ARRL members in the Santa Barbara Section have elected a new Section Manager in the only contested election in the fall election cycle. Jim Fortney, K6IYK, of Camarillo, California, received 218 votes, and incumbent Section Manager Robert Griffin, K6YR, received 175 votes. The ballots were counted on November 23 at ARRL Headquarters. Fortney’s 2 year term of office begins on January 1, 2016.

Fortney is has been active in Amateur Radio leadership roles for more than 40 years, including in such ARRL as Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator, District Emergency Coordinator, Emergency Coordinator ,and ARRL National Spectrum Management Committee member. He has also been honored with the ARRL Southwestern Division Meritorious Service Award for his broad service to Amateur Radio.

At the end of this year, Griffin will conclude his 20th year at the helm of the Santa Barbara Section. He first became Section Manager in 1996. He also chairs the ARRL National Traffic System’s Pacific Area Staff, and his Amateur Radio station serves as the primary station for the West Coast ARRL Code Proficiency Certificate Program.

These incumbent Section Managers faced no opposition in this fall election cycle and will continue with new terms of office starting January 1, 2016: Bill Duveneck, KB3KYH (Delaware); Jim Latham, AF6AQ (East Bay); Ron Cowan, KB0DTI (Kansas); Larry Camp, WB8R (Michigan); Edward James, KA8JMW (New Mexico); Keith Miller, N9DGK (Tennessee), and Ed Emco, W1KT (Western Massachusetts).

The ARRL will solicit candidates for the positions of Alabama and Alaska Section Manager in the January issue of QST, because no nomination petitions were received by the September 4, 2015, deadline. For details on how to nominate someone, see the announcement in January QST.