The ARRL Board of Directors has bestowed the 2014 George Hart Distinguished Service Award on David B. Colter, WA1ZCN, of New London, New Hampshire. Colter, a member of the Twin State Amateur Radio Club, was recognized for nearly 4 decades of service to the Amateur Radio community, including such leadership positions as Section Emergency Coordinator and Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator.

Colter designed training and development courses for the New Hampshire ARES community and was the prime mover behind the New Hampshire ARES Academy — a daylong springtime event that provides courses and training in various aspects of public service communication. He also served as editor of the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course (ARECC) series and as New England Division representative on the League’s Emergency Communications Advisory Committee.

The Board also honored three professional journalists with the ARRL Bill Leonard Award for their outstanding coverage of Amateur Radio in video, print, and aural media. The award honors journalists for excellence in reporting that highlights the enjoyment, importance, and public service value of Amateur Radio. The award is a tribute to the late CBS News President Bill Leonard, W2SKE, an avid Amateur Radio operator and advocate.

• The video award went to Christine Kim of KSNV-TV in Las Vegas, for her “Local Heroes” profile of the Nevada Amateur Radio Emergency Service.
• The print award went to Marti Attoun of American Profile magazine, for her “Radio Active” article that profiled Amateur Radio.
• The aural media award went to Steve Kraske and Beth Lipoff of KCUR-FM in Kansas City, for their “Exploring Ham Radio in a Digital World” interview of Brian Short, KC0BS; Carolyn Wells, N0CJ, and Matt May, KC4WCG.

The Board announced the award recipients at its 2015 Annual Meeting, January 16-17, in Windsor, Connecticut.