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Moderator Bios

Moderator bios for HRU 2026 current as of December 28, 2025. All are shown in Eastern Standard Time.

Time Forum Moderator Biography
9:00am – 9:50am ARRL Forum W2KFV.jpg
Jim Mezey W2KFV		 Jim Mezey W2KFV has been the ARRL NLI Section Manager for more 10 years. He has over 50 years of experience in Emergency Communications. Jim was previously chairman of the Nassau County Fire Commission and ARRL Section Emergency Coordinator for Nassau County. He holds an Extra Class license and is a member of LIMARC, Nassau Amateur Radio Club, Nassau County Police Amateur Radio Club, QCWA, and IPARC. He is also a VE Examiner and Field Instructor. Jim was a member of the ARRL Emergency Communications Advisory Committee and is also a certified ARRL instructor who is trained in ARRL Emergency Communication Courses as well as ICS and NIMS. He has received the N2MEI Award for Outstanding Public Service from LIMARC and was the 2009 Hudson Division Amateur of The Year.
9:00am – 9:50am Intro to Amateur Radio WB2IKT.jpg
George A. Sullivan WB2IKT		 George A. Sullivan WB2IKT is a Life Senior IEEE Member and retired (2016) as an Adjunct Professor at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering where he taught graduate level computer science, electronic engineering, and management courses. George earned his bachelor’s degree from Hofstra University in 1978, and his master’s degree from Polytechnic University (now NYU Tandon School of Engineering) in 1988. George worked as Chief Engineer of broadcast station WLIR-FM, RF engineer at Fairchild Space & Defense Systems, Master Control engineer at WLIW/TV21, and Chief Engineer of Telecare, an educational TV station operated by the Diocese of Rockville Centre. His career at Northrop Grumman (NGC) took off in 1981 in network architecture and engineering and culminated in his nomination and acceptance as a Technical Fellow. He retired in 2015. He earned his Technician license in 1968 while attending Chaminade High School; he upgraded to Extra in 2008. He is a Volunteer Examiner for ARRL and W5YI and is an ARRL registered license instructor. His home station uses an ICOM 7300 transceiver with a MFJ tuner feeding a 40/20 meter dipole. An AnyTone 578 and a BTech 5X3 HT provide VHF/UHF and DMR connectivity. George is currently the Vice-President of the Long Island Mobile Amateur Radio Club (LIMARC), a 501c3 organization of 360 members who promote ham radio in the interests of public safety, experimentation, and STEM education. He also serves as a judge for the Long Island Science & Engineering Fair (LISEF), and he is a merit badge counselor for the Theodore Roosevelt Council of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). George lives in Hicksville, NY where he is married to Carolyn who together have 3 boys and 4 grandchildren. His personal interests include classical and choral music, pipe organs, amateur radio, electronics, computing, travel, and bicycling.
9:00am – 9:50am Meshtastic – Off Grid Mesh Networks W2DIY.jpg
Daniel Garcia W2DIY		 Daniel Garcia, W2DIY, is an Amateur Extra studying radio and television broadcasting in college. Daniel is an active part of the ham radio community and volunteers as an ARRL Volunteer Examiner and with the Town of Babylon ARES/RACES. He enjoys learning by getting hands-on with gear, tinkering with DIY projects, and exploring new ways to communicate. After gaining experience through his own trial-and-error, Daniel especially enjoys helping others learn new skills and feel confident with new technology. He is excited to be part of Ham Radio University for the first time and looks forward to expanding his knowledge and connecting with the community.
