Nolan’s Notes: Finding Your Sweet Spot
Standard of Excellence: Delivering Excellence—A Daily Goal
Knocking Down the Bone Pile: Tin Whisker Mitigation in Aerospace Applications, Part 3
Meet Two New CID Grads: Kalen Brown and Michael Steffen
January 15, 2020 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineEstimated reading time: 1 minute
If you’re a designer with 30 or 40 years of experience, you might be wondering who is going to replace you when you retire. If so, read on!
At PCB West, I spoke with two newly minted Certified Interconnect Designers: Kalen Brown of EaglePicher and Michael Steffen of Crystal Group. After passing the CID exam, they attended the IPC Designers Council (DC) Executive Board Meeting, where the more “seasoned” veterans were very happy to meet them.
Kalen and Michael shared their thoughts on the job, the PCB design community, and the need for designers to continue their education throughout their careers.
Andy Shaughnessy: Kalen, you are a newly minted CID recipient. Tell us about your class.
Kalen Brown: Yes. I attended Kelly Dack’s class. We just finished, and it was a great class. I learned a lot of stuff I didn’t know that I didn’t know.
Shaughnessy: How long have you been in the industry?
Brown: I graduated and joined the industry about five years ago. My first job was at an EaglePicher Technologies doing software, electrical design, and board layout. We don’t fabricate the boards; we just design and send them out to be built and assembled. EaglePicher makes mission-critical batteries and the group that I am in works on battery management systems to keep a battery safe. I have learned a lot and didn’t know very much about circuit board design from out of school. It was an eye-opening experience getting thrown into it. Now, I realize that it wasn’t always a job for electrical engineers. I had no idea that a board designer and an engineer were two different people; that was a very big learning experience too. Everybody here has been very passionate about what they do. It has been incredible to hear all of the stories, and everyone wants to help. It seems like it’s a great group to be in, which makes me very excited.
Shaughnessy: We were just at the IPC DC Executive Board Meeting, which was open to the public. Was that your first IPC DC meeting?
Brown: Yes, this was my first time attending PCB West, my first CID class, and my first IPC DC meeting. It was a lot of firsts for me.
To read this entire interview, which appeared in the November 2019 issue of Design007 Magazine, click here.
Share on:
Suggested Items
DownStream Acquisition Fits Siemens’ ‘Left-Shift’ Model
06/26/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, I-Connect007I recently spoke to DownStream Technologies founder Joe Clark about the company’s acquisition by Siemens. We were later joined by A.J. Incorvaia, Siemens’ senior VP of electronic board systems. Joe discussed how he, Rick Almeida, and Ken Tepper launched the company in the months after 9/11 and how the acquisition came about. A.J. provides some background on the acquisition and explains why the companies’ tools are complementary.
Elementary Mr. Watson: Retro Routers vs. Modern Boards—The Silent Struggle on Your Screen
06/26/2025 | John Watson -- Column: Elementary, Mr. WatsonThere's a story about a young woman preparing a holiday ham. Before putting it in the pan, she cuts off the ends. When asked why, she shrugs and says, "That's how my mom always did it." She asks her mother, who gives the same answer. Eventually, the question reaches Grandma, who laughs and says, "Oh, I only cut the ends off because my pan was too small." This story is a powerful analogy for how many PCB designers approach routing today.
Connect the Dots: The Future of PCB Design and Manufacturing
07/02/2025 | Matt Stevenson -- Column: Connect the DotsFor some time, I have been discussing the increasing complexity of PCBs and how designers can address the constantly evolving design requirements associated with them. My book, "The Printed Circuit Designer’s Guide to… Designing for Reality," details best practices for creating manufacturable boards in a modern production environment.
Siemens Turbocharges Semiconductor and PCB Design Portfolio with Generative and Agentic AI
06/24/2025 | SiemensAt the 2025 Design Automation Conference, Siemens Digital Industries Software today unveiled its AI-enhanced toolset for the EDA design flow.
Cadence AI Autorouter May Transform the Landscape
06/19/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazinePatrick Davis, product management director with Cadence Design Systems, discusses advancements in autorouting technology, including AI. He emphasizes a holistic approach that enhances placement and power distribution before routing. He points out that younger engineers seem more likely to embrace autorouting, while the veteran designers are still wary of giving up too much control. Will AI help autorouters finally gain industry-wide acceptance?