Trouble in Your Tank: Organic Addition Agents in Electrolytic Copper Plating
It’s Only Common Sense: Selling During an Economic Downturn
Marcy’s Musings: Can You Hear the Voices?
[Men•tor]: A Wise and Trusted Guide
May 31, 2023 | Linda Stepanich, IPCEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
A new engineer walks into a reception at IPC APEX EXPO… in other words, there are many ways to connect with one another in the electronics manufacturing community. Here’s the true story of how a mentor and a mentee met, discussed IPC standards, chaired a committee together, and won top IPC awards.
Christina Trussell of Blue Origin was new to her career and eager to learn. Garry McGuire of NASA Marshall Space Flight Center was an established contributor to dozens of IPC standards. After they met at an IPC APEX EXPO Newcomers’ Reception, the two built a strong mentor/mentee relationship. Christina is an Emerging Engineer (EE),and they both have leadership roles on the 7-31FS IPC/WHMA-A-620 Space and Military Electronic Assemblies Addendum Task Group.
Coincidentally, they also celebrated two big wins at the IPC annual awards ceremony this year, with Garry taking home IPC’s highest honor, the IPC Raymond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame Award, and Christina emerging as a Rising Star.
Let’s start with your first meeting. How did that go and what was your expectation?
Christina: The first time I attended IPC APEX EXPO, I went to the Newcomers’ Reception. While I was there, I had a question regarding the IPC/WHMA-A-620S and I had no idea who to talk to about it. I saw John Mitchell, president and CEO of IPC, greeting everyone and I decided that talking to him would be the best way to find an answer to my question. I was able to speak with John about my question, and he directed me to Teresa Rowe, who eventually introduced me to Garry. When I met Garry, he gave me such a great answer to my question that I asked him if he would be my mentor.
Garry: Teresa Rowe approached me and said she knew an engineer who would be a great candidate for me to work with in the Emerging Engineer program. Christina and I met shortly thereafter. The COVID shutdown affected our ability to conduct face-to-face activities, but we did make it to several IPC meetings, and we had many more virtual meetings.
There is much to gain from being part of a mentorship program. What were your expectations, and how did you establish the types of meetings and projects you would work on?
Christina: My expectations were to have someone show me the ropes in the IPC standards committee world. Outside of that, Garry has proven to be a valuable resource for one-off technical harnessing-type questions that have stumped me over the years. Aside from being a co-vice-chair on the IPC/WHMA-A-620S with Garry, we haven't taken on any special projects together. The A-620 space addendum has kept us busy enough that we have maintained virtual communication throughout those COVID years.
To read this entire conversation, which appeared in the Spring issue of Community Magazine, click here.
Share on:
Suggested Items
EIPC Summer Conference 2025: PCB Innovation in Edinburgh
04/18/2025 | EIPCEIPC have very wisely selected this wonderful city in Scotland as the venue for their Summer Conference on June 3-4. Whilst delegates will be distilling the proven information imparted by the speakers in the day, in the evening they will be free spirits at the Conference Dinner.
IPC President's Award: Barry Matties
04/21/2025 | Pete Starkey, I-Connect007The IPC President’s Award is given to IPC members who have exhibited ongoing leadership in IPC and have made significant contributions of their time and talent to the association and the electronic interconnect industry. Individuals can receive this award only once. Barry Matties has been a leading global force in publishing content about the electronics industry for nearly 40 years. He began his publishing career as a co-founder of CircuiTree Magazine in 1987, which became the leading printed trade journal serving the PCB industry.
IPC President’s Award: Xaver Feiner
04/17/2025 | Nolan Johnson, SMT007 MagazineThroughout his career, Xaver Feiner, vice president of marketing and sales at Zollner Elektronik, has developed extensive expertise in account management and new business development with a strong focus on the semiconductor industry, aerospace, and industrial electronics. Xaver has cultivated a profound understanding of global markets and remains deeply engaged with the challenges and opportunities presented by digital transformation. Since 2020, he has been an active member of the IPC Europe Advocacy Group, where he is dedicated to advancing the position of the electronics industry and the EMS sector across Europe.
New High Power 3D AXI for Power Electronics from Test Research, Inc.
04/17/2025 | TRITest Research, Inc. (TRI), a leading provider of Test and Inspection solutions for the electronics manufacturing industry, proudly announces the launch of the 3D AXI TR7600HP system. Designed for power semiconductor inspection, the TR7600HP enhances accuracy and efficiency in detecting defects in components such as IGBTs, MOSFETs, SiC inverters, and Paladin Connectors.
Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2025: IPC Mexico Building Community and Partnerships
04/17/2025 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPOLorena Villanueva highlights IPC Mexico's three-year journey focused on community building and partnerships with governments and educational institutions. Key milestones include collaboration agreements with state governments and universities to enhance the electronics industry. IPC Days promotes networking and education, while a partnership with UNAM aims to integrate IPC training into engineering programs. The discussion wraps up with congratulations on IPC Mexico's achievements and the launch of the Mexico pavilion at this year's show.