9:00am – 9:50am ARMY MARS – Military Auxiliary Radio System KE2UK.jpg
Ron Tomo KE2UK		 Ron Tomo KE2UK, first licensed in 1967 as WN2COL -> WA2COL (’68), then onto Advanced then Extra (with CW). He also held a Third Class Radio Telegraph Certificate and a Marine Operators Permit. Ron has been a MARS member for over 23 years and in the US Coast Guard Auxiliary for over 18 years as a TCO Qualified Radio Operator, Commander, Instructor, and more. He is also a member of SHARES and runs an RMS Gateway Station. Mr. Tomo received his BS in Management and a MPA in Public Administration from Long Island University (from CW POST Campus). His systems training was obtained from a full certification program at New York University. He is also a Certified Paralegal and has studied Managed Care Systems and Integrated Delivery Systems at the Harvard Graduate School of Public Health. He has the designation of a Certified Computing Professional and a Certified Network Administrator. He is currently enrolled at Hofstra Law School obtaining a MA Degree in Health Law. Ron was the 2010 Recipient of the Humanitarian of the Year Award from the American Radio Relay League for his lifelong disaster communications work culminating in his mission to HAITI in 2010 immediately following the earthquake where he setup Communications and helped build Tent Hospital and support its operation. 1989 Health Administration Award Presented by: Public Administration Department, School of Business and Public Administration. C.W. Post Campus, Long Island University. Ron is retired now from a 40-year career in Hospital & Healthcare Information Technologies with his last position as VP & Chief Information Officer at the Nassau University Medical Center. Ron has studied electronics and wireless technologies for over 40 years. He has communicated with the Space Shuttles, the MIR & International Space Stations, AO-10, AO-13, and more. He is also a Certified Level 1, II, & III Emergency Communications Specialist through the American Radio Relay League.
10:00am – 10:50am EMCOMM Forum NYC/LI W1EMR.jpg
Martin Grillo W1EMR		 Martin Grillo W1EMR has been involved in Public Safety and communications for over 45 years. He is a Retired Port Authority Police Officer; currently he is a New York State & New York City Paramedic & Instructor, He is also NYS Credentialed in the following Communications Unit positions as a COM L Instructor, COM T, INTD, INCM, RADO, and an AUXC Instructor. He holds an Amateur Radio Extra license (W1EMR), and a General Radiotelephone License with radar endorsement. During his career he’s responded to such incident as the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, the Avianca plane crash in Long Island and the World Trade Center terrorist attacks on 9/11and the plane crash of American Airline Flight 587 in Queens, New York. Currently, he holds the positions of New York City Disaster Services Technology supervisor with the American Red Cross, Training Officer with the Forest Hills, Volunteer Ambulance corps, on the NYCEM CERT Radio Advisory Committee, Chief of Emergency Medical Rescue of New York City and the ARRL New York City District Emergency Coordinator.
10:00am – 10:50am Building your first HF station KC2KY.jpg
Neil Heft KC2KY		 Neil Heft, KC2KY, was first licensed in 1971 as WN2UDP when he 12 years old. He upgraded to Advanced at age 15. In the late seventies, Ham Radio took a back seat as Neil studied Electrical Engineering at Drexel University. After finishing his undergraduate work in 1980, his interest in ham radio started to take off again. By 1987 Neil, now KC2KY, upgraded to Extra Class. Neil is President of the Radio Central Amateur Radio Club and editor of the club newsletter, Random Oscillations. He also belongs to the Order of Boiled Owls of NY. Neil is a Founding Member and current committee member of Ham Radio University. He works as an Electrical Engineer at Mini-Circuits Labs in Deer Park.
10:00am – 10:50am SIX METERS – F2 propagation WB2AMU.jpg
Ken Neubeck WB2AMU		 Ken Neubeck, WB2AMU, has been a ham for over 50 years, holding the same callsign WB2AMU. He has been a regular participant in annual ARRL radio contests, such as the Ten Meter contest, the DX SSB and DX CW contest, along with the three VHF contests held in January, June and September.

In 1994, his book, SIX METERS, A GUIDE TO THE MAGIC BAND was published by Worldradio Books, and it has seen three subsequent editions. In addition, he teamed up with Gordon West, WB6NOA, to write a book published by CQ Magazine, VHF PROPAGATION, A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR RADIO AMATEURS, which was revised recently in 2022.

Ken continues to write books on military aircraft and also continues to work on Sporadic-E propagation research with recent papers.
10:00am – 10:50am STEM Curriculum N2XDD.jpg
Ed Wilson N2XDD		 Ed Wilson N2XDD is the current ARRL Hudson Division Director.
