The ARRL Board of Directors will gather in the Hartford, Connecticut, area on Friday and Saturday, January 17 and 18, for its annual meeting. Its first order of business will be the election of officers, including the office of ARRL President, now held by Kay Craigie, N3KN. The League’s 15th president, she has been in office since 2010, succeeding Joel Harrison, W5ZN, and was re-elected to a new, two-year term in 2012. 

The Board also will elect the First Vice President, now held by Rick Roderick, K5UR, and the Vice President, now held by Bruce Frahm, K0BJ, as well as International Affairs Vice President and Treasurer. All serve two-year terms. In addition the board will choose ARRL Executive Committee members for one-year terms, and ARRL Foundation directors for three-year terms.

As the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) International Secretariat, the ARRL, after consultation with the IARU Administrative Council, nominates candidates for IARU President and Vice President. The Board is expected to instruct ARRL Secretary David Sumner to vote to ratify the nominations of incumbent IARU President Tim Ellam, VE6SH, and incumbent IARU Vice President Ole Garpestad, LA2RR, for additional five-year terms.

Most of the items the Board will consider will consist of recommendations contained in committee reports. The much-anticipated DX Advisory Committee report is scheduled to be an interim report, with a final report due at the Board’s July meeting. Last July the DXAC was given the task of studying and possibly recommending changes to the DXCC rules.

The Board is expected to vote to shift the date of the July meeting to accommodate the ARRL National Convention, set for July 17-19. Present plans call for holding the meeting after the convention.

The Board’s 15 voting members are the ARRL Division Directors, elected by ARRL members in those divisions. The Board meets in January and July.