The ARRL Board of Directors held its 2012 Annual Meeting January 13-14, 2012 in Windsor, Connecticut, under the chairmanship of President Kay Craigie, N3KN. Newly elected Delta Division Director David Norris, K5UZ, attended his first Board meeting as Director. In addition, two recently elected vice directors -- Glen Clayton, W4BDB, Delta Division, and Dale Williams, WA8EFK, Great Lakes Division -- attended their first Board meeting.

With the retirement of Jim McCobb, K1LU, after 31 years of service as the ARRL’s volunteer Treasurer, the Board elected Rick Niswander, K7GM -- an ARRL Life Member and the Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance at East Carolina University -- to this key post. The other volunteer ARRL officers were re-elected for two year terms: President Kay Craigie, N3KN; First Vice President Rick Roderick, K5UR; Second Vice President Bruce Frahm, K0BJ, and International Affairs Vice President Jay Bellows, K0QB. All were unopposed, except Frahm, who withstood a challenge from Central Division Director Dick Isely, W9GIG.

The Board expressed its deep and sincere appreciation to McCobb for his service. Board members noted the countless hours over a span of more than three decades that he has devoted to ensuring the welfare of the ARRL and Amateur Radio through careful stewardship and wise counsel, which have been of great benefit to the ARRL and its members and staff.

Here are some highlights of the actions taken at the meeting:

After viewing a demonstration of electronic balloting, the Board adopted amendments to the ARRL Bylaws that will permit the implementation of electronic voting in the 2012 fall elections for Director and Vice Director of the Central, Hudson, New England, Northwestern and Roanoke Divisions. Plans call for paper ballots still to be mailed to those members who have not shared their e-mail addresses with the ARRL, or who simply prefer to cast their votes by mail. Supervision of the balloting is the responsibility of the Ethics and Elections Committee.

FCC Items: The Board heard a comprehensive report from the Ad Hoc National Broadband Plan Committee on the implications for Amateur Radio frequency allocations of the skyrocketing demand for mobile wireless broadband spectrum. The Executive Committee was tasked with an ongoing review of the situation and the implementation of strategies to defend amateur access to the bands between 222-3500 MHz. On recommendation of the ARRL Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Committee, the Executive Committee and General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, were also assigned to develop petitions for FCC rulemaking to improve Parts 15 and 18 of the FCC Rules in order to provide better protection for licensed radio services from harmful interference from unintentional emitters such as plasma TV displays, RF lighting devices, electric motors, power lines and associated hardware.

The Board received reports from other committees, including interim reports on guidelines for 5 MHz operation from the Ad Hoc Band Planning Committee, as well as the ongoing revision of band plans for the bands between 902-3500 MHz from the UHF/Microwave Band Plan Committee.

The Board ratified the 2012-2013 budget plan as prepared by staff and reviewed and approved by the Administration & Finance Committee. The plan calls for an increase in spending of less than 1 percent in 2012, compared to the previous year.

The charter of the VHF-UHF Advisory Committee was extended through July 31, 2013 to permit the committee to complete its assigned tasks.

Committees

Executive Committee: The following were elected for one-year terms: West Gulf Director David Woolweaver, K5RAV; Rocky Mountain Director Brian Mileshosky, N5ZGT; Midwest Director Cliff Ahrens, K0CA; Northwestern Director Jim Fenstermaker, K9JF, and Central Director Dick Isely, W9GIG. President Craigie, First Vice President Roderick and Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, also serve on the Executive Committee by virtue of their offices. Among its duties, the Executive Committee is responsible for applying existing Board policy to make decisions between Board meetings; evaluating proposed rules and regulatory changes for the Board, reviewing and recommending to the Board any changes in the ARRL Articles of Association, By-Laws, Standing Orders, and Memoranda of Understanding with other organizations; monitoring progress of Board actions and recommendations, and reviewing and recommending programs designed to represent the organization to the public, enhance the organization’s image and communicate with the media.

