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to discuss, design and manufacture products for disparate indus- munication. So I learned tries, cradle to grave, all centered on using an electroacoustical a lot about how things solution. Massa designs, develops, and manufactures new and work and how to explain modi? ed products, hundreds of transducers and systems that something that’s a little operate in ? uid and gas at different frequencies spanning from more complicated to 5 Hz to 500 kHz; used in various environments and applica- somebody who might tions including anti-collision, measurement, liquid level (C1D1 not have that type of

Hazardous and not), ? ow, anti-theft, web break, bowling scoring background.” systems, active and passive sonars, to name a few. Clear communica- “When I was younger, I had a conception that to be in this tion with Stancav- family business, you had to be an engineer,” said Stancavish. So ish starts in-house. when she entered college she took some engineering classes. “I “Everyone who’s can do it, it takes a lot of work, I understand it; but I found that it employed here is a person to really isn’t my natural calling.” us; it’s not just a job, not just a title, not

She ended with a Master’s degree in Psychology and entered just a number,” she said. “We care a lot about making the workforce outside of the family business, brought into Mas- sure that everyone is feeling satisfaction from their job, and that sa at the board level, which gave her insight not only on the they understand how important each job here is.” As a certi? ed company, its processes and technologies, but also on how her small, family business, that means everyone does lots of differ- speci? c talents were aligned with the company. ent things and everything that they do is important to the big “I knew that I always wanted do something important, I always picture.

wanted to make sure that this company did well, but how I ? t While Stancavish is mindful of the company’s legacy leader- into it was discovered later on,” said Stancavish. ship, she aims to bring her skillset to the fore in the manner in which she leads. “Communicating internally is something that

A Different Perspective was important to both my father and my grandfather, but I think

Following in the footsteps of any legacy leader is dif? cult, fol- I do it a little bit differently, I just have a different nature,” she lowing “Frank Massa, ‘the Father of Modern Electroacoustics’ said. “They were very technical leaders where I’m more of a and her own technically accomplished father, Don, takes the holistic leader.” challenge to the next level. At a young age, Stancavish became “The other piece that is really important is that I’ve embraced keenly aware that complex technology, albeit a major part, is fully the founder’s mentality,” said Stancavish. “Innovation is still just one part of the equation, with the ability to clearly com- critical in this business. A lot of businesses that do sonar in the municate that technology to both technical and non-technical ocean don’t do the ultrasonics for air. And a lot of our com- audiences a distinct and important skill, too. petitors that do the ultrasonics in air don’t have the underwater “My dad and my grandfather were very technical, but they experience, longevity or capability that we have. Embracing all both also understood how to communicate to people that aren’t of that and embracing the science of sound itself has been very technical,” said Stancavish. “I was able to pick up because they important. A lot of people focus more on the electronic or the always brought me into the conversations, even at a young age. signal processing side; we focus on design and the construction

I learned from them how important is to be clear in your com- of the transducers.”

Frank Massa, The Father of Modern Electroacoustics, was the founder of Massa Products Corporation. His list of innovations and achievements is long; with his son Don and granddaughter Dawn carrying on the company’s mantra of engineering solution excellence, his legacy is longer.

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