Horizons online gives special recognition to individuals who have achieved 35 or more years of service. Each is invited to be photographed and share his or her Rockwell Collins work history as part of this feature.

Norman Brittingham joined Rockwell Collins in October 1972 as a test technician in our Air Transport division after learning about our company while still in technical school at United Electronics in Louisville, Ky. Following a job interview and a tour of our facilities in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, he accepted a position and has since enjoyed many challenging projects.

"The opportunities I have had to travel to countries other than the United States have given me wonderful experiences that I would not have otherwise experienced," said Brittingham.

Throughout his 35-year career, Brittingham has worked with many teams and has witnessed the spirit of teamwork on several occasions. In the mid-1980s, for instance, he supported the EDU-7X6 and electrical mechanical instruments manufactured in a clean room environment where particle count must be controlled. He also led several task teams responsible for reducing test rejections.

After achieving each of their goals, Brittingham and his teammates presented their results to upper management.

"This was one way for us to celebrate our accomplishments and to provide recognition for the successes we achieved through a great deal of teamwork," recalled Brittingham.

Today, Brittingham is a senior quality assurance engineer in Rockwell Collins Services. Having experienced numerous changes throughout his career, he believes that the ability to maintain a positive attitude and to accept change leads to success.

"You should always have a positive attitude at work and look for ways to improve on current processes," he said. "Embrace change and communicate effectively, and always remember who your customers are and how you can influence the goals of the corporation."

LuAnn DeMoss joined Rockwell Collins in October 1972 as a pre-operator on the line in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. One of the most interesting projects she recalls is working on torpedo boards, but that's not the only job in which she took pride.

"Every accomplishment made and each job I've had over the years was interesting," said DeMoss. "I was glad to have worked on most everything."

Throughout her 35-year career, DeMoss has seen Rockwell Collins, as well as the aerospace and defense industry, witness tremendous change. She claims computers have had the most impact on life at work, and industry competition has become more intense.

"Our competition seems to have increased tremendously, and the world of computers is just amazing," she said. "How did we ever work without them?"

Now a storekeeper in the Building 202 Maintenance department, DeMoss has formed many friendships throughout the years. She also has realized how important it is to make the best of everything while on the job because that's what results in a successful career.

"I have enjoyed meeting a lot of great people and holding interesting jobs," said DeMoss. "My advice to my colleagues is to make the best out of your day, work hard and do a good job."

David L. Fitch joined the former Collins Radio Company - now Rockwell Collins - in October 1967 as a parts catalog writer for technical publications. A native of Ottumwa, Iowa, Fitch was always interested in working for the company founded by Arthur Collins - a man Fitch admired.

Since obtaining his amateur radio license in high school and beginning his career, Fitch has witnessed the tremendous growth of our company through one of history's most advanced periods of electronic evolution.

"I've seen a lot of changes," said Fitch. "In 40 years, technology has transformed from vacuum tubes to integrated circuits. It has given us a room full of electronics that we can hold in the palm of our hand."

As our company evolved, so too did Fitch's career. During the "space race" in late 1969, he worked on the Project Mercury and Project Gemini programs. "It felt good to be working on the most watched programs in the space race at the time," he said.

Fitch also had the opportunity to work with a team on the AN/ARC-190(V) High Frequency (HF) Radio System from its early design to its installation in U.S. Air Force aircraft systems around the world.

Now a senior writer in Rockwell Collins Services, Fitch has this advice for new employees.

"I have learned that everyone we work with should be treated as an equal," he said. "We all have one goal in common, to deliver a quality product at an affordable price to our customer. By doing this, we are all working together to make Rockwell Collins a better place to work."

John S. Joseph joined Rockwell Collins in September 1967 as a design engineer in Tustin, Calif. Throughout his 40-year career, Joseph has had many opportunities to develop, install and certify new products, which he says has been one of the best aspects of his job.

In particular, Joseph was part of a team that developed the first audio entertainment unit known as the 200 series audio tape reproducer. The unit was installed on the first B747-100 aircraft at Boeing. He also has worked with many people on numerous projects such as video projectors, Audio Video On Demand and monitors, which he says are still flying on several international and domestic airlines around the world.

Now a technical project manager at our Cabin Systems business in Tustin, Joseph has learned the value of knowing your product well. He also offers this advice to new employees.

"Work hard and learn all you can about airplanes and aviation," he said. "In-depth knowledge of aircraft and understanding systems is a key to your success and the success of our company."

Pamela Kramer joined Rockwell Collins in October 1972 as an assembly operator. When she first applied for the job more than three decades ago, Kramer thought our company would be an "interesting" place to work. She was not disappointed.
 
Several years ago, Kramer worked in the White Room on the Space Shuttle program - one she said "had high security and was very interesting."

Now a 195C-production specialist and Integrated Production Team (IPT) mentor, Kramer has witnessed our company's evolution. "We have become such a leader in this field," said Kramer. "Boeing relies on us for top-of-the-line products, we continue to acquire government contracts, and our people and our company are always willing to change to meet the needs of our customers. Without change, we wouldn't be where we are today."

Kramer said she has enjoyed her tenure at Rockwell Collins and the variety that the job offers.

"I have enjoyed the people I have worked with and most of the different jobs I have had while working here," she said. "And, I hope that I have helped make other people's jobs easier in the mentor roles I have held."

Marcia K. Sedlacek joined Rockwell Collins in September 1972 as a 107 assembly operator. Her original plan was to work for a couple of years, and then move on to something else. However, 35 years later, Sedlacek still enjoys coming to work at Rockwell Collins.
 
"I have made a lot of friendships here, and have had the opportunity to work in a lot of different areas," Sedlacek said. "So, I really found out what type of work I enjoyed doing."

Sedlacek has witnessed numerous changes over the years both within our company and in the outside world. For instance, the size and weight of our products, our company policies, and the use of cell phone technology and the World Wide Web have spawned many changes.

She admits that the use of cell phones and the Internet has both pluses and minuses. But, for the most part, the technology does make life easier.

"The internal instant messaging tool has been a big benefit in communication for our company," said Sedlacek, who has worked as a 195C-production specialist for the past 13 years. "If you have a problem, it can be resolved very quickly."

"I have gone through a lot of changes within our department," she said, "and will likely continue to see more in the future."

Teresa Staab joined Rockwell Collins in September 1967 as a provisioning analyst, a position she accepted temporarily to help finance the remainder of her college education. Staab ended up putting her education on hold, however, and finally returned to college 20 years later thanks to our company's education assistance program.

Today, Staab holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration/Management from Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, and is a senior contract manager in the Rockwell Collins Services Finance department.

During the past four decades, she has seen many changes occur within our company. One of the most significant changes, she said, is the fact that computers were once housed in large rooms with programs running once a day or once a week.

"The personal computer has significantly changed the way we do business," said Staab.

According to Staab, the environment at Rockwell Collins, the many opportunities our company offers, and the large presence our company has within the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, community have provided her with a very interesting and rewarding career.

"I love the people here and the everyday challenges," Staab said. "I'm also very proud that Rockwell Collins gives so much back to the community through organizations such as the United Way and the Cedar Rapids Freedom Festival, to name a few."