Representor Winter 2024 – Chapter News

Arizona ERA is proud to share that Alicia Doten, senior sales coordinator/OEM at Techni-Source Inc., completed the ERA Chapter Officer Leadership Training virtual event in November.

The chapter is busy planning for a couple of upcoming events in 2024. First, its 3rd annual golf tournament is scheduled for May 29 at Legacy Golf Resort in Phoenix. More information and a registration announcement coming soon. The chapter is working on a new event for Spring 2024 at Embry Riddle School of Engineering in Prescott, Ariz. It will be a tabletop trade show, along with some presentations from key high-tech manufacturers and a design competition between engineers. The winner will be awarded CM and design support from local Arizona CM/ODM companies, along with a scholarship award.

Carolinas ERA has already begun setting the stage for another successful charity fundraising golf event for 2024! The chapter recently posted a survey to its members and past participants and were pleased to receive favorable feedback. Not only are participants amenable to an increased registration fee for a more challenging course, but also agreed with our suggestion to offer sponsorship tiers. The chapter leaders will plan to offer several new avenues of participation in 2024 — possibly two events to double the fun!

The chapter is also very pleased to welcome its new Board of Directors’ member additions, listed as follows, and are confident they will bring renewed insight and ideas to the Carolinas ERA. The officers are Chairman of the Board – Buzz Reynolds, CSP, Performance Technical Sales; President – Penny Langdon, TT Electronics; VP / Finance – Annette Paden, South Atlantic Component Sales Inc.; VP / Education – Bryan Teen, CPMR, Tech Marketing; VP / Membership – Hunter Starr, CPMR, CSP, Performance Technical Sales. Directors: Rob Brunson, Wallace Electronic Sales; Peter Flores, TTI Inc.; Heather Heath, Pinnacle Marketing; Perry Thornton, Pinnacle Marketing; Aparna Sproelich, CPMR, Aurora Group. National Delegate: Brad Starr, CPMR, Performance Technical Sales.

Chicagoland-Wisconsin ERA celebrated the holiday season by hosting its 2nd annual Toys for Tots Drive & Happy Hour for members only in November. Many chapter members took advantage of this opportunity to mix and mingle while also supporting the local Toys for Tots drive. The cost of admission to the event was simply an unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots! It was great to get together with chapter members, upcoming members and distribution colleagues. More than 50 gifts were donated to the local Marines Toys for Tots. A wonderful time was had by all!

Florida-Sunshine ERA hosted its annual Space Coast Christmas Party and Golf Tournament in December. More than 100 people attended the event. All toys donated at the event went to Toys for Tots Brevard County. The cash that the chapter raised was donated to ArrowElectronics to support their toy drive for the Arnold Palmer Children’s Hospital. The chapter would like to thank all of the suppliers, reps, distributors and, most of all, customers who attended. Avidyne of Melbourne, Fla. was the event’s platinum sponsor. A big thank you to Bob Geist, operations manager at Avidyne, and his team!

New England Chapter ERA was proud to once again partner with Molex to sponsor an annual holiday event and Toys for Tots Drive in December. The event was well attended by reps, distributors and Molex employees. Many toys were donated, and a donation was made to the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program. The chapter extends a big thanks to all who helped make this annual event a great success!

Pacific Northwest ERA, in conjunction with the Portland Chapter of the Electronics Manufacturers Assn. (EMA), resurrected the NEDME Show (Northwest Electronics Design & Manufacturing Expo) last October. The show was put on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic. (In earlier years the show was called OctoberBest.) At the event, the chapter hosted a party for exhibitors, speakers and ERA members at CRUX Brewery. The tech sessions at the show covered a wide range of topics. The morning keynote speaker, Robert Vaughn, from Intel, discussed AI and how it will affect the future. Duane Benson of Positive Edge, LLC, the afternoon keynote speaker, gave a retrospective on 20 years of the show and what the next 20 years might look like. There were approximately 300 attendees at the show and we look forward to building on that in the future.

