SB QST @ ARL $ARLB002
ARLB002 Joel Harrison, W5ZN, elected ARRL'S 14th president

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QST de W1AW  
ARRL Bulletin 2  ARLB002
From ARRL Headquarters  
Newington CT  January 20, 2006
To all radio amateurs 

SB QST ARL ARLB002
ARLB002 Joel Harrison, W5ZN, elected ARRL'S 14th president

ARRL First Vice President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, of Judsonia,
Arkansas, will be the League's president for the next two years.
He'll succeed Jim Haynie, W5JBP, who chose not to run for a fourth
term in the uncompensated, volunteer post. Gathering in Windsor,
Connecticut, for its annual meeting, the Board voted 10 to 5 to
choose Harrison over ARRL Central Division Director Dick Isely,
W9GIG, the only other nominee. Harrison, 47, said he believes
Amateur Radio is looking at a different society--and pool of
potential licensees--in the 21st century than in the past.

''One of the things we need to do over the next few years is realize
that Main Street USA is not the Main Street USA it was years ago,''
Harrison commented after the vote. ''We all remember those days when
we became interested in radio and the magic that it provided to us.
The magic is still there, but Main Street has changed.''

Harrison says this means that the League needs to focus on doing a
better job of attracting the average person on the new Main Street
of today ''into the magic of Amateur Radio.''

First licensed in 1972 as WN5IGF, Harrison says he's interested in
virtually all aspects of Amateur Radio, from HF DXing and contesting
to VHF/UHF/microwave and moonbounce. He's an ARRL Life Member. His
wife, daughter and son all are Amateur Radio licensees. He'll become
the League's 14th president since its founding in 1914.

Harrison said the ARRL's initiative to create an improved
entry-level license also will be among his top priorities as he
assumes office.

''It is imperative for the Amateur Radio Service that we have an
entry-level license that provides a wide variety of privileges for
an individual to get into radio and learn a little bit about all of
it,'' Harrison said, adding that the League believes this approach
will keep new licensees interested in ham radio.

Harrison also says he will promote the League's Petition for Rule
Making (RM-11306) to have the FCC regulate Amateur Radio allocations
by bandwidth. ''Right now we do that by mode, and we're one of the
few countries in the world that does that,'' he pointed out. ''We need
to change that and move forward with this initiative of regulation
by bandwidth instead of mode.''

Harrison said he will continue and build upon the League's emphasis
on Amateur Radio's emergency communication role--especially in
improving its response to catastrophic disasters like Hurricane
Katrina--and on Haynie's ''The Big Project'' initiative to get ham
radio into schools, known formally as the ARRL Education and
Technology Program (ETP).

''Whether or not it generates a large number of radio amateurs, it
provides an introduction to Amateur Radio to kids,'' Harrison said of
the ETP. ''Having that awareness of Amateur Radio and what it
provides is vital,'' because it imparts a broad-based knowledge of
the service to tomorrow's citizens and policymakers.

The ARRL Board also elected Vice President Kay Craigie, N3KN, as
First Vice President, succeeding Harrison, and Delta Division
Director Rick Roderick, K5UR, to Vice President, succeeding Craigie.
Both were unopposed.

ARRL Delta Division Vice Director Henry Leggette, WD4Q, will become
Division Director. A new Delta Division Vice Director will be
appointed.

In addition, the Board re-elected ARRL CEO and Executive Vice
President David Sumner, K1ZZ, COO Harold Kramer, WJ1B, Chief
Development Officer Mary Hobart, K1MMH, Chief Financial Officer
Barry Shelley, N1VXY, Treasurer Jim McCobb, K1LU, Chief Technology
Officer Paul Rinaldo, W4RI, and International Affairs Vice President
Rod Stafford, W6ROD.

All those elected will officially begin their new terms when the
Board of Directors adjourns its current session.

The Board of Directors annual meeting is expected to conclude
January 21. The Board will meet again in July.
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