Joseph Ames, W3JY, of Malvern, Pennsylvania, will become ARRL Eastern Pennsylvania Section Manager on January 1, 2015. He will complete the remaining term of the incumbent SM, Bob Famiglio, K3RF, who will become Atlantic Division Vice Director when the new year begins. Ames has been appointed to succeed him in that role.

ARRL Field Services and Radiosport Manager Dave Patton, NN1N, made the appointment after consulting with incoming ARRL Atlantic Division Director Tom Abernethy, W3TOM. Ames’s appointment as Section Manager continues until March 31, 2016.

A ham since 1977 and an ARRL Life Member, Ames brings a wealth of Field Organization experience to his new position. In the 1980s he served as Section Traffic Manager and was once president of the Carbon County Amateur Radio Club.

More recently, Ames has been an Assistant Section Manager in Eastern Pennsylvania since 2008 and currently holds Official Emergency Station and Official Relay Station appointments. He was also elected as the new Eastern Area Staff Chair of the ARRL National Traffic System, effective on January 1, 2015. Ames will take over the reins of that position from Marcia Forde, KW1U. Ames also serves as net manager of the Eastern Pennsylvania Emergency Phone & Traffic Net.

Ames is the training and safety officer for Delaware County ARES/RACES and is active with the Chester County ARES/RACES organization. He’s a Volunteer Instructor for ARECC and as a Volunteer Examiner with the ARRL VEC. He is the manager of the Pennsylvania Eastern Area RACES Net.

An avid outdoorsman, his primary operating interest is emergency, mobile, and field/portable communication. His favorite modes include CW, sent on a vintage Vibroplex "Lightning Bug" using a vintage Yaesu FT-101 transceiver.