American Made Advocacy: A Growing Presence in Washington in Turbulent Times
It’s Only Common Sense: How to Win Back Lost Customers
Punching Out: M&A North American PCB and EMS Deals for the First Half of 2025
The Associations Issue
December 15, 2015 | Patty Goldman, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 1 minute
Well, it’s the end of the year. How did that happen? It really is true that every year goes by a little faster. You young whippersnappers out there won’t know what I’m talking about, but just you wait and see.
We changed it up for our December issues this year. Instead of doing a year-end review, we decided to devote this month to our associations and trade organizations—at least some, because when you start poking around, you will find there are scads of them.
I’ve been involved in IPC activities since ‘80 or ’81; I’m not sure anymore. I have made a ton of friends in this crazy industry of ours, learned a tremendous amount, and put in a lot of hours on subcommittee meetings and document writing. I started out by volunteering to chair the Process Effects Task Group and we put out a pretty complete PCB Troubleshooting Guide within two years or so—amazing at the time. We went through a few revisions over the years, and then I moved on to chair the Glass Reinforcement Task Group and in the meantime, served as TAEC chairman (explained later).
The key word here is “volunteer.” I know many or you can’t quite make that connection between volunteering and “I have learned so much,” but that truly is a great way to learn— much better than a classroom (go ahead, ask any volunteer). Even if you are writing just a paragraph or two for a document, you will research the heck out of it to make sure you have the right information, but you’ll also have this network of other volunteers to call upon for help.
The other connection to make is this: When you are working on a standard or specification you really can have input. The standards you use every day are not pulled out of thin air, nor are they written automatically by computers. They are written by people just like you. Tests are performed to verify data by member companies—just like yours—big or small.
Read the article here.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the December 2015 issue of The PCB Magazine.
Share on:
Testimonial
"We’re proud to call I-Connect007 a trusted partner. Their innovative approach and industry insight made our podcast collaboration a success by connecting us with the right audience and delivering real results."
Julia McCaffrey - NCAB GroupSuggested Items
Powering Progress: Summer 2025 Community Magazine Now Available
07/22/2025 | Community MagazineIn the new Summer 2025 edition of Community Magazine, members of the Global Electronics Association demonstrate what progress really looks like—through innovation on the factory floor, influence on public policy, and investment in the next generation of engineers.
TRI to Exhibit at SMTA Queretaro Expo 2025
07/16/2025 | TRITest Research, Inc. (TRI), the leading provider of test and inspection systems for the electronics manufacturing industry, is pleased to announce plans to exhibit at the SMTA Querétaro Expo 2025, scheduled to take place on July 24, 2025, at the Querétaro Centro de Congresos y Teatro Metropolitano.
Global PCB Connections: Let the Spec Fit the Board, Not Just the Brand
07/17/2025 | Jerome Larez -- Column: Global PCB ConnectionsIf you’ve ever seen an excellent PCB quote delayed, or worse, go cold because of a single line on the fab print, you’re not alone. Often, that line reads something like, “Use 370HR only,” or “IT-180A required.” These and other brand-name materials are proven performers, but unless your design needs that specific resin system (say, for RF performance, thermal reliability, or stringent CAF resistance), you may inadvertently be holding your job hostage.
IPC Hall of Fame Spotlight Series: Highlighting Lionel Fullwood
07/15/2025 | Dan Feinberg, I-Connect007Many IPC members who have contributed significantly to IPC and our industry have been awarded the IPC Raymond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame (HOF) Award. Though many early HOF members have passed away and are unknown to today’s IPC membership, their contributions still resonate. This special series on IPC Hall of Fame members provides a reminder of who was honored and why. As a bonus, for those who are still around, we get to find out what these talented individuals are up to today.
TRI Unveils New Platform for Diverse Board Sizes
07/14/2025 | TRITest Research, Inc. (TRI), the leading test and inspection systems provider for the electronics manufacturing industry, proudly introduces a new size configuration for SPI and AOI Models.