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ARRL President, Kay Craigie, N3KN, has appointed Grant Hopper,
KB7WSD, of Everett, Washington, as the new Northwestern Division
Vice Director. The position became vacant when no one submitted the
necessary election materials needed to run for the Vice Director
position. Hopper is an attorney and serves as an ARRL Volunteer
Counsel.  Im excited to serve the Northwest Division, Hopper said.
We have a phenomenal number of talented, innovative, committed, and
generous hams here in the Northwestern Division. I look forward to
not only doing what I can to support their efforts and the
activities within the division, but also representing their
interests up at the national level. From my community and volunteer
activities, as well as my law practice, I tend to think of myself as
a behind the scenes sort of person, bringing people together,
examining issues and solving problems. I think those skills will
serve me well as a Vice Director and Im glad I can share them for
the benefit of Amateur Radio.  Hoppers was first introduced to
Amateur Radio when he moved to Washington State at the age of 8.
The dad of my new best friend, they lived next door, had, what
seemed to an 8 year old kid, a huge and fascinating station. This
was the 1970s and I still remember how the tubes glowed. After that,
Amateur Radio remained in the back of my mind until high school when
the family of an area Silent Key donated his station and electronics
library to the school. We had no Amateur Radio program, but the
instructor knew I was interested so he gave me an ARRL Handbook to
read.  Unfortunately, there wasnt an easy way to translate the
handbook into successful studies for my amateur license.  While
attending Washington State University, where he studied electrical
engineering, Hopper again discovered Amateur Radio when Craig
Johnson, NG7N, a fellow student, showed him packet radio.  This
ultimately resulted in getting my Tech license in 1994, together
with my father Gary, KB7WSI. We attended the local license class put
on by the Boeing Employees Amateur Radio Operators North Society, or
BEARONS, W7FLY.  After becoming licensed, Hopper immediately started
volunteering with the Snohomish County Department of Emergency
Management, and still remains involved with the organization today.
At the end of an eight year stint with the DEM, and after taking a
CERT class from the City of Everett Fire Department, he was asked by
the citys Director of Emergency Management to form an auxiliary
communications program based around Amateur Radio, intended to
support CERT activities in a disaster. With law enforcement, fire
services and EmComm experience in my background, as well as business
and legal skills, Ive enjoyed a certain amount of success getting a
program off the ground with very few problems‚

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