NEWINGTON, CT, Sep 27, 2006 -- Cliff Ahrens, K0CA, of Hannibal, Missouri, is the new ARRL Midwest Division Vice Director. ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, announced the appointment September 26. Ahrens, an appellate court judge, succeeds Bruce Frahm, K0BJ, who became Midwest Division Director following the death August 31 of Director Wade Walstrom, W0EJ.
"I'm pleased to have the opportunity to represent ARRL members from the Midwest Division," Ahrens commented, "and I look forward to working with Director Frahm, President Harrison and the members of the Board of Directors to promote, protect and strengthen our great Amateur Radio fraternity."
An ARRL Life and Diamond Club Member, Ahrens has been a radio amateur since 1979 and previously held the call signs KI0W, N0BQN, and KA0EZR. He's also a Life Member of the Quarter Century Wireless Association.
Ahrens already has served the League in various other capacities. He's an Midwest Division Assistant Director. Since 1997, he's been the Midwest Division representative on the DX Advisory Committee and chaired the panel from August 2000 until March 2003. He's currently DXAC vice chair.
Ahrens also is the Missouri Section DXCC card checker, as well as HF and VHF awards manager. He previously served as a sorter for the Tenth District ARRL QSL Bureau. He's also an ARRL VEC team liaison, and he's served in the past as an ARRL Volunteer Counsel.
An active DXer, Ahrens enjoys No 1 DXCC Honor Roll status with all 337 current entities confirmed, has also earned CW and Phone Honor Roll, and stands at 2445 band entities in the ARRL DXCC Challenge.
Newly appointed ARRL Midwest Division Vice Director Cliff Ahrens, K0CA, with several of his operating awards. [K0CA Photo] |
Professionally, Ahrens is an appellate judge on the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District in St Louis. During his 15 years on the court, he has served as chief judge and presiding judge of several divisions of the court and as a special judge on the Missouri Supreme Court. Prior to joining the judiciary, he practiced general law for 21 years in Hannibal. He's a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Ahrens also has been active in various public, civic and charitable organizations. He was a member of the Hannibal Planning and Zoning Commission and chair of the Planning Commission. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Children's Trust Fund of Missouri and was a member of the St Louis City-St Louis County Board of Electors. He's also headed up several community organizations in Hannibal.
He and his wife Kim have three grown children -- sons Todd, W0CTA, and Joe, K4CJA, and daughter Ann. Besides ham radio, Ahrens also enjoys photography, reading and computers, and spending time with his family.
 Previous: ARRL 500 kHz Experiment in Organizational Phase |  Next: Amateur Radio Fills Communication Gap During Weekend Flooding |