Executive Committee Spotlight - Debra Coler

Name:  Debra Coler

Lab/Institution/Company: OEwaves, Inc.

What you are currently working on at your lab/institute/job?:

Currently my title is Vice President, Contract Management.  I handle all research contracts and grants, subcontracts and proposals.  My goal is to retire soon.

Why do you volunteer with UFFC-S?:  

The IEEE landscape changes and becomes more challenging all the time and we never know what the future holds, we all learned that from the pandemic.  I love the work that we do, the young people that we bring along into the different technology areas, the disadvantaged areas of the world that we can help develop and the incredible technologies that we represent.  
Have you won any recent awards or accolades?: I was recently awarded Senior Member and of course elected President of the Society for the years of 2026 and 2027.

A Note from Debra (Anything else you wish for us to know):

My first introduction to UFFC-S was in 1999 through my work at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.  I worked for several years as part of the IFCS Standing Committee and then on AdCom for several years.  I have worked with the TPC’s of conferences and my company has exhibited at the conferences and in those roles I have met many colleagues and life long friends.  I have learned so much, traveled to so many wonderful places and met such diverse incredible, amazing people.  I feel so grateful for the opportunities I have had to work with this Society, it has to be the best one!!  Let’s see, other things about me...I have six grandchildren that are the joy of my life!  My newest hobby is paddle boarding and I love to grow my own vegetables and flowers. My life partner Alan has been with me for 50 years, he is retired and calls himself my “roadie”.  We now live in Boise, Idaho where we moved to 4 years ago from Pasadena, California (I am trying to retire). Life is good and I am most blessed!