Division Director
Jim Fenstermaker, K9JF

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Jim Fenstermaker K9JF has been the ARRL Northwestern Division Director since December 2005 and was Assistant Director since 1999.  During his Board service, he served on the ARRL’s Administration and Finance Committee, Program and Services Committee, Grassroots Legislative Action Committee, Ad Hoc Scouting Committee and is the ARRL DXCC liaison.  He is also a member of the ARRL Foundation Board of Directors.  He is a member of the ARRL Diamond Club and was recognized as an “A-1 OP”.

 Jim, a native of Indiana, was first licensed in 1959 (while in the Boy Scouts) as KN9TZH and upgraded to general in 1960 when he became K9TZH.  His K9JF call was issued in 1978 while he was a resident of Wisconsin.   During the ensuing years, he has been interested in DXing and currently has 361 DXCC entities confirmed along with 9-Band DXCC and over 2100 entities for the DXCC Challenge.  An avid contester, he has earned many awards for winning contests in single and multi-band competitions.  Recently, he became an avid county hunter and have over 2,000 counties confirmed.  He holds and Amateur Extra Class license as well as an FCC 2nd Class Radiotelephone Certificate.  He is past president of the Greater Milwaukee DX Association, Willamette Valley DX Club, Clark County (WA) Amateur Radio Club.

While in the US Army, Jim held the call sign DL5JF and has operated over past years from OJ0SUF (Market Reef), VP2V/K9JF, VP5/K9JF, S5/K9JF. K9JF/KL7 and K9JF/KH6.

In 1982, Jim and his family moved to Vancouver, WA where he built his station, which includes monoband yagis on 40, 20, 15 and 10 meters; a 160-meter vertical, and a 4-Square array on 80 meters. 

Jim and his wife, Shirley KE7CBH currently reside in Seattle.  They have two grown sons (both graduates of Washington State University).

Professionally, Jim has held executive-level positions in manufacturing companies as well as in educational institutions.  He holds undergraduate degrees from Anderson University (Political Science), Portland State University (Accounting), and an MBA (Finance) from Indiana University.  He currently works in a senior financial position at an aerospace company in the Seattle area and owns JF & Associates, LLC.  Jim is also a licensed CPA.

His current goals include working with ARRL members and clubs to increase membership in the Division and to become more involved in Emergency Communication.