Thank you for participating in BWA's 2024 - 2025 officer elections cycle! Your contributions to our elections determines the future of the club. 

Nominees

President

Brian Mary - K3HMX

1. What year were you first licenced?

   • 2011

2. Tell us a bit about your experiences as a ham.

   • Amateur Extra, I enjoy digital HF, experimenting with electronics and antennas, and learning about DMR and new operating modes.

3. Have you ever served on a radio club board?

   • Yes

4. If so, when, where, and what office?

   • Current president of BWA, past president of AARC (two years), past secretary of AARC.

5. Please tell us a little about any other club or organization leadership positions you have held.

   • Field Day chair at AARC for two years.

6. What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of the BWA?

   • We have an enthusiastic membership that has been so willing to help get the club going. No shortage of folks ready to volunteer, it's been a pleasure seeing the club grow. No strong weaknesses at this time, we're small but growing.

7. What skills and abilities do you think you would bring to the Board?

   • Having been president of BWA and AARC I'd like to think I bring the ability to help direct a club. I always try to maintain good relations with other board and club members so we can achieve a welcoming and respectful environment. 

8. What do you think you could accomplish as a BWA club officer?

   • I think I could help grow us into a solid second year. I will continue to strengthen our ties with PG ARES and other local clubs. I will work with the city to move our repeater project forward and increase ties with the city and county emergency management offices.

Vice President

Bruce Thoman - WB3HAM

1. What year were you first licenced?

   • 1977

2. Tell us a bit about your experiences as a ham.

   • Within ham radio, my greatest interests lie with local area communications using VHF and UHF radio. Mobile, handheld and repeaters are a particular interest for me. This is not to say that I dont enjoy HF. I have an HF station and really enjoyed learning about the fusion of computers and radio, especially the digital radio modes. My greatest interest in all of this is the designing, building, installing and modifying radio equipment.

3. Have you ever served on a radio club board?

   • Yes

4. If so, when, where, and what office?

   • Treasurer of the Goddard Amateur Radio Club

5. Please tell us a little about any other club or organization leadership positions you have held.

   • In my working job, I was the NASA project manager for ground based communications stations that enabled that support and operations of spacecraft operated by NASA and other nation spacecraft.

6. What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of the BWA?

   • BWA's greatest strength is the collegial energy and knowledge of radio technology that its membership brings to the club. The members demonstrate tremendous knowledge and capabilities and have exhibited great energy toward our common interest in learning new things and actively developing club programs. However, in order to continue to expand our club presence in the community and be a source of learning and development for ham radio enthusiasts, the club is going to have to grow its membership. We will have to find more members that will actively contribute to the development of the club as a collection of ham radio enthusiasts.

7. What skills and abilities do you think you would bring to the Board?

   • I have good planning and prep skills and abilities and the energy to apply them.

8. What do you think you could accomplish as a BWA club officer?

   • I want to continue the development of the club to become a well known and active member of our community, where we enjoy ham radio but also serve the community with the knowledge and skills of our hobby.

Secretary

Alexander Maricich - KB3WRY

1. What year were you first licenced?

   • 2011

2. Tell us a bit about your experiences as a ham.

   • When going through college my friends started a study group to get our licenses. After passing our tests, we setup mobile rigs in our vehicles and talked with each other between classes and studying. I had my Technicians license for a good 9 years despite my dreams to begin DXing. I attribute the lack of progress during that time to my career development, which thankfully allowed me to be able to afford the hobby. After meeting some BWA club members, I began studying more. It wasn’t till last year that I got my Extra ticket and started enjoying HF. I currently enjoy DXing, POTA, and Digital Modes the most.

3. Have you ever served on a radio club board?

   • No

4. Please tell us a little about any other club or organization leadership positions you have held.

   • For the past 10 years I have worked professionally in the Technology industry. Although I began my career as a software developer, I quickly gained experience managing large scale projects, leading software development teams, and even playing a key role in starting a company. When I joined the company, there were only 3 employees including myself. Now, because of my management, leadership, and technical skills, the company has grown to over 60 employees in the past 4 years. I also have served as the BWA and PG ARES webmaster.

