Today, NTIA and the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) announced that U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross has reappointed Edward Horowitz to the FirstNet Board and named him Chair of the Board for a two-year term. Additionally, FirstNet Authority CEO Mike Poth has accepted a position in the private sector and will assist with transition efforts before leaving his position at the end of September. The Board will select a new CEO in coordination with the Department of Commerce, and in the interim, the Department and the Board will work together to appoint an Acting CEO.
Following Horowitz’s reappointment, there are six seats to fill on the FirstNet Board. To ensure continuity and a quorum for the Board, three members whose terms expired last month – Neil E. Cox, Kevin McGinnis and Annise D. Parker – have agreed to extend their terms. Additional announcements on the Board’s open seats will be forthcoming. The Board’s next quarterly meeting is in December.
“Mike Poth took the helm at a critical time and has been a driving force behind FirstNet’s success. We are grateful for his service, and he leaves us with a clear path for the ongoing deployment of a nationwide public safety network,” said David Redl, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information. “I am confident that under the leadership of Ed Horowitz, the Board and FirstNet will continue to deliver for public safety, in coordination with AT&T, without interruption.”
Poth, a former police captain and technology executive, was appointed CEO in August 2015. His leadership and the network of relationships he built led to all 50 states, five territories and the District of Columbia accepting FirstNet’s plans to design and build a nationwide broadband network for the public safety community.
“For the past three years, I have had the honor of serving public safety here at the First Responder Network Authority. Leading this organization of talented individuals dedicated to supporting our nation’s first responders has been a true privilege,” said Poth. “Now, FirstNet is here. Together with AT&T and the public safety community, FirstNet is fully prepared to continue its momentum. In the meantime, I will be focusing my efforts on ensuring the smoothest transition for FirstNet and all of its stakeholders."