New Vice Director elected for Roanoke Division

Patricia Hensley, N4ROS, has been elected Vice Director of the Roanoke Division. Ballots were counted November 17 at ARRL Headquarters.

She defeated incumbent Rev Les Shattuck, K4NK, 2280 to
996. A total of 3281 ballots were received; five ballots were not able to be counted, being declared spoiled or invalid. The three year term begins at noon EST, January 1, 2007.

Hensley, a retired school principal from Richburg, South Carolina, has served in ARRL volunteer positions for the past 15 years serving as South Carolina Section Manager from February 2000 to December 2002. She is a recipient of the ARRL Instructor of the Year award and is currently the South Carolina state director for Air Force MARS.

Hensley ran on a platform wanting to make the term ''Amateur Radio operator'' a highly respected title. She said she feels, ''an Amateur Radio license no longer fosters respect from community and national leaders. Even FEMA finds it 'more comfortable' to hire part-time individuals to provide emergency communications because amateurs are
'volunteers.'''

She went on to acknowledge that ARRL membership is declining, and leadership positions are ''filled by default because few want to serve. More is required than smiling faces behind a hamfest table to solve these problems.'' She said she sees restrictive covenants and interference to frequencies as major issues affecting the Amateur Radio community.

Stepping forward to run for election to support what she calls
''proactive change,'' she said the members of the Amateur Radio community ''must be regarded as individuals who are knowledgeable about our avocation and are willing and competent to serve our communities in time of need.''

Rev Shattuck became Vice Director in 2000 after serving as South Carolina Section Manager. He has been licensed for over 40 years. In the past, Rev Shattuck has served as president of QRP ARCI, and is a member of QCWA, the A-1 Operator Club, DXCC, VUCC, FISTS CW Club and
ARES/RACES. He is currently serving as pastor of Gilgal United Methodist Church. He lives in Anderson, South Carolina.

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