Hi, I’m Tom Frenaye from West Suffield CT (near Springfield MA) and I’m running for election as New England Division Director of the ARRL. I’ve served as ARRL Director in the past and am currently an ARRL Director Emeritus.
I’ve been licensed since I was 14 years old, thanks to a middle school science teacher. Amateur Radio has been part of my life ever since! I’m particularly interested and involved in on-the-air activities. In high school I focused on DXing and county hunting and worked more than 1500 US counties. A friend and I started the California QSO Party in the early 1970s.
After graduate school I took a once in a lifetime job as a radio operator and spent a year in Palmer Station, Antarctica, operating as KC4AAC. Following that, I took the job of contest program manager at ARRL in Newington CT. During that time, I learned about packet radio, which led to an understanding of computer networks, and a career in information technology at a Hartford-area insurance company where I managed the new information center and the network control operations.
I volunteered as ARRL Director and Vice President until 2018, and also as ARRL Foundation president for ten years. I’ve also served on several of my town’s boards and commissions, including finance, technology, capital projects, and the planning and zoning commission. I’ve also served as mayor (First Selectman). I believe every ham should look for the opportunity to get involved in their town’s government in some way.
In the 1990’s I started a New England effort to get new hams on the air called the Get On The Air Program. It focused on reaching out to new hams and helping them to get started in ham radio by connecting them to local ham radio clubs. This program was then adopted by the ARRL as a major addition to Field Day – the Get On The Air (GOTA) station which is great for new hams to experience getting on-the-air.
In 2002 I started the New England QSO Party as a way to help encourage on-the-air activity. Over the last twenty years it has grown to more than 100,000 QSOs made in a weekend and 1100 logs received.
When the World Radiosport Team Championships were held in the Boston area in 2014, I was part of the team that managed the event. My assignment was to find 50+ locations for teams to operate from, and to build the several hundred volunteers for site management. I’ve also served as President of the Yankee Clipper Contest Club – two different times. I especially like to operate CW and on 160 meters, and really enjoy building antennas. I’m looking forward to the improving propagation on the 15 and 10m bands!
ARRL is at a crossroads and has faltered during the last several years. There have been five different CEOs in the last five years, many of the key staff members have retired or left the organization. The ARRL Board has also had a difficult time with inexperience and failure to apply good management to the organization.
I’m running for Director because I’m critical of the way things have been managed by HQ and the Board. I believe that the right decision is not just to criticize but to step forward and be part of the solution to improve the organization.
The ARRL needs to have a current strategic plan and must focus on improving the League’s relationship with both the FCC and members of Congress. Amateur radio needs to continue to adapt to the changing technological world, FCC rules need to be modernized.
Hams need relief from the condominium and homeowner association rules that limit or prohibit reasonable antennas. During the last three years, no progress has been made on that relief, and actually, the effort has ground to a stop.
The Technician license needs to be modernized so digital modes can be used on HF segments, not just CW.
We have to find a way to limit the serious problem with consumer electronic equipment RF interference, and the explosion in noisy solar energy installations. This will require action by the ARRL, Congress and the FCC, because the current rules are vastly incapable of addressing the RF pollution.
I’d appreciate your vote in the upcoming ARRL Director election. Ballots will be mailed out around October 1st.
If you have any questions at all, please give me a call at 860-597-4539 or email to frenaye@pcnet.com or K1KI@arrl.net
Thanks and 73!
K1KI
