[South Florida DX Association] ARRL Southeastern Division election

[Andrea Hartlage, KG4IUM]

Fellow South Florida DX Association ARRL members:

 

This October, members
of the League across the Southeastern Division (Alabama, Georgia, Northern
Florida, Southern Florida, West Central Florida, Puerto Rico and US Virgin
Island sections) will receive ballots to elect who they believe will best
represent them on ARRL’s Board of Directors. As a candidate for Vice-Director,
and as a Ham who is passionate for our amazing hobby, I respectfully ask for
your support and vote.

 

For over a decade my involvement in amateur radio has spanned
across many of its facets, and it is the resulting breadth, experience, and
perspective gained that I wish to put to work on your behalf as your
Vice-Director.  These include: serving as
a Georgia Assistant Section Manager for nearly seven years; devoting my time in
leadership roles within local and regional clubs; fulfilling voluntary and appointed
positions as an active ARES member; ensuring public safety through involvement
in our valuable Skywarn program; enjoying ham radio’s roots as a CW operator
and FISTS member; exploring ham radio’s future by experimenting with its new
modes and methods such as PSK31 and D-STAR; encouraging experimentation through
involvement in activities such as high altitude balloon launches and
homebrewing; chasing new countries and entities as a DXer; enjoying the competitive
side of ham radio through contesting; and so much more. 

 

Among my biggest passions is working to involve and engage the
next generation of hams – our youth.  For
half a decade I served as one of ARRL’s Contributing Editors, focusing on
topics related to ham radio’s legacy. 
And to more effectively involve our youth at hamfests across the United
States, I co-developed the concept of a “Youth Lounge” (vastly different a typical
youth forum) which is promoted on ARRL’s website for all interested hams,
clubs, and hamfests committees to utilize.  
This concept has been a part of hamfest programs across Georgia,
Alabama, California, North Carolina, and Wyoming, and it continues to spread
elsewhere across our nation.  Further
exemplifying its effectiveness, the Youth Lounge concept has been an
established program area of the Dayton Hamvention since 2005.

 

Today I am running to
serve great members like you as Vice-Director of ARRL’s Southeastern
Division.  As a life member of the League,
Amateur Extra, and A-1 Operator, I believe strongly in the positive impact and
influence the ARRL has and look to improve its effectiveness through offering
my experience, perspective, and passion for ham radio.

 

If elected, I
confidently make the following pledges to you:

 

(1) to greatly
improve communication within our Division. 
Leadership is ineffective without communicating
to those whose views, concerns and opinions need to be represented;

(2) to remain engaged
with issues that pose a threat to our spectrum and operating privileges,
whether it’s BPL, the current ReconRobotics threat, or an FCC that bases its
decisions on politics rather than sound engineering principles;

(3) to assist the
ARRL and its members in better attracting and involving youth in ham radio.
They are our legacy who will one day lead the ham radio we care so much about
today; 

(4) to improve the
level end effectiveness of advocacy within our Division on matters before
Congress and the FCC that affect amateur radio, its precious spectrum, or our valuable
operating privileges.

 

I invite you to visit my website – www.SouthEasternDivision.org
– to learn more about the upcoming election, my background and passion for
ham radio, my position on a variety of issues that hams are concerned about, and
to read further elaborations on my pledges to you.  I encourage you to vote this October and
kindly ask for your support so that I may represent you and your concerns
effectively as Vice-Director of ARRL’s Southeastern Division.  Of course, I would love to hear from you as
well, so I welcome you to contact me with any questions or concerns. 

 

Thank you and 73, 

 

Andrea
Hartlage, KG4IUM

Candidate for Vice- Director, ARRL Southeastern
Division

website: www.SouthEasternDivision.org