10:00am – 11:50am Observing everyday wireless communications – Deep Dive KE2EFX.jpg
Dustin Finn KE2EFX		 Dustin Finn KE2EFX is a 20 plus year Information and Security Engineer experienced with Embedded devices, IOT and Kiosk Engineering as well as currently an Infrastructure Security Engineer. In the last 5 years the curiosity for Radio Frequency from WiFi, BT and recently the ISM and then Ham Bands led to a recent Technician license – KE2EFX.
11:00am – 11:50am YL Forum: Women in Ham Radio W2QMI.jpg
Suzan Colon W2QMI		 Suzan Colon W2QMI is the District 2 Chairperson for the Young Ladies Radio League. Suzan is a ARRL Volunteer Examiner and Official Relay Station for Northern New Jersey. She is Net Control Station for the Garden State Amateur Radio Association, a member of the National Traffic System and Straight Key Century Club. She is a life member of the Long Island CW Club and has numerous Parks-on-the-air awards.
11:00am – 11:50am Practical HF Antennas KC2KY.jpg
Neil Heft KC2KY		 Neil Heft, KC2KY, received his first ham call sign (WN2UDP) in 1971 when he was a 12 year old lad living in Stony Brook, NY. By 1973, just barely able to copy 13 words per minute, Neil upgraded to Advanced at age 15, about a month after his Novice license expired. (In those days, the Novice license was only good for 2 years and was non-renewable.) In the late seventies, Neil studied Electrical Engineering at Drexel University and Ham radio started taking a back seat. After finishing his undergraduate work in 1980, his interest in ham radio started to take off again. By 1987 Neil, now KC2KY, upgraded to Extra Class. Neil is an active member of Radio Central Amateur Radio Club on Long Island. Today Neil is President of Radio Central and is editor of Radio Central’s club newsletter, Random Oscillations. He works as an Electrical Engineer at Mini-Circuits Labs in Deer Park.
11:00am – 11:50am Youth in Amateur Radio KD2ZZT.jpg
Everton Henriques KD2ZZT		 Everton Henriques KD2ZZT is a fairly new ham, earning his Technician Class license in the fall of 2022. His involvement in the Solar Car Challenge, arguably the best overall engineering project he has ever seen/experienced, sparked his initial interest in ham radio and all of the cool communication and telemetry applications required to succeed as a team. Everton serve as a technology teacher at Staten Island Technical High School and tries to bring amateur radio concepts to his engineering classroom, as he believes that they are relevant, interesting, and very hands-on! He was fortunate to be able to participate in 2 levels of the ARRL Teacher’s Institute, where he had two amazing week-long immersions in electronics, wireless technology, remote sensing, amateur radio, and curriculum development. Not only was he able to level up to Amateur Extra, but he brought a ton of great lessons, experiences, and collaborative friendships back home! Everton is the station trustee and co-founder of his school’s amateur radio club, SITHS ARL (WS1THS), where we are all about learning and getting as many students licensed as possible. In addition to teaching robotics, CAD, and an advanced engineering survey course, he is an advisor to the Science Olympiad, FTC Robotics, SeaPerch Underwater Robotics, and Seagull Solar Car teams.
11:00am – 11:50am Cheap Space Communications W1DRF.jpg
John McAuliffe W1DRF		 John Jobin McAuliffe W1DRF has been a Ham Operator since August of 2022. He is the ARRL Lab’s Digital RF Engineer. John is currently working on mesh networks and writing programs for amateur radio applications but is not that active on the air, though you may catch him on a repeater now and again. John has grown up with ham radio, his uncles N2QXH and N2QXI introduced him to the hobby and to electronics more generally, and without them he would not be where he is today.
12noon – 12:50pm Featured Speaker – Logistics and Challenges operating from Bouvet KO8SCA.jpg
Adrian Ciuperca KO8SCA		 Adrian Ciuperca KO8SCA has operated from the following locations:
Upcoming 2026 February 3Y0K Bouvet Island DXpedition website: https://3y0k.com/
Postponed 2025 October: Saint Peter & Saint Paul Archipelago DXpedition website: https://py0s2025.com/
For my 2025 February: CR2X SOHP in ARRL DX CW. Second place in EU and 5th in the World for SOABHP category.
For my 2025 January SV1GA/A from Mt. Athos
For my 2024 December operating from club station 9K2RA a big THANK YOU to: 9K2QA, 9K2DB and 9K2CS.
