Frank Sablan is an engineer, educator and United States Army veteran who has accrued more than 40 years of professional experience in his field. Joining the STRAC Institute (formerly known as Veterans Assembled Electronics) in 2010 as the executive vice president of technology, he subsequently transitioned to the role of training director between 2014 and 2016. Since that time, he has excelled as principal instructor, as part of his self-authored succession plan. In his position, Mr. Sablan maintains responsibility for training disabled veterans to help them prepare for careers in the electronics industry as electronics inspectors and technicians.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Sablan excelled in a myriad of management and engineering positions in aerospace engineering, semiconductor equipment and materials, and telecommunications. Commencing his career as a manufacturing engineer for Texas Instruments in Sherman, Texas, in 1979, he then served as a quality engineer and quality manager across the state of California for 10 years. Thereafter, he excelled as a director of quality for such organizations as Sumitomo SITIX, LG Epitaxy and Sigen between 1988 and 2000, as well as the director of operations at netMercury and the vice president of operations at Global Drug Testing Labs. Prior to joining the STRAC Institute, Mr. Sablan served as a master IPC instructor at Blackfox Training in Longmont, Colorado. To supplement his experience as an instructor, he served in the same capacity at Foothill-De Anza Community College between 1983 and 1994.
To prepare for his own career, Mr. Sablan attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in engineering in 1974. Following his graduation, he served to the rank of captain in the United States Army until 1979 and to the rank of major in the United States Army Reserves until 1990. During this time, Mr. Sablan received an Associate of Arts in quality assurance from Foothill-De Anza Community College in 1983 and completed graduate coursework in quality assurance at San Jose State University in 1989. He is a certified administrator through Electronic Technician Associations International and a master IPC instructor through IPC International.
To attest to his military success, Mr. Sablan received a Parachutist Badge and a Commendation Medal from the United States Army. In his leisure time, he enjoys painting portraits and landscapes and completing do-it-yourself projects. Married with two children and two grandchildren, Mr. Sablan lives by the motto, “Duty, honor, country.”