Northwestern News Volume 3 January 2026
Hello fellow Northwestern Division ARRL members.
Safely back home after the board meeting in Newington and I am glad to state that United is my new favorite airline as I have now made two successful trips to 225 Main Street and no time was spent on the floor of an airport sleeping! (Those that know, know)
Basic information on the Board meeting.
We received information and updates from Officers, the Secretary, and our FCC counsel. Overall for the year 2025, maintaining diligence on costs and general spending, the end of the year was better from a finance stand than expected. We still have what we call a revenue problem, not a spending problem. Not much more can be cut without affecting services. We have a new Revenue Sub-committee of the Administration and Finance Committee (A&F) that is looking into “out of the box ways” to increase the income side of the league.
Membership numbers continue to be a topic of discussion and are a concern to all board members. I touched on this last year and will not repeat what was said then. I will say however, gaining new members should be every member’s goal. You joined for a reason, I joined for a reason, and we should share that reason with new licensees.
VD Sterba will have our current numbers and a reflection of previous months below.
This Board meeting included election of ARRL officers. These elections happen every two years normally. President Roderick was re-elected without opposition for another two year term.
First VP McIntyre was elected without opposition.
Secretary Minster was elected without opposition.
International VP Stafford was elected without opposition.
CFO Middleton was elected without opposition.
And treasurer Sager was elected without opposition.
In a slight twist, after 2nd VP Ritz resigned last December, his name was put forward to run again by now former Atlantic Division Director Famiglio. Former ARRL and current ARRL Foundation Treasure, Rick Niswander was also nominated. Mr. Niswander was declared elected after balloting and counting was completed.
I would like to thank Mr. Ritz for his years of service to not only the ARRL but also the ARRL foundation. It was a pleasure working with him and I hope to see him again this year on the foundation scholarship committee as a reviewer.
Executive Committee:
Elections were also held for the Executive Committee. This group meets in-between the two BOD meetings to address any matters that do not require the full involvement of the board. Such things include approving life member applications and reviewing FCC matters along with our FCC counsel, David Siddall. The Board elected Directors Boehner, Lippert, Wilson, Yonally and Zygielbaum with President Roderick as chair. The committee also includes 2nd VP McIntyre and CEO Minster.
By-Law changes:
A few minor changes to By-Laws 18, 19, 20 and 42 were discussed and approved. These changes all revolved around election rules and time lines. The Election Review Committee also found a number of references in the Director work-book, and ARRL standing orders which were included and now part of the by-laws, where they belong.
I am hopeful this will be the last meeting for awhile dealing with “governing documents”. Although the league has been in existence for more than 110 years, the documents did need a few updates.
DXCC update:
The DXCC advisory committee worked up a few items that made it to the board room, one of which was to add new Honor Roll awards for individual bands. Watch for this to happen later this year.
Doug DeMaw, W1FB Technical Excellence award:
The editorial staff of QST recommended and the board unanimously approved awarding this prestigious award to our own Robert (Bob) Zavrel, W7SX from Spokane. I have spoken to Bob and have plans to make the presentation this spring. Congratulations Bob.
New Committee Assignments:
Each year President Roderick and the Officers get together and review and update the Board Committees. This year, I retained the Chair position for ARISS (Amateur Radio on the ISS) and have a new role as Chair of the A&F (Administration and Finance) committee. I am also serving a one year term as a member of E&E (Ethics and Elections) I appreciate the opportunity to serve on all.
Upcoming ARRL sanctioned events in Division:
Salem Hamfair This is always a great event. I will be on my way to Idaho for an overdue week of vacation however VD Sterba and others will be on hand at the ARRL table to visit with you.
Mike and Key Electronics swap Perhaps the largest (attendance wise) event in the Division will take place this year on March 7th. VD Sterba, EWA SM Whitney, WWA SM Purdom, myself and others will be at the ARRL Table again this year. I will be available for DXCC card checking and was informed VUCC card checking will be available at the PNW VHF Society table.
N7YRC Tailgate on April 11th in Union Gap, WA
SEA-PAC, the Northwestern Division Convention will be on June 5-6
New Affiliated EWA Club:
Lake Chelan Amateur Radio club has met all the requirements and been approved as the newest Affiliated club in the Northwest. Congratulations to the club members and thank you as well for joining the ARRL family of clubs.