For my 2024 December operating as BW/KO8SCA a big THANK YOU to CTARL and David, BV2FP for all the help!
For my 2024 September CY9C St. Paul Island DXpedition, please go here: https://t-rexsoftware.com/cy9c/
For my 2024 August N5J Jarvis Island DXpedition, please go here: https://jarvisisland2024.com/
For my 2023 (October) W8S Swains Island DXpedition, please go here: www.swains2023.com
For my 2023 Competition at WRTC 2022 in Italy, please go here: https://wrtc2022.it/
For my 2023 HV0A operation please go here: https://www.qrz.com/db/hv0a
For my 2023 CQ DX Hall of Fame Award please go here: https://tinyurl.com/CQ-DX-Hall-of-Fame
For my 2023 (Jan./Feb.) 3Y0J DXpedition to Bouvet Island please go here: www.3y0j.no
For my 2022 J28MD DXpedition to Djibouti, please go here: http://mdxc.org/j28md/
For my 2022 K7K Kiska Island IOTA DXpedition – Aleutian Islands, Alaska please go here: https://www.qrz.com/db/k7k
For my 2022 Z66X 6M DXpedition to Kosovo, please go here: https://www.qrz.com/db/z66x
For my 2021 CQWW CQ 2021 Curacao PJ2T go here: https://www.qrz.com/db/pj2t
For my 2021 CQWW SSB 2021 M/S from Bonaire PJ4G go here: https://www.qrz.com/db/pj4g
For my 2021 OH0SCA/8 activation from Radio Arcala (OH8X) superstation please go here: radioarcala.com
For my 2021 OH0SCA activation from Brando Island (part of the Aland Islands group IOTA EU-002) starting July 11, 2021
For my 2021 OF0HQ: Part of the IARU 40m CW team from Aland Island: OH2GEK, OH2TA & KO8SCA
For my 2021 OJ0C DXpedition please go here: www.qrz.com/db/OJ0C
For my 2020 VP9I operation in the CQWW CW contest, please go here: http://vp9ge.com/visiting_operators.htm
For my 2020 VP2VB Danny Weail anyversary DXpedition, please go here: https://www.qrz.com/db/vp2vb
For the 2020 Yasme Excellence Award please go here: https://www.yasme.org/yasme-excellence-awards/
For my 2019 A50BOC & A5B Bhutan adventure, please go here: https://dx-world.net/a50boc-a50bpc-a5b-bhutan/
For my 2019 ZK3A DXpedition to Tokelau Islands, please go here: https://tokelau2019.com/
For my 2019 K7TRI IOTA Dxpedition to Tillamook Rock (NA-211) please go here: https://k7tri.weebly.com/
For my 2019 YP0H DXpedition to Sacalinu Mare Island (EU-183), please go here: http://qrz.com/db/yp0h
For my 2019 V84SAA DXpedition to Brunei, check here: http://www.v84saa.com
For my 2018 TX0A (OC-113) and TX0M (OC-297) DXpedition please go here: https://tx0a-tx0m.weebly.com/
For my 2018 J8NY DXpedition, please go here: https://www.qrz.com/db/j8ny
For my 2018/2019 4U1UN project, check the 4U1UN Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/United-Nations-Amateur-Radio-Club-4U1UN-169357566427247/​
For my 2018 HV0A operation please go here: https://www.qrz.com/db/hv0a
For my 2018 WRTC team profile please go here: http://wrtc2018.de/index.php/en/competition/participants?value=ST5
For my 2018 Z23MD DXpedition please go here: http://www.mdxc.org/z23md/
For my 2018 6O6O DXpedition please go here: http://la7gia.com/index.html
For my 2018 9M0W DXpedition please go here: http://www.yt1ad.info/9m0w/
For my 2017 TO5W DXpedition please go here: https://www.qrz.com/db/to5w
For my 2017 VK9XI & VK9CI DXpedition please go here: http://christmascocos2017.vkdxg.com/
For my 2017 VP9 DXpedition please go here: https://www.qrz.com/db/ko8sca/vp9
For my 2016 FJ DXpedition please go here: http://www.qrz.com/db/FJ/KO8SCA
For my 2016 J3 DXpedition please go here: http://www.qrz.com/db/J3/KO8SCA
For my 2015 VP5 DXpedition please go here: http://www.qrz.com/db/VP5/KO8SCA
1:30pm – 2:20pm Go Boxes KD2GXL.jpg
Ken Kobetitsch KD2GXL		 Ken Kobetitsch KD2GXL has been involved in Public Safety and communications for over 40 years. First licensed in 2014 and currently an Extra Class licensee, he is also a member of LIMARC, having served as a Director for several terms. He has been a participant in annual ARRL radio contests, such as, the DX SSB, WPX SSB as well as various State QSO Parties, and Digital contests. Currently, he holds the position of the ARRL’s Nassau County ARES District Emergency Coordinator since 2021.
