PEACHTREE CITY, GA – OCTOBER 1, 2025 – The Printed Circuit Engineering Association (PCEA) today announced Mike Buetow as the first individual awarded the PCEA Lifetime Achievement Award and as the first inductee in the newly established PCEA Hall of Fame. The announcement was made at the PCEA annual meeting in conjunction with the PCB West conference and exhibition.

For more than three decades, Buetow has influenced every corner of this industry. From his early years in electronics manufacturing to his role today as President of the PCEA, he has built bridges across design, fabrication, and assembly. He has been an editor, a publisher, a community leader, and most importantly, a mentor.

He has played a key role in:

• Expanding education and certification for PCB designers, ensuring the next generation can thrive.
• Relaunching vital industry events like PCB East, PCB West, and now PCB Detroit, bringing designers, fabricators, and assemblers together to share knowledge and strengthen community.
• Guiding PCEA’s growth through acquisition and outreach, expanding its reach and resources for engineers worldwide, and bridging the gap between industry and academia.
• Championing thoughtful leadership on new challenges, whether it’s AI, ML, Cloud base connectivity, design constraints, and advanced technologies, or the human side of engineering.

“Mike’s career has been a testament to both excellence and generosity,” said Stephen Chavez, PCEA chairman. “He has inspired collaboration, nurtured new talent, and elevated the standards of our profession. And through it all, he has carried himself with humility, focusing not only on what we build, but on who we become as a community.”

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