Dan’s Biz Bookshelf: ‘Abundance: How We Build a Better Future’
Trouble in Your Tank: In Complex Systems, Design Rules Aren’t Optional
It’s Only Common Sense: The Phone Is Still Your Competitive Advantage
Don Ball: It’s Never Felt Like ‘Work’
December 1, 2025 |Estimated reading time: 1 minute
For the November issue of PCB007 Magazine, I was sent a list of questions that would highlight my personality and career. If you’ve read my previous columns, you know I am not reluctant to talk about myself, so here it goes.
The Early Years
I was born in November 1947 in Syracuse, New York (a genuine baby boomer) and grew up in the Syracuse suburb of Baldwinsville, NY. My childhood was pretty good, and in high school, I made one of the best decisions of my life.
In my freshman year, inspired by the 1960 Olympics in Rome, I decided to try out for the track team. Of course, I wanted to attain glory as a sprinter, but this turned out to be a less-than-optimal pursuit, and I gradually moved up in distance to become a miler. To everyone’s surprise, I was good at distance running and became one of the first in my class to earn a varsity letter, much to the disgust of some of my more athletic classmates in the higher-profile sports.
This was important to me since it did wonders for my self-esteem and kept me from being a complete 1960s high school nerd (i.e., the main male characters in “The Big Bang Theory”). Of course, I still resent that even the third-string quarterback on a football team that couldn’t win a game in the entire four years I was in high school had more social standing than me—a member of the only teams bringing in championship trophies—but generally, high school was a pretty good time.
To continue reading this article, which originally appeared in the November 2025 edition of PCB007 Magazine, click here.
Share on:
Subscribe
Stay ahead of the technologies shaping the future of electronics with our latest newsletter, Advanced Electronics Packaging Digest. Get expert insights on advanced packaging, materials, and system-level innovation, delivered straight to your inbox.
Subscribe now to stay informed, competitive, and connected.
Suggested Items
Hall of Fame Spotlight Series: Highlighting Karen McConnell
05/07/2026 | Dan Feinberg, I-Connect007In 2021, Karen McConnell was awarded the Raymond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame award in recognition of her contributions to the Association and the electronics industry. As a senior staff member and CAD/CAM engineer at Northrop Grumman Enterprise Services, her primary responsibility was to develop a common, shared EDM (Electronic Document Management) library to support the electrical and PCB design tool initiatives across Northrop Grumman Mission Systems.
A Necessary Shift From Gerber to IPC-2581
05/07/2026 | Tracy Riggan, Global Electronics AssociationIPC-2581 is an open, vendor-neutral data exchange standard developed by the Global Electronics Association to streamline the exchange of PCB design information across fabrication, assembly, and test. It replaces multiple legacy formats—including industry standards, Gerber, and ODB++—with a single, comprehensive, XML-based dataset that captures all manufacturing details.
When Quality Is Personal: The Human Stakes Behind Electronics Reliability
05/06/2026 | Kelly DackIn electronics manufacturing, quality is often discussed in terms of specifications, standards, and process controls, but as industry veteran Doug Pauls reminds us, the stakes are far more human. In this conversation, Doug, a recipient of the Global Electronics Association’s Hall of Fame Award, draws on more than four decades of experience to illuminate the real-world consequences of reliability, where even a single defect can carry profound implications. He brings into sharp focus why quality isn’t just a metric, but a responsibility shared by everyone on the manufacturing floor.
PCBAA, AAM Take on the Fight to Rebuild U.S. Manufacturing in New Documentary
05/05/2026 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007Throughout most of the 20th century, manufacturing was central to the American Dream of providing stable jobs and pathways to upward mobility. Today, more than 80% of global electronics manufacturing capacity resides in China and greater Asia, raising serious concerns about supply chain resilience and national security.
Vern Solberg: A Designer's Focus on High Density
04/30/2026 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007 MagazineVern Solberg is a distinguished member of the Global Electronics Association Raymond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame and has served as chair or vice chair of many committees, developing technical standards and implementation guidelines, including the IPC-7090 series, which focuses on design for manufacturing and reliability for electronic assemblies. He’s a long-time contributor to Design007 Magazine, and he conducted a half-day tutorial at APEX EXPO 2026, where he addressed 2D, 2.5D, and 3D packaging and ultra-high density hybrid bond interconnect. I caught up with Vern at the show and asked about his pivot from addressing more standard design challenges to his focus on high-density circuits.