Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo has appointed Keisha Lance Bottoms, former mayor of Atlanta, as the new board chair of the First Responder Network Authority, or FirstNet Authority.
The Department of Commerce said Wednesday the former senior adviser to President Joe Biden and current CEO of KRLB will join the other 10 newly selected and reappointed technology and public safety leaders on the FirstNet Authority Board.
The new board members who will serve for three-year terms are:
- Damon Darsey, EMS physician and medical director for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety
- Erik Gaull, president of the International Association of Emergency Managers Region III
- Jeffrey Norman, chief of police, Milwaukee Police Department
- Michael Adkinson, sheriff in Walton County, Florida, a board member for the National Sheriff’s Association
- Rasheid Scarlett, IT executive and CEO of NetAesthetics
- Trisha Wolford, fire chief of Anne Arundel County in Maryland
The four reappointed members who will serve a new three-year term on the board are:
- Alexandra Fernandez Navarro, telecommunications attorney
- Jocelyn Moore, independent director on the board of DraftKings
- Sean McDevitt, partner at Arthur D Little
- Warren Mickens, retired vice president at CenturyLink Communications
“I am pleased to appoint these experienced and highly qualified members to the FirstNet Authority Board to ensure this program continues to enhance public safety response with a world-class communications network,” said Raimondo.
“They demonstrate a commitment to the mission and vision of FirstNet and to the safety of our communities. Their diverse backgrounds and experiences, working with the FirstNet Authority CEO, will provide leadership for the public safety broadband network,” she added.
About FirstNet Authority
FirstNet Authority is an independent entity within the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration. Its mission is to build, field and operate a nationwide public safety broadband network for first responders.
In March 2017, FirstNet and AT&T announced a partnership to develop and operate the national broadband network for first responders.