ARRL members in New Mexico, Tennessee, and Michigan will have new Section Managers, beginning January 1, 2012. Members in Kansas also re-elected their Section Manager in a balloted race that concluded when ballots were counted and verified at ARRL Headquarters on Tuesday, November 22.

In New Mexico, Bill Kauffman, W5YEJ, received 365 votes, and his opponent Edward James, KA8JMW, of Albuquerque, received 255 votes. Kauffman, of Rio Rancho, has been New Mexico’s Section Emergency Coordinator for more than 21 years. He will be taking the reins from Don Wood, W5FHA, who is completing his second term as New Mexico Section Manager at the end of the year.

In Tennessee, current Section Manager Glen Clayton, W4BDB, was declared elected as the Vice Director of the ARRL’s Delta Division; his term begins at noon on January 1, 2012. Clayton’s ascendency to the Vice Director position created a vacancy for Section Manager in the Tennessee Section. There were three candidates for the Section’s top slot: Keith Miller, N9DGK, of Rockvale; R. Lowell Bennington, WD4DJW, of Harrison, and Jack R. Green, AD4LP, of Sale Creek. Miller won the election with 417 votes. Bennington came in second with 341 votes, and Green received 196 votes. Miller has been active as an officer of the Stones River Amateur Radio Club for several years and has served as an Emergency Coordinator, District Emergency Coordinator and Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator in the Tennessee Section.

Ron Cowan, KB0DTI, of LaCygne, was re-elected as the Kansas Section Manager with 375 votes. His opponent, Brian Short, KC0BS, of Olathe, received 238 votes. Cowan has been Section Manager since 2003.

The following incumbent ARRL Section Managers did not face opposition and were declared elected for their new two-year terms of office beginning January 1, 2012: David Drummond, W4MD, Alabama; Jim Larsen, AL7FS, Alaska; Frank Filipkowski, AD3M, Delaware; Jim Latham, AF6AQ, East Bay; Robert Griffin, K6YR, Santa Barbara, and Ed Emco, W1KT, Western Massachusetts.

In West Texas, Bill Robert, W5NPR, will continue as Section Manager on January 1. His term, however, is for 18-months. Roberts has been Section Manager since July when he was first appointed after John Dyer, AE5B, the previous West Texas SM, completed his term of office on June 30. Since there were no nominations received as of the springtime receipt deadline, nominations were re-solicited in the summer. Roberts, W5NPR, was officially nominated by the September 9 nominations deadline, and he did not face opposition. Therefore, Bill was declared elected for the new term.

Michigan will have an Interim Section Manager, beginning January 1. Larry Camp, WB8R, has been appointed as the Interim Michigan Section Manager starting on January 1. He will take over for Dale Williams, WA8EFK, who was declared elected as the new Vice Director of the Great Lakes Division. Williams’ term begins at noon on January 1, 2012. A lifelong resident of Coldwater, Camp has been an Amateur Radio operator since 1978. He has a wide experience in the ARRL Field Organization as Emergency Coordinator for Branch County, a past Section Traffic Manager and a past QMN Net Manager. He is also a past multi-year president of the Branch County Amateur Radio Club and also enjoys teaching Amateur Radio licensing classes for new hams.

Section Manager Nomination Petition Resoliciation

Since no nominations were received for the Michigan Section Manager election by the nomination deadline of September 9, 2011, nominations are hereby re-solicited. Nomination petitions need to be received at ARRL Headquarters by 4 PM (EST) on March 9, 2012. If more than one member is nominated in the section, ballots will be mailed from Headquarters on or before April 2, 2012, to full members of record as of March 9, 2012, which is the closing date for nominations. Returns will be counted on May 22, 2012. A Section Manager elected through re-solicitation will serve a term of 18 months and take office on July 1, 2012.