Las Vegas - Apr 19, 2009 - The Society of Broadcast Engineers, at its NAB Show board of directors meeting, voted to elevate two members to the membership grade of Fellow. The member grade of Fellow is awarded to an SBE member who has "rendered conspicuous service, or is recognized as having made valuable contribution to the advancement of broadcast engineering or its allied professions, dissemination of knowledge thereof, the promotion of its application in practice, may be elected a fellow of the Society."

The two members honored at the Las Vegas meeting are John Heimerl, CPBE, of Hampton Roads Educational Telecommunications Association, Norfolk, VA, and Chriss Scherer, CPBE CBNT, of Radio magazine, Overland Park, KS.

Heimerl has worked for Hampton Roads since 1993 as the chief transmission engineer, chief technology officer, and currently as chief enterprise officer. He has also worked as a consulting engineer and station chief engineer.

Scherer has been the editor of Radio magazine since 1997. He previously held positions as chief engineer at stations in Cleveland; Reading, PA; and Bridgeport, CT. He is he immediate past president of the Society of Broadcast engineers, having held the office president for two terms, vice president for one term, and a member of the board of directors for two terms. He also served as the chairman of the national Certification Committee for four years.