[Alexandria Radio Club Reflector] To All ARRL Members of the Roanoke Division

[Ian]

On January 16th, Director Dennis Bodson announced his retirement as Director of the Roanoke Division, during the January Board Meeting of the ARRL Board of Directors.  His announcement was met with a standing ovation and applause from the entire Board of Directors, due to his twenty-three continuous years of service as a Division leader of the ARRL.  I did not realize his life-long achievements until I researched his history for a motion I was planning to make later in the meeting.

Dennis holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering and an MS in Public Administration.  He served 34 years in federal service, including a 28 year career in the National Communications Systems.  He retired in 1998 as Chief of the Technology and Standards Division.   In 2005, he became a member of the executive staff of the Center for Innovative Technology, Division of Defense and Homeland Security, where he was director of Telecommunications and Sensor Systems.  He has published over 60 technical papers and 4 books.  He holds 6 U.S. patents.

His professional awards include being elected as a Life Fellow of IEEE, an honor that is limited to no more than one tenth of one percent of the membership per year.  He received the 1999 IEE Charles Proteus Steinmetz Award for his contributions to the development of standards in the field of electrical and electronics engineering.  He was the 2007 recipient of the Sarnoff Citation from the Radio Club of America, given to recognize significant contributions to the advancement of electronic communications.

I had no idea.  His humble, quiet, often humorous self-deprecating manner would not have led me to believe that he was a giant in his chosen profession. Later in the meeting, Dennis was elected an Honorary Vice President. This is an honor that has steep requirements, all of which Dennis met and exceeded.   This again was met with a standing ovation and applause.  I ask that if you know Dennis, or have worked with him in the past, to please drop him an e-mail at w4pwf at arrl.net to congratulate him on his retirement and to thank him for his service to the ARRL.

At the time that Dennis retired, I succeeded him as Director of the Roanoke Division.  I realized then that I had big shoes to fill; not only his, but other past Directors of our Division as well. I would like to re-introduce myself and Vice Director Bill Morine to the Division.  As was noted in the ARRL Letter, I served as Section Manager of South Carolina from 2003-2009 and was elected as Vice Director of the Roanoke Division in 2010 and reelected in 2013.  I am originally from Upstate New York, and moved to Augusta, Georgia in 1982.  I moved across the Savannah River in 1986 to Aiken, South Carolina, and have lived here since.  DXing is my main interest, and I’m happy to say that I have achieved the DX Honor roll and 5BDXCC.  I am proud to have been the co-recipient of the 2005 Roanoke Division Service Award. Over the years, I have been interested in many different phases of amateur radio, and aspire to have a working knowledge of all the opportunities that amateur radio offers.

Our President Kay Craigie N3KN appointed Bill Morine N2COP as the Roanoke Division Vice Director.  Bill served as Section Manager of North Carolina from 2010-2014 and served on the ARRL Public Relations Committee for twelve years, three years as chairman.  He is the recipient of the 2001 Phillip J. McGan award and the 2012 Roanoke Division Service Award.  He has helped over 2000 scouts to earn their Radio Merit Badge, and over 300 youths to earn their licenses.  I have worked with Bill closely in the past, and recognize him as a true leader.

In closing, I feel that I need to explain something that might be quite obvious.  Although we are a very mobile society and are able to keep the calls we were issued elsewhere, our “2” calls seem quite out of place in the Roanoke Division.  However, I moved to the South in 1982 and Bill in 1991.  I once saw a bumper sticker that said it all: “I’m not Southern by birth, but I got here as fast as I could!”

Looking forward to working with you as your Director,

’73 de JIM N2ZZ
ARRL Director
Roanoke Division

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ARRL Roanoke Division
Director: James F Boehner, N2ZZ
n2zz at arrl.org
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