On Tuesday, February 20, at ARRL Headquarters, ballots were counted for two Section Manager elections that were conducted this winter.
ARRL members in Louisiana elected Houston Polson, N5YS, of Winnfield, to become the next Section Manager of the ARRL Louisiana Section starting on April 1, 2024. Polson received 200 votes, and incumbent Section Manager Matt Anderson, KD5KNZ, received 169 votes.
Polson was first licensed in 1984, and he has been a member of the Ak-Sar-Ben Amateur Radio Club in Omaha, Nebraska, ever since. He is also a Volunteer Examiner and an active member of the Central Louisiana Amateur Radio Club. Anderson, of Covington, has served as the Section Manager for the ARRL Louisiana Section since August 31, 2023, when he was appointed to fulfill the remainder of the term after John Mark Robertson, K5JMR, stepped down.
In the ARRL Pacific Section, Alan Maenchen, AD6E, was re-elected in a close race by receiving 113 votes. Kevin Bogan, AH6QO, of Honolulu, received 100 votes. Maenchen, of Wailuku, Hawaii, was appointed as Section Manager of the Pacific Section on November 1, 2023, to fulfill the term of office after Joe Speroni, AH0A, stepped down.
The ARRL Georgia Section has a new Section Manager as of January 1, 2024. Hank Blackwood, K4HYJ, of Dalton, Georgia, was the only nominee to run for the re-solicited, 18-month new term of office that is to begin on April 1.
David Benoist, AG4ZR, who continued serving as Section Manager of the Georgia Section beyond the conclusion of his term on September 30, 2023, decided to step down at the end of 2023 to allow Blackwood to officially begin his term of office early. Benoist, of Senoia, was Section Manager from December 2021 through December 2023, and he previously led the Georgia Section’s field organization from November 2016 to September 2021.
The following incumbent Section Managers were unopposed after the fall nomination deadline, and they will begin new, two-year terms of office starting on April 1, 2024: John Fritze, K2QY (Eastern New York); Bob Wilson, W3BIG (Eastern Pennsylvania); Marvin Hoffman, WA4NC (North Carolina); Dave Kaltenborn, N8KBC (San Diego); Chris Stallkamp, KI0D (South Dakota), and Jack Smith, KE4LWT (Virginia).