New ARRL Contest Manager to Begin in October

Sean Kutzko, KX9X

The ARRL is pleased to announce that Sean Kutzko, KX9X, will be
assuming the duties of ARRL Contest Manager beginning October 1. First
licensed in 1982 as KA9NGH, Kutzko developed a taste for contesting
after winning the Illinois section in the 1988 ARRL Novice Roundup.
Since then, he has been active in both HF and VHF contesting, as well
as HF DXing and VHF weak-signal communications.

A long-standing member of the Society of Midwest Contesters (SMC) and
a strong advocate of mentoring new contesters, Kutzko has won several
contest and DX awards, including several Top Ten finishes in the ARRL
Sweepstakes SSB contest as a QRP entrant. He has been on two HF
contest DXpeditions, including 6Y7M in the 1994 CQ WPX CW contest, and
V26NA in the 1997 ARRL International DX CW Contest. Kutzko also enjoys
activating rare grid squares by going on "Grid DXpeditions" in the
continental US for the VHF/UHF community. In the late 1990s, Kutzko
published a regular column in the National Contest Journal (NCJ) that
focused on DX locations available for hams to rent for contests or
DXpeditions.

Kutzko holds a BA in communications from the University of Illinois at
Springfield and worked as an announcer and jazz host at National
Public Radio (NPR) affiliates in Illinois and Indiana throughout the
1990s. Most recently, he was the Advertising and Marketing Director
for Area Diesel Service, a diesel parts company based in Carlinville,
Illinois. When he's not involved in Amateur Radio, Kutzko is an active
musician, playing guitar, drums and ethnic percussion, and is working
on his first solo CD. He enjoys studying music history and has a
diverse musical appetite, ranging from classic rock, jazz, blues,
bluegrass, West African highlife and even classical. He is a rabid
baseball fan and follows the Chicago Cubs religiously.

ARRL Membership and Volunteer Programs Manager Dave Patton, NN1N,
said, "I am very pleased to have Sean onboard. He is enthusiastic,
bright, and an active contester, with VHF/UHF contesting and operating
among his favorite activities." Kutzko replaces Tom Hogerty, KC1J, who
resigned as ARRL Contest Manager in early August to pursue other
opportunities.