Daniel Waldburger
TAV Chairman (Dec 2024 – Present)
Daniel is a long-time resident of San Diego. He graduated from Humboldt State University in Arcata, California with a Bachelor degree in Industrial Arts & Technology. With a primary focus in design and drafting, his emphasis became plastics design and electronics packaging in industry. He worked for a number of companies in San Diego, culminating in a 30-year career with Qualcomm Inc. While at Qualcomm, Daniel worked on the first CDMA mobile phones with the team dedicated to proving to the industry that Digital Cellular technology was the solution to the network capacity, data security and voice quality challenges that were missing in other industry offerings. Daniel retired as a VP of Engineering after leading a team of over 1200 people in various support engineering roles.
In parallel with product design, Daniel developed an appreciation of the other aspects of Industrial Arts (plastics, metals, electronics, automotive and especially woodworking). Each year a new tool would find its way into Daniel’s workshop, allowing for technical and creative challenges to be met and put to use. Most recently, the lathe is his tool of choice in that it allows him to make artistic and functional items mostly for gift giving.
The simplicity and versatility of the lathe allows the artist in Daniel to uncover the natural beauty and grain of the wood. The lathe can challenge for turners at every level, from beginner to hobbyist and professional turning.
Although he did not serve in the military his father is a veteran of the Korean war. Through TAV, Daniel hopes to continue the giving and leadership aspects of previous Directors and usher in new and creative ways to carry the efforts forward.
Daniel is an avid year-round ocean swimmer and also enjoys gardening, cooking and playing cribbage with his spouse Therese. They have 3 grown children together.