1:30pm – 2:20pm Basics of HF operating KS2G.jpg
Mel_Granick KS2G		 First licensed in 1977 as a Novice, Mel Granick upgraded to Technician, General and Advanced class licenses within six months and has been an Amateur Extra since 1981. He’s been active in numerous aspects of Amateur Radio ranging from traffic handling to the early use of packet radio. With a modest station consisting of a 100 watt transceiver, 3-element tribander and 40/80 dipole up just 35 feet, he’s been successful as a DX’er (DXCC-289), awards chaser (5BWAS) and one of the leading contesters in the 2nd Call Area, repeatedly placing in the top ten among U.S. low-power single operators in the CQ World Wide DX, CQ World Wide WPX and ARRL 10-Meter contests. Mel is a seasoned DX and contest operator and will guide you through the HF bands, modes, propagation, on-air procedures, and using rig controls to get the most out of your HF transceiver.
1:30pm – 2:20pm My Morse Code (CW) Journey KC2PSA.jpg
Ron Roberts KC2PSA		 Ron Roberts KC2PSA is the Beginners Curriculum Lead Instructor and an Instructor Trainer for the Long Island CW Club. His fascination with amateur radio and Morse code began as a teenager. While in college, he earned his Technician license and volunteered at local public service events and traffic nets. Despite trying several training methods, Ron didn’t get on the air with CW until joining LICW a few years ago. The club’s supportive community, camaraderie, and enjoyable approach helped him overcome his “key fright” and start operating confidently. Soon after, he joined the instructor cadre to help others learn the code. Today, Ron trains new CW instructors and contributes to curriculum development. He also enjoys making POTA and SKCC contacts from parks around Long Island and New York City.
1:30pm – 3:20pm Parks on the Air – Deep Dive AH2O.jpg
Dennis Boyé AH2O		 Dennis Boyé AH2O was first licensed in 1978 and is a Radiosport enthusiast. He has lived and operated from several states and countries. Dennis is an active DX Chaser achieving 8-Band DXCC, DXCC-SSB, DXCC-CW, DXCC-Digital, DXCC Challenge. He has achieved 8-Band WAS, WAS-SSB, WAS-CW, WAS-FT8, WAS-FT4, WAS-RTTY, WAS Triple Play. He is also an active contester with numerous wins / top-ten placements in the New York Long Island Section / Hudson Division / 2nd call area: ARRL Sweepstakes SSB, ARRL DX SSB, ARRL DX CW, NAQP CW, NAQP RTTY, CQ World Wide DX, CQ World Wide WPX, CQ World Wide RTTY, IARU HF World Championship SSB, and NY QSO Party SSB. The thrill of contesting led to Parks-On-The-Air (POTA) operations. Dennis is the current president of The Order of Boiled Owls of New York Amateur Radio Contest and DX Club.
1:30pm – 2:20pm 12 Reasons why 3D Printing Matters: Amateur Radio Edition K2GOG.jpg
Steve Bossert K2GOG		 Steve Bossert K2GOG was originally licensed in 1999 thanks to the Great South Bay Amateur Radio Club. Prior to moving north to the Hudson Valley of New York, Steve was active within the Long Island Mobile Amateur Radio Club and the Grumman Amateur Radio Club. Up until recently, Steve’s career has been focused on strategic advisory services to the telecommunications, semiconductor and disruptive technology industries. This August, Steve joined the ARRL as advertising manager based in Newington, Connecticut. Steve’s amateur radio interests include QRP operation, satellite communications, digital data/voice as well as POTA, SOTA and many different hands-on projects focused on the future of modern amateur radio. Steve is also currently an assistant division director of the Hudson Division and focuses on the Eastern New York section.
