CONTACT: Jennifer Read
678-393-9990
jread@ecianow.org
November 3, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ECIA Announces 2026 Partner Award Recipient
‘Partner Award’ recognizes a strong partner of the Association.
Atlanta – ECIA’s CEO and President David Loftus announced the recipient of the ECIA Partner Award at the 2026 ECIA Executive Conference. This award recognizes someone outside the organization that has made the community stronger. This year’s Partner Award goes to Carla Mahrt.
“Great associations are built by their members, and they are strengthened by the partners who walk alongside them,” explained David during the ceremony at the Executive Conference. “This year’s Partner Award recipient is Carla Mahrt, founder of JJM Search. Carla knows this industry from the inside. She spent much of her career as an industry employee, including time at TE Connectivity and Vishay Intertechnology, and she has served our community in just about every way a person can. In the mid-2000s she served on the NEDA board for more than six years, and in 2007 NEDA honored her with its Distinguished Service Award. She also served on the EDS board, including a term as its president."
“Since then, Carla has become one of the most trusted and well-connected executive search consultants and talent advisors in our industry,” David continued. “If you’ve hired a key leader in this business, or been hired as one, there’s a good chance Carla was somewhere in that story. She has worked with ECIA members on both sides of the table, advising companies on who they need and candidates on where they belong. She has also placed chief executives at sister associations, which says a great deal about the trust she has earned.”
What sets Carla apart is that she doesn’t just fill positions. She helps Association members think about their people. Carla has stood on the stage of the Executive Conference three times as a presenter, and each time she took on a particularly vexing industry challenge. She led a session on the millennial generation, including a panel of young professionals who spoke for themselves. She tackled succession planning, one of the most important conversations in any company. And most recently, she presented “Beyond Onboarding” with a panel from Bel Power Solutions.
“A good partner knows your industry, believes in your mission, and makes you better. Carla, you’ve done all three,” he concluded.
Congratulations to the 2026 recipient of the Partner Award, Carla Mahrt.
About ECIA
The Electronic Components Industry Association (ECIA) is made up of the leading electronic component manufacturers, their independent manufacturer representatives and authorized distributors. ECIA members share a common goal of promoting and improving the business environment for the authorized sale of electronic components. Comprised of a broad array of leaders and professionals representing all phases of the electronics components supply chain, ECIA is where business optimization, product authentication and industry advocacy come together. ECIA members develop industry guidelines and technical standards, as well as generate critical business intelligence. For more information, visit www.ecianow.org or call 678-393-9990.