SANTA CLARA, CA – SEPTEMBER 29, 2026 – The Printed Circuit Engineering Association (PCEA) today announced Edward Dodd and Matthew Leary as recipients of the annual PCEA Leadership Award, for their development of the PCB Design Roadmap for the US Congress. 

PCEA also named Michael Burns the recipient of the fifth annual PCEA Membership Award, for his dedication toward growing the PCEA membership.

The announcements were made at the PCEA annual meeting in conjunction with the PCB West conference and exhibition.

Dodd and Leary led the development of the PCB Design Roadmap, a document prepared for the PCB Executive Agent to the Undersecretary of the Navy. The document details the current and projected status of design technology and workforce over the next 10 years, identifying gaps, needs, and recommendations.

“Ed Dodd and Matt Leary have given the PCB design community a voice it has long been missing,” said Mike Buetow, president, PCEA, in announcing the award. “For too long, printed circuit design has been invisible in Washington. The roadmap puts the discipline in front of the people who set national priorities for electronics, and gives lawmakers a clear picture of what it takes to keep design talent and capability in the US. That is leadership in the truest sense.”

Burns is leader of the PCEA Richmond (VA) chapter. He launched the chapter in 2025 and has spearheaded regular meetups for hardware engineers and designers.

“Michael Burns has been a great ambassador for PCEA. Growing a professional community takes persistence, one conversation and one meeting at a time, and Michael has put in that work. It gives me great pleasure to recognize him with the PCEA Membership Award,” Buetow added.