Programs and Service Committee: One of two standing committees, the Programs and Services Committee studies, advises and makes recommendations regarding the League’s volunteer programs and services to members, including operating activities and the Field Organization. President Craigie appointed Delta Director David Norris, K5UZ, as chairman of this committee. She also appointed Great Lakes Director Jim Weaver, K8JE; Hudson Director Joyce Birmingham, KA2ANF; Pacific Director Bob Vallio, W6RGG; Southwestern Director Dick Norton, N6AA, and Dakota Vice Director Kent Olson, KA0LDG, to serve.

Administration and Finance Committee: The Administration and Finance Committee studies, advises and makes recommendations concerning administration and financial matters of the League, including recommending the annual budget to the Board, making recommendations in regard to staff management and monitoring investment of ARRL funds. New England Director Tom Frenaye, K1KI, was appointed by President Craigie to chair this committee. She also appointed Dakota Director Greg Widin, K0GW; Roanoke Director Dennis Bodson, W4PWF; Southeastern Director Greg Sarratt, W4OZK; Atlantic Director Bill Edgar, N3LLR, and Southwestern Vice Director Marty Woll, N6VI, to serve. By virtue of his position, Treasurer Niswander is also a member of the Administration and Finance Committee.

Ethics and Elections Committee: Dakota Director Greg Widin, K0GW, will chair this committee. He will be joined by Pacific Director Bob Vallio, W6RGG, and Atlantic Director Bill Edgar, N3LLR. This committee is tasked with applying guidelines for ethical conduct by ARRL officials adopted by the Board; determining the eligibility of candidates for Director and Vice Director, including but not limited to receipt and review of petitions and certification of eligible candidates, and supervising the balloting for Director and Vice Director, including but not limited to receipt of all campaign statements and materials, printing ballots, appointing tellers, counting ballots and releasing results.

ARRL Foundation: New England Director Tom Frenaye, K1KI, and Marty Green, K2PLF, were re-elected to new three-year terms on the ARRL Foundation Board, while Rocky Mountain Director Brian Mileshosky, N5ZGT, was elected to his first term. Mileshosky will replace Tom Comstock, N5TC, who is retiring. The ARRL Foundation was established in 1973 by the ARRL as an independent and separate 501(c)(3) organization to administer programs to support the Amateur Radio community.

Awards

The Bill Leonard, W2SKE, Professional Media Award: The Board named Brad Barr, Joel Rose and Ken Grimball the recipients of the three Bill Leonard, W2SKE, Professional Media Awards. Barr was honored in the print category for his January 2011 article in Today in Mississippi about a local ham. Rose, a staff reporter at National Public Radio, explained how proposed federal legislation could impact frequencies used by radio amateurs for emergency communications. Grimball, of News 12 Long Island, prepared a story on a local Amateur Radio club, as well as stories about ARRL Field Day, and Hurricane Irene and the response by radio amateurs to the storm.

The George Hart Distinguished Service Award: This year, the Board named two recipients of the George Hart Distinguished Service Award: ARRL Connecticut Section Manager Betsey Doane, K1EIC, and Fritz Nitsch, W4NTO, an Official Emergency Station in the ARRL’s South Carolina Section. Doane was noted for her tenure as Connecticut Section Manager, being named the 2005 CCE Mentor/Instructor of the Year, for actively participating in the NTS as both an individual contributor and in her role as Section Manager and for maintaining the W1HAD packet node that facilitates the movement of both NTS and ARES traffic around the region. Nitsch, a former Official Observer, has served in the ARRL Field Organization for more than 35 years. His nominators stressed his devotion to the Amateur Radio Service and his unfailing support as an Elmer.

The ARRL International Humanitarian Award: Andrey Fedorov, KL1A/RW3AH, was named this year’s recipient of the ARRL International Humanitarian Award. Fedorov is the former Chief Coordinator of the Russian Amateur Radio Emergency Service (RARES) and has been involved in providing communications support via Amateur Radio for almost 25 years. He has also served in Rwanda, Turkey and Kosovo as an Emergency Rescue Service Officer, and as a Regional Communications Officer for the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Afghanistan.

Complete Minutes Available

The complete Minutes of the 2012 Annual Meeting of the ARRL Board of Directors will soon be available on the ARRL website.

The 2012 Second Meeting of the ARRL Board of Directors is scheduled for July 20-21, 2012.