SMTA announces Annual Awards.

The Surface Mount Technology Association (SMTA, Minneapolis, MN, www.smta.og) honored members at its Annual Meeting during SMTA International (SMTAI) in September.

The Founder's Award went to Dr. Ronald Lasky of Indium Corp. of America (Utica, NY) and Dartmouth College (Hanover, NH). Including involvement at both the national and local levels, Lasky has been an ardent supporter of the SMTA by conducting Academy courses, presentations and by chairing technical sessions. He has also been invaluable in the implementation and instruction of the new certification program.

Two individuals were selected for the Member of Distinction Award, Dr. Jean-Paul Clech of EPSI Inc. (Montclair, NJ) and Lisa Hamburg, UP Media Group Inc. (Atlanta, GA), publishers of Circuits Assembly magazine. Clech has been a member of the association since 1995 and is directly involved in the SMTA technical, bookstore and journal committees. He is known as the principal developer of the "Solder Reliability Solutions" model and application software.

Hamburg has demonstrated her interest in and support of the industry in her role as editor-in-chief of Circuits Assembly, through her editorial writing and in her activity with the local Atlanta SMTA Chapter. At the local level she is currently the vice president of technical programs, scheduling speakers and arranging for meeting accommodations, and she is the chair-person for the Atlanta SMTA Scholarship Fund, as well as being active on the SMTA Hutchins Grant Committee.

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Jeff Kennedy of MSL (Concord, MA) and Jim Kuehn, Tyco Automation (Harrisburg, PA), were chosen for the Excellence in Leadership Award. Kennedy was a driving force in the Upper Midwest Chapter, holding the positions of vice president of technical programs, treasurer and president. At the local level he was the catalyst in creating the Vendor Reference Guide and supports the chapter in its annual Golf Outing and Vendor Day. At the national level, Kennedy served on the SMTA Emerging Technologies and SMTAI technical committees.

Under Kuehn's leadership at the local level in Portland, OR, serving as both president and vice president, the chapter was revitalized and won the Chapter of the Year Award in 2002. He also helped to establish the Boise chapter and one of the first SMTA student chapters at Oregon State University. At the national level, Kuehn serves on the Membership Committee and co-chairs sessions at SMTAI.

As a corporate SMTA member, 3M Co. (St. Paul, MN) received the SMTA+ Corporate Partnership Award. The St. Paul site has been a corporate member for many years, and it hosted the highly successful Upper Midwest Chapter Vendor Show in 2002 and 2003. It has donated to the Charles Hutchins Educational Grant, sponsored Pan Pacific Symposium receptions and initiated the SMTAI raffle drawing.