2:30pm – 3:20pm Skywarn – Weather Spotting KD2LPM.jpg
John Hale KD2LPM		 John Hale KD2LPM started his career in amateur radio when his school wanted to start an amateur radio station. From the moment he started the station, he has helped over 30 students get their tickets, taught them about radiograms and passing traffic around the world, created their own NTS traffic net designed for students. On a person side, John has taken to emergency communication and works with Skywarn as the Deputy Director and Net Manager for the NLI section. SKYWARN is a national network of volunteer severe weather spotters. The spotters are trained by local National Weather Service Forecast Offices on how to spot severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, hail, and flooding. In this presentation, we will talk about how amateur radio operators can support the NWS during weather emergencies.
2:30pm – 3:20pm The many flavors of FT8 N2WPT.jpg
William Botjer N2WPT		 Bill Botjer N2WPT began his radio journey as a short-wave listener as a young man growing up in Manhattan with an antenna installed on the fire escape of his apartment. Bill went on to obtain an engineering degree and law degrees. He went on to practice intellectual property law representing tech companies since 1976 for law firms and corporations. He is now mostly retired. In the early nineties he purchased a house in Suffolk County and decided to fulfill a long-felt desire to obtain an Amateur Radio license, he worked his way through Tech. Tech plus, General, Advanced and finally Extra class licenses. He is a member of Radio Central Amateur Radio Club. His station is a modest one, 100 watts and a wire antenna in the backyard.
2:30pm – 3:20pm CONTESTING: All Your Questions Answered KS2G.jpg
Mel_Granick KS2G		 First licensed in 1977 as a Novice, Mel Granick upgraded to Technician, General and Advanced class licenses within six months and has been an Amateur Extra since 1981. He’s been active in numerous aspects of Amateur Radio ranging from traffic handling to the early use of packet radio. With a modest station consisting of a 100 watt transceiver, 3-element tribander and 40/80 dipole up just 35 feet, he’s been successful as a DX’er (DXCC-289), awards chaser (5BWAS) and one of the leading contesters in the 2nd Call Area, repeatedly placing in the top ten among U.S. low-power single operators in the CQ World Wide DX, CQ World Wide WPX and ARRL 10-Meter contests. His forum will provide contesting basics, discuss strategies and tactics, and answer the most commonly-asked questions about contest operating.
2:30pm – 3:20pm Grounding and Lightning Protection for the Amateur Station WB2BEZ.jpg
Donald Kane WB2BEZ		 Donald W. Kane, WB2BEZ, has been a licensed HAM for over 45 years (ARRL Life Member) and is a Registered Professional Engineer in the State of New York with over 40 years of engineering experience including: Product Safety Evaluation; Electric Utility Substation and Plant engineering; Design and Manufacture of Diesel powered generators, including controls and switchgear; rail transit rolling stock and infrastructure engineering and electrical construction and HVAC. This seminar will present an overview of grounding and bonding, as applied to the typical amateur radio installation, with regard to power, lightning protection and RF (antenna) grounding.
3:30pm – 4:20pm Yankee Clipper Contest Club meeting N2KW.jpg
Allen Singer N2KW		 Allen Singer N2KW is the NLI Area Manager for YCCC. Allen was born in Brooklyn 1946. He was licensed as WV2WFW in 1961, WA2WFW in 1962. He has operated as 6Y0A (2012) 6Y6T (2013) VP9HQ (2026). Allen was an operator and instructor at the United Nations in New York 4U1UN from 1981 to 1986. He also was an operator KP2A/KP5 1989 – N2KW/DL, /OK, /PA. He has operated at the K1TTT Multiop team since 1993. N2KW was the ARRL Hudson Division Representative on the Contest Advisory Committee 1981-1989. He is a member of FOC, CWops, HSC, QRPARCI, A-1 ops, etc.