INDIANAPOLIS—The Society of Broadcast Engineers threw a surprise party Thursday for departing Executive Director John Poray.

“You taught us how to be an organization,” veteran engineer Fred Baumgartner told Poray during a Zoom meeting attended by more than 75 people.

The group included numerous past presidents of the society, current and past board members and committee leaders, representatives from state broadcast associations, and friends and Poray family members.

Poray was SBE’s first full-time executive director and has been with the society since 1992.

He began his career with the Boy Scouts of America’s Central Ohio Council and went on to work for Kiwanis International, The Apartment Association of Indiana and The Columbus Apartment Association.

Among those on the call were two engineers who interviewed Poray for the job 28 years ago, Rick Farquhar and Fred Baumgartner.

Poray told the online gathering that when he joined, he figured he might stay in the job for four or five years.

“I’ve never been with a group that enjoys their work so much,” Poray said. “You like what you do, it’s part of you. That really rubs off.”

Poray noted that he is not an engineer but that he shared interests of many SBE members, having DXed as a boy and collected QSL cards.

Society veterans on the call praised Poray for his administrative abilities, good ideas and efforts to provide stability and growth for the organizations.

One said that when he became an SBE officer, his predecessor told him, “It’s an easy job. Just do what John tells you and you’ll be fine.”

New Executive Director James Ragsdale comes on board in January.

INDIANAPOLIS—After nearly 30 years with the Society of Broadcast Engineers, long-time executive director John Poray has announced that he plans to retire at the end of 2020.

Poray joined the SBE as its executive director in October of 1992. Over that time the SBE has seen growth in membership and in the society’s certification, education and frequency coordination programs. SBE President Wayne Pecena said in the announcement that Poray cannot be replaced, “We can only seek to find a successor!”

Poray’s entire career has been in the field of non-profit organization management. Before joining the SBE, he worked with the International Headquarters of Kiwanis International, The Apartment Association of Indiana, The Columbus (OH) Apartment Association and the Central Ohio Council for the Boy Scouts of America. When hired at SBE, Poray was the first full-time executive director.

“I have been blessed to have had a long and productive relationship with the SBE, working with many great members, chapter and national leaders and staff,” Poray said. “Together, we have worked to grow the SBE in size and stature and I believe the SBE is positioned well to continue to serve the broadcast and media engineers into the future. I look forward to a busy 2020 for SBE while assisting the Board of Directors with the transition.”

Pecena is expected to meet with the Board of Directors in the next few weeks to begin the search process for a new SBE executive director.