Edit 5/3: This event has been cancelled due to potential conflict of interests and a possible violation of FCC Part 97 rules. For more details, check this post on the ARRL Headquarters website.
Below is a press release from ARRL Headquarters announcing a special event involving ARRL CEO Howard Michel, WB2ITX, and a chance to talk to Howard on the air from Maxim Memorial Station W1AW. All hams that so desire should please feel free to make a contact with Howard while he’s operating W1AW.
Newington, CT – April 29, 2019 – To help members of the amateur radio community get to know Howard Michel, WB2ITX, the relatively new chief executive officer of the American Radio Relay League, a little better, the organizers of the “ICQ Amateur / Ham Radio Podcast” are putting on an event that will give ham radio operators the opportunity to chat with him in a very natural setting for all hams – on the air! Michel will be at ARRL’s Maxim Memorial Station W1AW on Monday afternoon, May 13, at 2 p.m. EDT, operating on 20 meters (around the 14.250 MHz frequency on SSB) and will be ready to talk to anyone who wants to “work” him.
Also, to commemorate this event, ARRL is creating a special QSL Card for those who connect with Michel via Maxim Memorial Station W1AW. Organizers hope that this card will become a prized part of most hams’ collections.
Michel was a guest on the March 31 episode of the “ICQ Amateur / Ham Radio Podcast” (https://www.icqpodcast.com/download-the-show/2019/3/31/icq-podcast-episode-290-arrl-ceo-howard-michael-wb2itx) when the show’s organizers came up with this idea.
“While interviewing Howard about his management vision for the League, it hit me that hams need to see the new CEO as another ham operator in addition to being the CEO of the ARRL. Our ham metaphor of ‘working’ another ham is a humorous way to engage hams from the US and internationally to ‘put the CEO to work’ on the air at W1AW,” said Frank Howell, K4FMH, ARRL Delta Division Assistant Director and a presenter of the podcast.
“Working” Michel via this event will be a very special event for hams around the world, predict the event organizers. Martin Butler, M1MRB & W9ICQ, said, “This event will attract significant international attention, especially from the UK and Europe due to the ICQ Podcast’s reach.”
Colin Butler, M6BOY publisher of the podcast, added, “There are quite a number of ARRL members in the UK so this outreach ‘across the Pond’ is something we can easily get behind to promote.”
The “ICQ Amateur / Ham Radio Podcast” is a free fortnightly radio talk style podcast for amateur / ham radio operators by amateur / ham radio operators. Each episode features a review of the current news, a discussion of a technical feature and the hobby in general, and interactions with listeners from around the world