Gary Timm has stepped down as the broadcast chair of the Wisconsin State Emergency Communications Committee, a position he held for more than 30 years. The committee unanimously elected Chris Tarr as his successor.
Timm posted an announcement on an EAS listserv managed by the Society of Broadcast Engineers. “With the recent FCC approval of our State EAS Plan and me turning 70 years old this month, this seems like a good transition point,” Timm wrote.
“It’s been a privilege to volunteer my service all these years for the people of Wisconsin, and the EAS on a national basis. I will truly miss my EAS colleagues and friends, and thanx to you all for the support and rewarding relationships.”
Timm retired from full-time broadcast engineering in 2010 after 37 years at Journal Broadcast Group in Milwaukee, WTMJ and WKTI Radio. He then worked part-time for several years as an alerts and warnings consultant SRA International, where his work supported the Department of Homeland Security.
Following that second retirement, he continued to devote time to EAS volunteer efforts such as membership on the FCC’s Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council, emergency-alerting advocacy with other EAS experts through the Broadcast Warning Working Group and outreach to Wisconsin emergency managers.
Timm received a 2005 Certificate of Commendation from the Wisconsin Governor. He was inducted into the Wisconsin Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2018, and most recently received the inaugural Service Award from Wisconsin Emergency Management in 2022.
[Related: “Gary Timm Is Honored for Public Safety Work”]
The new SECC chair Chris Tarr is group director of engineering for Magnum Media, a Wisconsin radio group with 25 stations. He has served twice on the national SBE board and is a member of the Wisconsin Broadcasters Clinic program committee.
