Rick Kompelien

Rick Kompelien has over 30 years of work experience in engineering and program management. Rick started their career as a Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps, where they specialized in combat engineering. After leaving the military, Rick worked as a Manufacturing Engineer and Program Manager at EMD Associates, Inc. In 1996, EMD was purchased by Benchmark Electronics, where Rick continued to work as a Program Manager. Rick then moved on to work as an Engineering Project Manager at Watlow, where they managed new product design and development projects. Rick also worked as a New Product Introduction Engineer at Pemstar, where they facilitated the transition from prototype to volume production. Rick later joined TRW Automotive Electronics as a Principal Manufacturing Engineer, where they were responsible for manufacturing and design support of a major program. After that, Rick worked as an Engineering Manager at Cytec Engineered Materials, focusing on composite materials for aerospace and defense industries. Currently, Rick is employed by Benchmark Electronics as a Principal Product Engineer, responsible for product and process development of medical devices.

Rick Kompelien's education history begins with their high school education at Roseau High School, which they completed in 1980. Rick then attended North Dakota State University from 1981 to 1983, where they pursued a degree in Mechanical Engineering. However, it is not specified if they obtained a degree from this institution.

From 1987 to 1990, Rick studied at North Carolina State University and obtained a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Mechanical Engineering. During this time, they focused on coursework in the field of study.

Later, from 1993 to 1995, Rick attended the University of Minnesota to further their education in engineering management. Rick completed various graduate engineering management courses, although the specific degree they obtained is not mentioned.

In terms of additional certifications, Rick became a Certified IPC Specialist in February 2002. This certification was obtained through the IPC-Association Connecting Electronics Industries.