On August 20, Acting U.S. Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank, appointed 12 people to serve as the first members of the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet). “FirstNet is congressionally mandated to establish a nationwide broadband network that enables police, firefighter, emergency services personnel, and others in public safety to better communicate with one another during emergencies and use new technology to improve response time, keep communications safe, and save lives.

The new FirstNet Board of Directors

Tim Bryan, CEO, National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative

Charles “Chuck” Dowd, Deputy Chief, New York City Police Department 

F. Craig Farrill, Wireless telecommunications executive

Paul Fitzgerald, Sheriff, Story County, Iowa

Samuel “Sam” Ginn, Telecommunications executive  

Jeffrey Johnson, Fire Chief (retired); former Chair, State Interoperability Council, State of Oregon; CEO, Western Fire Chiefs Association

William Keever, Telecommunications executive (retired)

Kevin McGinnis, Chief/CEO, North East Mobile Health Services 

Ed Reynolds, Telecommunications executive (retired)

Susan Swenson, Telecommunications/technology executive 

Teri Takai, Government information technology expert; former CIO, states of Michigan and California 

Wellington Webb, Founder, Webb Group International; former Mayor, Denver, Colorado

Acting Secretary Blank also announced that Samuel “Sam” Ginn had also been appointed as the first Chairman of the FirstNet Board of Directors.