Inaugural Michael J. Owen VK3KI Award Announced

The Administrative Council (AC) of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) held its annual meeting on 2 & 4 November 2012 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Due to the passing of Michael J. Owen VK3KI, who had been a member of the Administrative Council for most of its existence and had been a longtime contributor to the efforts of IARU to promote and preserve amateur radio, the AC decided to establish an award in recognition of this.
The Michael J. Owen VK3KI Award was established to recognize an individual or individuals that best exemplify the dedication and hard work of IARU volunteers.
Following an IARU request for submission by member Societies of possible recipients, the AC at its meeting in Cancun Mexico on Sunday 22 September 2013, considered submissions and agreed to jointly award the first Michael J. Owen VK3KI Award to Dr David Wardlaw VK3ADW and Wojciech Nietyksza SP5FM.

David Wardlaw became involved with the IARU in 1968 as a part of the Secretariat provided by WIA for the inaugural conference of IARU Region 3 in Sydney. While serving as WIA President he attended the 1976 IARU world meeting in Miami, held in conjunction with the Region 2 Conference, at which the global objectives and strategy for WARC-79 were developed. Along with Michael Owen, David was appointed to the Australian delegation to WARC-79 to represent Amateur Radio. He served as a Director of Region 3 from 1988 to 1994 and from 1997 to 1999, resigning at that time to succeed Michael as IARU Vice President. He served as IARU Vice President from 1999 to 2004. David was an effective representative of both Amateur Radio and the Australian administration at the ITU.
Wojciech Nietyksza, SP5FM began his long and intensive IARU involvement as a member of the IARU team attending the 1974 Maritime Mobile WARC in Geneva. From that time through WRC-03 he was the most consistent face of the IARU at ITU meetings and conferences. He was elected Vice Chairman of Region 1 in 1975 and was re-elected to that position every three years until 1999 when he relinquished it for Tafa Diop, 6W1KI. Wojciech remained a member of the Region 1 EC and chairman of its External Relations Committee through 2002.

The WIA congratulates Dr David Wardlaw VK3ADW and Wojciech Nietyksza SP5FM on the receipt of the inaugural Michael J. Owen VK3KI award.

Geoff Atkinson VK3TL IARU Region 3 Director, in Mexico attending the AC meeting and IARU Region 2 Conference, phoned Dr Wardlaw from the meeting to advise him of the award and extend congratulations on behalf of the IARU Region 3.

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