ARRL Foundation update:
The foundation held its annual meeting Thursday the 29th. Officers were elected and information shared on new scholarships. I am happy to have been re-appointed to both the club grant and scholarship committees. Last year the foundation handed out 171 scholarships worth over 800,000 dollars and 35 club grants worth just over 60,500 dollars. The application window is closed now for these years’ scholarships and we have 264 applications to work through this year.
And now let’s hear from Vice-Director Sterba.
Mark KB7HDX
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Greetings Northwestern Division!
I hope this finding each doing well as we progress into 2026. I’m taking this opportunity to personally thank retired 2nd Vice President Ritz for his years of service to the ARRL and broader amateur radio community. Most notably, guided by his inquisitive leadership, the Clean Signal Initiative (CSI) was initiated on his watch. Based on a vision opined in collaboration with Ward Silver, NØAX, he worked with the ARRL Programs and Services Committee to established subcommittee on transmitter cleanliness, identifying how ARRL could help address the sources and root causes of poor-quality signals. Today, this effort is driving meaningful change across the industry, as new standards raise signal quality and enrich the amateur radio experience.
Since the last newsletter it has been busy. Director Tharp and I traveled back to HQ for the 1st 2026 ARRL Board Meeting which had a lot of actions being worked through.
I attended 2 Administration and Finance Committee meetings held on 12/13/25 and 1/15/26.
Some points of interest are:
Did you know that the ARRL represents 7 generations of hams? This has led towards challenges in how to communicate and interact with each other. This was one of the areas of heavy focus as membership numbers remain challenged. I am seeing a correlation between amateur radio license counts and our membership numbers across the divisions. While this is not a singular causation, it does heavily influence. Also noted is the large population of licenses residing at the Technician Class level. This is a large opportunity for our community engagement going forward.
LOTW is getting better every day. There are several enhancements underway that will positively influence the user interface and overall capability. Restorations from the 2024 data incident had been completed with continuing focus of modernization going forward. It’s no secret that this is the most popular offering for our amateur radio community.
Also reported in our January member bulletin: The Committee discussed and approved the 2026 plan, later approved unanimously by the Board, amending it to include additional funding for advocacy efforts in Washington, DC. These efforts include continuing work to advance the Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act (bills H.R.1094 and S.459) through committee and toward final passage. As a reminder, if you haven’t submitted a letter to your representative, please visit the following link to do so. All voices count as we continue our efforts. https://send-a-letter.org/hoa/
Inspire the Next Generation through Wireless Technology
The STEM Training Class on Wireless Technology, funded by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) Teachers Institute, invites passionate educators to explore hands-on, real-world applications of wireless communications and STEM learning
Designed for K–12 classroom teachers, this immersive program provides engaging lesson plans, practical instructional materials, and support for collaboration with experienced volunteer instructors. Participants will gain the knowledge and confidence to bring innovative wireless technology concepts directly into their classrooms.
The class will be held June 22–25, 2026, during summer break, in Auburn, Washington, at: 17432 SE 392nd St, Auburn, WA 98092
Applications are due by April 30, 2026.
Apply here:
Learn more: https://www.arrl.org/teachers-institute-on-wireless-technology
Participants may also earn graduate credit through Fresno Pacific University upon completion of the TI-1 or TI Elective programs. These credits can be applied toward professional growth requirements for maintaining teaching credentials. The program is fully self-contained, allowing educators to complete all coursework during the institute week. Graduate credit details may be requested at the conclusion of the program.
Join a community of educators who are shaping the future of STEM—one signal, one classroom, and one inspired student at a time.
Information provided by: Bill Balzarini, ARRL NW-DIV Assistant Director (STEM-project), KL7BB@ARRL.net (Reply Text Only Please) 206-406-8388 C#
Populations at the time of this writing (Lagging Indicators):
Northwestern Division Membership:
* 10,237 (Decrease from 10,244)
* 98 (New)
* 134 (Lapsed that re-joined)
National Membership:
* 129,297 (Decrease from 129,455)
License Counts:
* 71,446 (Division total)
* 235 (Division New)
* 738,620 (National total)
Things have been relatively quiet within the Division that last couple of months. Director Tharp and I welcome all feedback, questions, or suggestions from our members. Please feel free to reach out via email or phone to discuss anything on your mind. Additionally, we encourage you to share relevant news or updates with us, and we would be happy to include them here. We look forward to hearing from you.
Enjoy Amateur Radio… Be Active, Be Positive, Be Safe, as your voice carries
Respectfully your servant,
Michael A. Sterba, KG7HQ
ARRL Vice Director
Northwestern Division
kg7hq@ARRL.org