On Friday, October 3, the ARRL HQ family will say goodbye to Membership Manager Katie Breen, W1KRB, as she moves away from her native Connecticut. In her short time here, Breen quickly became popular as she travelled to hamfests and conventions around the country -- as well as making videos that have been posted online -- promoting the League to members and non-members alike; she headed up the ARRL team at the 2008 Dayton Hamvention® this past May.

"This job was much more than a job to me," Breen said. "Amateur Radio became part of my life. When I started, I honestly didn't think I'd ever really understand the technical side of things, never mind actually build anything. Since coming to the ARRL, I've built my own antennas and a small transceiver; I couldn't have done any of this without my Elmers. Because of this experience, I've become a strong proponent of mentoring --you don't have to be a ham for 50 years to become an Elmer."

Breen said that talking to hams around the country and then meeting them at hamfests, as well as connecting with new friends all over the world, has been an "amazing experience. I've loved going to Amateur Radio events and working with countless volunteers that give of their time, energy, experience and funds to continue to promote the Amateur Radio Service. I've had the unique opportunity to spend a lot of time with our field volunteers and I have seen personally the dedication and passion these folks have -- I think they are some of the biggest unsung heroes in ham radio. I don't know of any other hobby or service that has such dedication and passion. I am proud to have had the opportunity to make the personal connection, to bring a piece of ARRL Headquarters to our members and to help develop a sense of belonging for our members."

Breen's supervisor, ARRL Sales and Marketing Manager Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R, said that she will be missed "a great deal. Members -- and particularly new members -- appreciate her enthusiasm as an advocate for ham radio and ARRL. We've all enjoyed Katie's willingness to share her own stories as a new radio amateur."

Inderbitzen said the search to find a qualified candidate for ARRL Membership Manager is underway. Interested individuals should have a background in membership marketing and experience developing membership recruitment and retention strategies. An understanding of the Amateur Radio Service is desired. The complete job posting and instructions for applying can be found online on the ARRL's Job Announcement Web page.