America? Why should they get involved with the Global Electronics Association? What I have seen in my first year with the Global Electronics Association, is not only do we have a tremendous technical capability from our stan- dards and education team, but there's just a posi- tive community aspect. Our wire harness and EMS communities are strong. They love getting together and sharing stories, comparing notes, and figuring out how to grow. That community aspect is a big reason why our membership continues to grow. That's my message to companies that are thinking about why they should join. We have free training and discounts for mem- bers. Overall, our Association really represents the entire ecosystem of the electronics industry. So, there's always something for any company in that ecosystem, whether you're a distributor, a supplier, or a manufacturer. Give us a call, we'd be happy to help. SMT007