IPC’s Highest Honor, the Raymond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame Award, Presented to Karen McConnell, Long-time IPC Volunteer and Mentor

In recognition and acknowledgement of her extraordinary contributions to IPC and the electronics industry, Karen McConnell, Northrop Grumman, was presented with the IPC Raymond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame Award at IPC APEX EXPO on Tuesday, March 9. IPC’s most prestigious award, the Hall of Fame is given to individuals who have provided exceptional service and advancement to IPC and the electronics industry.

McConnell is a senior staff CAD CAM engineer in the engineering environment development and support department at Northrop Grumman Enterprise Services sector in Linthicum, Maryland. Her primary responsibility is developing a common shared EDM library and supporting the electrical and PCB design tool initiatives across Northrop Grumman Mission Systems.  

An active IPC volunteer and leader for IPC and the electronics industry for more than 30 years, McConnell supports numerous IPC standards development committees, including the Land Pattern Committee, Design for Excellence (DFX) Subcommittee, Generic Requirements for Digital Twin Task Group, CFX Subcommittee, Terms and Definition Committee and Electronics Documentation Committee.

Karen was elected Chairperson of IPC’s Technical Activities Executive Committee (TAEC) in 2020 and serves as Chairperson of the Technical Activities Executive Committee Global Committee. She is also chairperson of the IPC Design Community Leadership team. A recipient of the IPC President’s Award in 2013, McConnell is a strong advocate for new engineers, serving as one of the first mentors in IPC’s Emerging Engineer program. 

“Karen’s contributions to IPC are extraordinary,” said John Mitchell, IPC president and CEO. “Her passion for the industry and commitment to the growth of younger engineers moved IPC and the electronics industry forward. We are thrilled to welcome her as the newest recipient of the IPC Hall of Fame award.”