ARRL CEO Howard Michel,
WB2ITX, says the "balance has been lost" between the League's three
major components - a membership organization, a business and a 501(c)(3)
charity. The key, according to the ARRL
Letter, is creating value. Speaking at Ham Radio University in New York in
early January, Michel said the League needs to refocus its priorities on
creating value for new licensees who currently don't join ARRL or quit after a
year; shift the perspective in its publishing operations from producing books
to producing and delivering value to readers, regardless of the medium, and
that the organization must do more for new hams once they become licensed.
"We've got them through the test to get their license," he said,
"and then we've dropped them. We've got to fix that."
A major part of Michel's
effort to have the ARRL deliver more value to its members and prospective
members is a reorganization of the League's management structure. He announced
plans in early February to create a management council to discuss long-term planning,
ideas and operations; and the creation of two new positions, a Product
Development Manager and a Marketing Communications Manager.
