Dr. Rebecca Blank, Acting Secretary of Commerce, this morning addressed the attendees of the 78th Annual APCO International Conference & Expo, and announced the names of the individuals who will serve on the FirstNet Board:

• Chief Chuck Dowd, New York Police Department
• Paul Fitzgerald, Sheriff, Storey County, Iowa
• Jeffrey D. Johnson, Oregon, CEO of the Western Fire Chiefs Association
• Kevin McGinnis, Chief, North East Mobile Health Services
• Teresa Takai, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Networks and Information Integration, Department of Defense
• Wellington Webb, former Denver mayor
• Tim Bryan, CEO National Rural Telecom Cooperative
• F. Craig Farrill, Co-Founder of Kodiak Networks
• Bill Keever, former CEO of Asia Region of Vodafone Group
• Susan Swenson, former president/CEO Sage Software, COO Atrinsic
• Ed Reynolds, former President of Network Operations for Cingular Wireless
• Samuel Ginn, CEO of Pacific Telesis, Auburn University, who will chair the FirstNet Board.

The standing members of the Board are the Attorney General of the United States, the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

“We’re grateful for what you do to keep America safe,” Blank told the conference attendees. “The administration is working to help you keep the public safe. … First responders deserve better.”

More than 100 people were nominated for the 12 open positions.

Blank described the National Broadband Network for Public Safety as a long-term investment in America.