The chapter sponsored the lunch and coffee services at the show. Kelly Atay of Sunstone Circuits and EMA was the show manager and Mike Foresee with Umpqua Bank and EMA was assistant manager. Ed Perkins, an IEEE member, Duane Benson and Leonard Weitman with EMA hired the speakers. Pat Duggan and Art Henderson from ERA were advisors as they have been involved with the show from the beginning in 2001. Thanks to all for a successful event!

Northern California ERA has been bustling with energy and enthusiasm this quarter, showcasing a range of impactful activities that have brought its members together in innovative and meaningful ways. From virtual panels and training sessions to community outreach and festive charity events, the chapter has truly embraced the spirit of collaboration and engagement. Let’s dive into the highlights of the association’s activities for the quarter. In September, Dennis Reed conducted a virtual training session covering a variety of topics, from effective communication strategies to mastering the art of negotiation. Reed’s expertise and engaging teaching style left participants with practical skills and a renewed sense of motivation to excel in their roles. In October, the chapter hosted a “Brews and Boos” event where members could connect, share experiences and enjoy some light-hearted conversations. In keeping with the chapter’s commitment to community engagement, the group spent an afternoon at Second Harvest Food Bank. Members packed over 16,000 lbs of food. Closing the quarter on a festive note, the chapter organized Hope for the Holidays Charity Lunch to benefit Stanford Lucile Salter Packard Children’s Hospital. More than 60 members joined in at a festive lunch. The chapter donated $5,000 to the hospital while individual members continued to contribute via online donations.

As the association looks forward to the next year, there is a sense of optimism and anticipation for even more exciting activities and opportunities for growth and collaboration.

Southern California ERA has made significant strides in 2023, increasing member engagement and delivering more value to our esteemed members. It’s encouraging to see the growing attendance at our events, and we want to take a moment to recognize some outstanding individuals who’ve gone above and beyond.

Bill Herold, CPMR (The Sagebrush Maestro): Bill’s dedication has been the driving force behind the success of the annual Sagebrush Social. Thanks to his efforts, the event saw a significant increase in size this year. Michael McCaig, (Golf Tournament Extraordinaire): Michael’s innovative ideas led to our first-ever Platinum Sponsor at the golf tournament. We’re optimistic about reaching maximum capacity at next year’s golf tournament, which would not be possible without Michael’s continued support. Gary Smith, CPMR, and Steve Tennessen (The Dynamic Duo): Gary and Steve have been instrumental in revitalizing the chapter since 2018. Their voluntary efforts, from bringing in new members to securing event sponsors, have not gone unnoticed. We owe much of our recent success to their tireless work and thank them for rotating responsibilities over the years. We would not have been able to achieve all that we have without the continued support this year from Board Members Scott Steck, Bob Garcia and Tom Walker.

In 2024, Gary Smith will transition into the role of Chairman. We would like everyone to thank Gary for his service and give a warm welcome to the incoming Board Members: Scott Steck, English Technical Sales, Chapter President; Michael McCaig, Luscombe Engineering, Chapter Vice President; Tom Walker, Spectron, Treasurer; Bob Garcia, Ferrari Technical Sales, Government Affairs; Steve Tennessen, Astron Electronics, National Delegate; Kevin Smith, Sager Electronics, Distributor Chair; and Dean Rambo, Knowles, Manufacturer Chair.

Mark your calendars in 2024: February 1 – SoCal ERA Rock ’N New Year Social at Rock & Brew, Orange County; March 12 – ChatGPT Event; April 24-25 – Del Mar Electronics & Manufacturing Show Social; May 7 – Social Media Marketing Event; June 7 – Why Are Millennials Not Working in the Manufacturing Industry; September 19 – Sagebrush Annual Social; October 29 – Annual Golf Tournament Benefiting Operation Homefront; November 13 – Chapter Luncheon / Year End Planning Meeting; December 3 – Panel Meeting with Distributors: Working Better Together. If you know someone in our industry who’s missing out on the ERA education and fun, let us know. We’re all about growing stronger together and spreading the ERA magic far and wide. Let the ERA adventures continue!