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DOCUMENT # 31
Council members: Kay Craigie N3KN, Chairman; Martin Jue K5FLU (MFJ); Chip Margelli K7JA (Yaesu); Scott Robbins W4PA (Ten-Tec); Paul Middleton K4NUH (Kenwood); Wayne Wilson WR5S (Radio Shack); Ray Novak N9JA (ICOM); Eric Swartz WA6HHQ (Elecraft); CEO David Sumner K1ZZ, Staff Liaison.
The Industry Advisory Council has been inactive during the first half of 2004. According to CEO Sumner, there has been no traffic on the IAC reflector since last fall. There are no items on the agenda at this time. No criticism of the industry representatives should be read into this information about the current state of the IAC. This is the ARRL's council, on which they are kind enough to serve.
The IAC was created at Minute 61 of the July, 1992, meeting of the Board. The Minute establishes the council "according to the guidelines set forth in the Long Range Planning report." Those guidelines do not appear in the current version of the Director's Workbook, which lacks any terms of reference for the council. According to past IAC chairman Director Art Goddard W6XD, the original terms of reference stated that the council's purpose is "to provide an avenue for recommendations and concerns from industry to be presented to the ARRL Board of Directors."
Since the IAC was created during the height of the Technician license boom, many things have changed about Amateur Radio besides the end of that growth spurt. One of them is how the ARRL interfaces with industry. For example, we now have a Sales and Marketing Manager position at HQ that did not exist in 1992. CEO Sumner remarked to me that our industry relations are better now than they have been in times past for this and other reasons.
The League certainly wants this positive atmosphere to continue. However, what was a good way to reach out to industry and seek common interests in 1992 may or may not be the best way to do it a dozen years later. What is the most effective method today for the ARRL to promote constructive relations and open lines of communication between our organization and industry?
Following discussions with Vice President Harrison (the immediate past IAC chairman) and CEO Sumner, it appears to be time to revisit this subject. Consequently, Vice President Harrison and I are going to introduce a motion at the Board meeting asking the President to appoint a study committee composed of staff and Board members who have been IAC chairmen. This committee's tasking will include soliciting input from the industry representatives currently serving on the IAC.
Respectfully submitted,
Kay Craigie N3KN, Chairman
