The Society of Broadcast Engineers says that chapters are the lifeblood of the association. This year also marks the fifth year of the Chapter Engineer of the Year Award, which has highlighted the achievements of select members within their chapters.
In 2018, six chapters selected their own award recipients. Each winner is to be presented with a special certificate and be recognized nationally on the SBE website and in a future issue of The Signal. The six chapter winners also were automatically nominated for the national Robert W. Flanders SBE Engineer of the Year Award.
The 2018 national Engineer of the Year winner, Mark Persons, represented Chapter 17 and pictured above.
Additionally, the society has named Jeff Welton (CBRE) as the James C. Wulliman SBE Educator of the Year. He is based in Hackett’s Cove, Nova Scotia, and Nautel’s sales manager for the central region of the US. He began his professional career in 1970 as a Nautel field service engineer. Currently, he also serves as co-engineer for Hubbard, Nova Scotia, community station CKVE(FM).
Welton has presented at many SBE Ennes Workshops, as well as Nautel-specific seminars, participated as an instructor at the Alabama Broadcast Association Engineering Academy and served as a presenter at the NAB BEIT conference. He is also known as an advocate for transmitter site safety.
The third national award recipient is Davicom, recognized with the 2018 SBE Technology Award for its Cortex 360 Site Management System.
Davicom’s Cortex 360 Site Management System is based on the latest hardware processors running a Linux operating system. The SBE says the system “incorporates 30 years of experience and knowledge in the remote site management industry.”
The 2017 Broadcasters Clinic in Wisconsin won for Best Chapter Regional Educational Event.
Chapter 16, Seattle, won for Best Chapter Communication.
Rob Sobol of Hilights won the award for Best Technical Article, Book or Program by an SBE member for “NOC, NOC. Who’s There?” in AGL Magazine.
Many awards were given for chapter member numbers and accomplishments.
Greatest Growth in New Members:
Class A: Chapter 57, Rochester, N.Y., Chapter Chairman Gregory Carter, CBT, CBNT
Class B: Chapter 118, Montgomery, Ala., Chapter Chairman Wiely Boswell, CBRE, CBNE
Most Certified Member Chapters:
Class A: Chapter 115, Southern Idaho, Chapter Chairman Thomas Kettwig, CBT
Class B: Chapter 131, Inland Empire [California], Chapter Chairman Wayne Murphy, CPBE, CBNE, and Certification Chairman Paul Claxton, CPBE, CBNE
Highest Member Attendance:
Class A: Chapter 145, Magic Valley [Idaho], Chapter Chairman Thomas Lowther, CSRTE, CBNT
Class B: Chapter 79, Austin, Texas, Chapter Chairman Ed Rupp, CBTE, CBNT
Note that class awards are determined using the median chapter size as of Dec. 31, 2017, as the dividing line between Class A (fewer than the median) and Class B (more than the median).
Nominations for the 2019 awards will open in February.