5. What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of the BWA?

   • BWA has dedicated leadership and members that are happy to donate their time to club causes. BWA is a new group suffering from typical small organization, growing problems.

6. What skills and abilities do you think you would bring to the Board?

   • My experience taking a small company and helping grow it into a thriving organization is something I hope will be directly translatable to the club. I am very organized and keep good records. My knowledge of technology will help me perform my duties quickly and efficiently. As secretary and webmaster, I could disseminate information using multiple sources.

7. What do you think you could accomplish as a BWA club officer?

   • I hope to help improve our documentation and information sharing efforts. With my skills as a developer, I hope to be able to use my experience to automate & streamline processes, organize & distribute club information, and create less barriers to member participation & engagement.

Treasurer

Vacant.

Director

Keith MacDonald Miller - AE3D

1. What year were you first licenced?

   • 1965

2. Tell us a bit about your experiences as a ham.

   • I got my license as a high school senior, and operated my first Field Day that year from a tree house. I had a 20 meter single band rig in my car while attending Penn State. Moved to Bowie in 1975,, but left 2 years later, only to return in 1979 after getting my Amateur Extra. Was a member of the AARC though the reset of the 80s, and for a few years was one of two instructors for their Novice classes. Again I left Bowie, this time after a divorce, but ran mobile with a Yeasu HF rig and my Hustler Mobile Antenna for a few years. Bought my old house back from my ex, and later returned to the AARC in 2013, where a year later I took over teaching classes for both Technician and General licenses. A decade later I still teach those course, and occasionally also teach an Amateur Extra class. Over my years at the AARC I was very active as a Field Day planner, antenna chairman, and once served as the Field Day Chairman there. I was also on their Board of Directors as both Treasurer and later President. I've run their Maryland-DC QSO Party, and served in other capacities. Most recently I became a charter member of the BWA, where I currently serve as Treasurer.

3. Have you ever served on a radio club board?

   • Yes

4. If so, when, where, and what office?

   • Anne Arundel Radio Club, first as Secretary and later as President. I am currently the Treasurer of BWA.

5. Please tell us a little about any other club or organization leadership positions you have held.

   • I was for five years a Board member of a recreational club in Crownsville, MD where I served as President for one year. It too was a 501(c)(3). For two years I also served on their Regional Board.

6. What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of the BWA?

   • Our strength, like the strength of any organization, comes from the members. Most clubs have problems with a lack of volunteers. Ours and avid about their hobby, and show it, by showing up. Our biggest weakness is our size. We could use more members, but that seems to be coming around. Clubs that do things, gain members and grow. Clubs that do nothing fade out and die. We're on the right side of that argument.

7. What skills and abilities do you think you would bring to the Board?

   • I am terminally friendly, and try to like and appreciate everyone. I'm good at being inclusive, rather than exclusive. I bring people along for the ride, and am always looking for ways we band do more stuff, and have more fun doing it.

8. What do you think you could accomplish as a BWA club officer?

   • I'm a team player. If I do nothing else I'll try to keep spirits up, and the club moving forward toward its goals.

Jim Wallace - N3ADF

1. What year were you first licenced?

   • 1979

2. Tell us a bit about your experiences as a ham.

   • I've tried most HF Modes but especially like CW.

3. Have you ever served on a radio club board?

   • Yes

4. If so, when, where, and what office?

   • Currently VP of BWA,  AARC VP and Board member at large.

5. Please tell us a little about any other club or organization leadership positions you have held.

   • Served as VP for the AARC.

6. What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of the BWA?

   • Small but most members are willing to help.

7. What skills and abilities do you think you would bring to the Board?

   • Years of ham radio experience.

8. What do you think you could accomplish as a BWA club officer?

   • Help pass on ham radio info to the club members.