The ARRL Board of Directors had the pleasure and distinction of bestowing three annual awards at its 2012 Annual Meeting -- the George Hart Distinguished Service Award, the Bill Leonard, W2SKE, Professional Media Award for print, audio and video, and the ARRL International Humanitarian Award.

The George Hart Distinguished Service Award: This year, the Board named two recipients: ARRL Connecticut Section Manager Betsey Doane, K1EIC, and Fritz Nitsch, W4NTO, an Official Emergency Station in the ARRL’s South Carolina Section.

• Betsey Doane has served more than 50 years in the ARRL Field Organization, beginning as an Official Phone Station in the 1960s. Before becoming Section Manager, she served as Official Relay Station, Net Manager of the Connecticut Section NTS, Section Traffic Manager. Besides serving as Section Manager, Doane is also an Official Emergency Station. In 2005, she was named CCE Mentor/Instructor of the Year.
• Fritz Nitsch, a former Official Observer, has served in the ARRL Field Organization for more than 35 years. His nominators stressed his devotion to the Amateur Radio Service and his unfailing support as an Elmer.

Named for longtime ARRL Communications Manager George Hart, W1NJM, this award was established by the Board at its 2009 Second Meeting. Hart was also the chief developer of the National Traffic System (NTS). It is conferred upon an ARRL member whose service to the League’s Field Organization is of the most exemplary nature. Selection criteria include the nominee's operating record with the National Traffic System, participation within the Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®), or station appointments and/or leadership positions held within the ARRL Field Organization.

The Bill Leonard, W2SKE, Professional Media Award: This year marks the third year in which the Bill Leonard Award has been restructured to include the three categories. This change was made in 2009 after an ad hoc committee of ARRL officials, professional journalists and academicians recommended segmenting the award to represent the broadest possibility of submissions from traditional and emerging media. This year the following professional media people won the Bill Leonard Award in their respective categories:

• Brad Barr was honored in the print category for his January 2011 article in Today in Mississippi , a publication of the 4 County Electric Cooperative, about Billy Beard, K5FUR. Barr explains Beard’s love and commitment to Amateur Radio and his community.
• Joel Rose, a staff reporter at National Public Radio, explained how proposed federal legislation could impact frequencies used by radio amateurs for emergency communications. Cited for his comprehensive overview in the April 2011 story, Rose interviewed Nobel Laureate Joe Taylor, K1JT, to help explain how HR 607 could impact hams.
• Ken Grimball, of News 12 Long Island (New York), prepared a television news report on a local Amateur Radio club that featured youth serving as Net Control during Hurricane Irene and the response by radio amateurs to the storm. This story aired in September 2011.

The Bill Leonard, W2SKE, Professional Media Award is a national level award given each year to honor three professional journalists whose outstanding coverage best reflect the enjoyment, importance and public service value the Amateur Radio Service. This award -- created as a tribute to the late CBS News President Bill Leonard, W2SKE, an avid Amateur Radio operator -- is divided into three categories, each with its own award: audio, visual and print.

The ARRL International Humanitarian Award: Andrey Fedorov, KL1A/RW3AH, was named this year’s recipient of the ARRL International Humanitarian Award. Fedorov is the former Chief Coordinator of the Russian Amateur Radio Emergency Service (RARES) and has been involved in providing communications support via Amateur Radio for almost 25 years. He has also served in Rwanda, Turkey and Kosovo as an Emergency Rescue Service Officer, and as a Regional Communications Officer for the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Afghanistan.

The ARRL International Humanitarian Award is conferred upon an amateur or amateurs who demonstrate devotion to human welfare, peace and international understanding through Amateur Radio. The ARRL established the annual prize to recognize Amateur Radio operators who have used ham radio to provide extraordinary service to others in times of crisis or disaster.