ARRL Board Reviews and Approves Potential Alabama Section Move to the Delta Division, Approves Open Source Competition, and Designates Pacificon as 2028 National Convention Host

The ARRL Board of Directors met in Windsor, Connecticut, for its Second Meeting on Friday, July 17, 2026. ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, presided over the meeting.

President Roderick recognized Marty Newingham, AG3I, who ascended to the Director position of the Atlantic Division in January; Ray Sokola, K9RS, as the newly appointed Vice Director of the Atlantic Division; Joshua Long, W9HT, who ascended to the Director position of the Central Division in April; Christian Stallkamp, KI0D as the newly appointed Vice Director of the Dakota Division; John Mark Robertson, K5JMR, who was appointed Vice Director of the Delta Division in December 2025, and Rick Niswander, K7GM, who was elected Second Vice President at the January 2026 Annual Meeting.

Here are highlights of actions taken at the Board meeting:

The Programs & Services Committee, chaired by Director Bill Lippert, AC0W, submitted motions to the Board recognizing members for established ARRL awards, which were unanimously approved. These and other awards bestowed during the Board meeting will be announced soon after awardees are contacted.

The Emergency Communications and Field Services Committee (EC FSC), chaired by Director Scott Yonally, N8SY, proposed the following motions, all approved by the Board:

• The Herbert V. Akerberg Award for Outstanding Service to Emergency Communications was established, recognizing exceptional dedication by ARES® groups or individuals to providing emergency communication services and significant contributions to helping their fellow citizens during times of crisis. The award honors Herbert V. Akerberg, who, at just 15 years old, used his amateur radio station to provide critical communications during the 1913 Columbus, Ohio, flood, helping establish the legacy of amateur radio emergency communications.
• A monthly recognition of new ARRL members will be included in ARRL media, highlighting the important contribution new members make to the spirit and future of amateur radio.
• To encourage greater participation by Affiliated Clubs in the ARRL Club Commission Program, a new online membership form will be created to allow new and renewing members to select a participating club to receive credit for their ARRL membership. The motion also increases the Club Commission for ARRL membership renewals from $5 to $10.
• An incentive program will be established to recognize ARRL Sections that consistently submit timely and accurate Field Services reports. Sections achieving 100% monthly reporting compliance during a calendar quarter will receive a 2.5% budget increase for that quarter.

The Board considered and approved two proposals for amendments to the ARRL Articles of Association and By-Laws. The first would permit the CEO, with the approval of the Administration and Finance Committee, to recommend and implement discounted membership rates for promotional purposes. The second calls for the CEO to survey members in the Southeastern and Delta Divisions to gauge support for moving the Alabama Section into the Delta Division. Members in the Alabama Section will receive their survey invitation by postal mail to ensure broad participation. The change has been approved for February 1, 2027, pending completion of the survey and without major exceptions.

The Board approved revisions to the ARRL Amateur Radio Legal Defense & Assistance Committee (ARLDAC) guidelines, including increasing funding limits to better reflect current legal costs while continuing to support this important member benefit. ARLDAC has provided legal assistance to multiple amateurs in the nature of research and legal briefs/opinions written by counsel, up to and including direct financial support to fund legal costs in select situations.

The Board approved the creation of an ARRL Open Source Amateur Radio Competition to encourage innovation in software, hardware, and open-source development while supporting technical exploration, STEM outreach, and the next generation of radio amateurs. The competition is expected to launch in 2027.

The Board approved the sunset of the Technical Standards Committee, recognizing the successful integration of the Clean Signal Initiative into ARRL Lab operations and thanking committee members for their service and dedication.

Finally, the Board authorized Headquarters staff to work with the Mount Diablo Amateur Radio Club of California to host the ARRL National Convention in conjunction with Pacificon in October 2028. Pacificon annually hosts the ARRL Pacific Division Convention in San Ramon, California.

The complete minutes of the 2026 Second Meeting of the ARRL Board of Directors will be available soon on the ARRL website.

The next Annual Meeting of the ARRL Board of Directors is scheduled for January 15 - 16, 2027.

73

David A. Minster, NA2AA

CEO and Secretary