 Dear IPC Members:
Policy makers are mostly out of the office in Washington and Brussels, but your IPC Government Relations team is on the job and gearing up for a busy fall and winter season, including four new hires in our Washington office.
NEW FACES
On Monday, we welcomed Richard Cappetto, a 14-year veteran of the U.S. House of Representatives, as our new senior director for North American government relations. In this role, Rich will be responsible for developing and implementing IPC’s public policy advocacy efforts in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, working closely with IPC’s Government Relations Steering Committee; with our grassroots Advocacy Team; and with IPC’s professional staff worldwide to advocate on behalf of the electronics industry in the halls of government.
Rich’s expertise and relationships will enable him to be a skillful, effective advocate for IPC members. His last role was Chief Customer Officer in the U.S. House, where he worked to improve internal services to all Members of Congress and their staffs. Previously he was staff director of the Commission on Congressional Mailing Standards and a professional staff member at the Committee on House Administration. Rich can be reached at 202-661-8096 or RichardCappetto@ipc.org.
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Another new face in our office is Michelle Mermelstein, who joined us this month as senior director of media engagement. Michelle will be working to educate and engage with key media outlets to raise awareness of the electronics industry, its value to the economy, and its public policy priorities. She brings an impressive track record of working with some of the world’s most influential companies including Nokia, Adobe, LG Electronics, and T-Mobile. Michelle can be reached at 202-661-8092 and MichelleMermelstein@IPC.org.
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A third new face, for those who may have missed the announcement early this summer, is Nyron Rouse, who joined us in June as director of government grants and strategic funding initiatives. In this new role, Nyron manages collaboration among IPC, industry leaders, and nonprofit organizations to secure government and non-governmental funding for IPC programs in manufacturing, workforce education, research and development, and sustainability. A veteran of the US Army, Nyron has managed grant activities for Emory University, Children's National Hospital, Carnegie Institution for Science, and the University of Pennsylvania. Nyron can be reached at +1 202-661-8095 and NyronRouse@IPC.org.
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Finally, Kate Koger is our new public affairs coordinator, providing communications and project management support for our government relations, industry intelligence, and sustainability activities. Kate is a 2023 graduate of Brigham Young University with a degree in Communications and Media Studies. Kate can be reached at 202-661-8094 and KateKoger@IPC.org.
FAMILIAR FACES
The rest of the team remains the same: Kelly Scanlon is Lead Sustainability Strategist; Suhani Chitalia is Manager of Environmental Regulatory Affairs; Alison James is Senior Director of European Government Relations; and yours truly is VP of Global Government Relations. Please follow us on LinkedIn!
STAY INFORMED AND INVOLVED
IPC’s Policy Agenda: As readers of this newsletter know, IPC’s policy priorities in every nation and region include securing funding and policy incentives for investment and innovation in electronics manufacturing; ensuring practical, risk-based regulations; and expanding efforts to educate and train more high-skilled workers.
Big Splash in India: Speaking of advancing IPC’s agenda, I want to salute the work of my colleague Sanjay Huprikar and the entire IPC India team for their work, especially this month with two high-profile events in Chennai and Pune. At the Chennai event, Sanjay announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the India Cellular & Electronics Association, aiming for faster adoption of standards by the Indian ESDM sector. It’s a significant partnership in the effort to build a $300 billion electronics sector there. Follow IPC India on LinkedIn to learn more.
We Need You! Please keep in mind that while advocacy efforts continue year-round, we need and welcome the active support and participation of attentive people like you! Here’s how you can stay informed and involved::
- Check out the latest edition of IPC Community, which spotlights the IPC Education Foundation and IPC education programs.
- Contact one of us if you have any questions or insights to contribute.
IPC Global Advocacy Report will be back in two weeks, on Friday, Sept. 8. In the meantime, please enjoy late summer vibes! All the best,
Chris Mitchell
Vice President, Global Government Relations |
