Carolynn Leonard Shares IIA’s “Best-Kept Secret” with Wireless Customers

Whether she’s working out at the gym, playing with her Pit Bull, or getting her hands dirty in the garden, Carolynn Leonard is all in. Her signature intensity — along with integrity, organization and people skills — have made a mark on the testing and certification industry, and beyond.

Carolynn’s career began at Underwriters Laboratories, where she served as Manager of Client Relations. In the years to come, she would gain additional testing, inspection and certification experience at labs large and small. Carolynn also spent considerable time in leadership roles in the energy industry, including nuclear power. Her career journey also includes diverse experience ranging from selling weld metal overlay solutions and specialty coatings to leading Global Market Access (GMA) teams for wireless products.

The pendulum of her impressive career has swung between sales and operations and back again. But there is something about sales that speaks to Carolynn.

“I love the customer interface,” she says. “If you’re in operations, you’re only brought in to deal with customers when there’s a problem. But in a sales role, you have the opportunity to be a hero for somebody.”

It was her enthusiasm for connecting with customers that drew Carolynn to Industrial Inspection & Analysis (IIA) in the fall of 2024. Her role as Director of Sales for our Florida lab offers the opportunity to put her lab experience to work and partner with customers on exciting new product launches.

“As a consumer, you take a lot of things for granted. But when you’re working behind the scenes, you gain a really deep appreciation for what goes into testing a product,” says Carolynn. “There is something cool about seeing a product out in the world and knowing that it’s a safe product to use and that I was part of bringing it to market.”

Since 1976, IIA’s testing laboratory in Alachua, Florida, has been a leading provider of testing and certification that helps bring consumer products and radiofrequency (RF) devices to markets around the world. Our lab is accredited to test to the requirements of the Federal Communications Commission, ISED Canada, BEIS UK, MIC Japan, OFCA Hong Kong, ACMA Australia, RRA Korea, IMDA Singapore, IFT Mexico, and the European Commission.

Our Florida lab continues to add new testing technologies, such as SAR testing, while offering personalized service and support that you won’t always find at larger labs.

“Probably the best-kept secret is that this small lab has all these incredible capabilities, as well as really unique accreditations for testing to standards in different countries,” says Carolynn.

While the Florida lab specializes in wireless (EMC/RF) testing, Carolynn also wants customers to know about lesser-known offerings such as electrical safety testing for medical equipment (IEC 60601-1), information technology (IT) and audiovisual (AV) equipment (IEC 62368-1), as well as the lab’s capability to test wireless products for the European Union’s CE mark.

While the lab serves customers all over the world, Carolynn especially wants Florida-based manufacturers to know about the world-class services right in their backyard.

“We have an open-door policy. How great is it to be able to drive your sample up to our lab and be part of the testing process?” asks Carolynn. “It’s helpful to have customers there during testing. They can learn about what’s required and ask and answer questions if issues arise during testing.”

From her early days in safety testing at Underwriters Laboratories, Carolynn’s lab experience runs deep. Still, her new role in the world of wireless testing proved to be eye-opening.

“The thing that surprised me the most is the amount of testing and documentation that is required for an FCC grant or an ISED approval. I now have a deeper appreciation for all that is involved and all of the rules and processes behind that,” says Carolynn. If customers are looking to get a product certified with the FCC or other agency, they really need to plan accordingly to ensure a smooth process.”

And no one is happier to help with that planning than the always-organized Carolynn, who is proud to be part of our Florida team.

“You have to give the lab a lot of credit because they are managing not just repeat business, but so many new products and regulations on a daily basis. We have amazing, talented folks on our team,” says Carolynn. “In this industry, you have to be a forever student because everything is constantly changing and new regulations are coming out. If you like to learn, this is the place to be. You’ll never be bored.”