FROM YOUR PRESIDENT This issue of the RCA Proceedings brings great news about many developments at the Radio Club of America. Much of what I discussed in the last issue of the Aerogram has been accomplished, so here is what is new as of May 2021. • We just completed an online survey of some of our members; the first survey since 2017. The response rate was excellent: 34%! We will be using these results to craft some new benefits for RCA members. • The survey revealed that there was interest in several areas: mentoring some of our younger members; assisting in developing some wireless training materials; and in an optional print version of our publications. These projects will be investigated and there will be more on this in the near future. • Another survey will go out to the remainder of our members in early June. Please help us to help you by filling out the upcoming survey, which should not take more than a few minutes • We are returning to live meetings after a long hiatus caused by the pandemic. • RCA’s 2021 annual meeting and awards banquet will be in Denver at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in November. We were able to obtain a very good room rate for our event. Please see the link on our Website’s home page to make hotel reservations. • In August 2021, RCA will be participating at APCO in San Antonio, and in the Huntsville Alabama Hamfest. In September, we will be participating at IWCE. • To engage our California members, RCA is planning a networking event in San Ramon, California on Saturday evening, October 16th. More details will be provided in the future. • RCA just signed an organizational partnership with the Utilities Technology Council (UTC). UTC’s member companies include those in the electrical power, water, oil & gas, pipelines, and other critical infrastructure industries. Their members are technical and dependent on communications to run their businesses. We look forward to a fruitful partnership with them, as they move closer to their 75th anniversary.
• Congratulations to Audrey McElroy as the first recipient of the RCA Young Achiever Educational Grant. The RCA Scholarship and Youth Activities Committees collaborated on this new program to begin providing one of RCA’s Young Achievers with a grant to be used for their education, and Audrey is the first recipient. The award will be Audrey McElroy, KM4BUN made annually. Audrey provided and Carole Perry, WB2MGP immense help in March by assisting Director Carole Perry with her youth presentation at the virtual QSOToday Virtual Ham Expo. • The RCA Board welcomes, and bids a fond farewell, to the following: • I want to thank Ray Novak and Elaine Walsh for their many contributions to the RCA Board. Ray received a major promotion at Ray Novak Elaine Walsh ICOM, and Elaine is continuing to assist RCA in various areas. We thank them for their dedicated service and wish them all the best with their endeavors. • Please welcome Rich Berliner, an RCA Fellow, to the RCA Board as Ray’s replacement. Rich is the CEO of Fifth Gen Media, publisher of Connected Real Estate, which deals with inbuilding wireless systems. Prior to that, Rich was CEO and Founder of BCI Communications, a company that had 22 offices across the U.S.
• In planning for RCA’s second century, VP David Bart chaired a Strategic Planning Committee which completed an analysis of the Radio Club of America to help chart a course for the future of the club within the wireless industry. This is the first time in quite a while that such planning has taken place. RCA is your club. If you are interested in working on any of RCA’s committees, or would like to help RCA in general, please email our Executive Secretary Amy Beckham with your areas of interest: Amy@radioclubofamerica.org. You do not need to be a board member to help. We are especially looking for assistance in our marketing and membership committees, and for short term assistance on some specific projects. I hope you all have a fun and safe summer.
JOHN FACELLA, President The Radio Club of America, Inc. 4
SPRING 2021 PROCEEDINGS | www.radioclubofamerica.org
Rich Berliner
