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FirstNet Vice Chairman Jeff Johnson resigns from Sonim Technologies board
FirstNet Vice Chairman Jeff Johnson has resigned from the board of Sonim Technologies amid conflict-of-interest questions, just days after being announced as a board member for the California-based manufacturer of rugged LTE devices.
“Today, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced that FirstNet Board Vice Chairman Jeff Johnson has resigned from his position as a member of the board of Sonim Technologies,” according to an NTIA statement provided to IWCE’s Urgent Communications on Saturday. “While he consulted with ethics officials before joining the board of Sonim, and received guidance on the proper recusals, Mr. Johnson determined that FirstNet’s mission would best be served by his resignation in order to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest. We thank Mr. Johnson for his service and dedication to FirstNet.”
Johnson had been serving on the Sonim Technologies board since last summer, when government legal advisors determined that Johnson’s role would not be a conflict of interest, Sonim Technologies CEO Bob Plaschke said during an interview with IWCE’s Urgent Communications. Johnson was announced publicly as a Sonim Technologies board member in a press release issued last Thursday, when conflict-of-interest questions were raised, according to multiple sources.
“Jeff Johnson and Sonim both extensively checked with the Department of Commerce legal staff to ensure both parties were clear of any conflicts of interest,” Plaschke said in a prepared statement provided to IWCE’s Urgent Communications. “The Commerce Department cleared Jeff joining the board. The press release issued by NTIA says as much. Having said that, Jeff’s first commitment is to public safety, and he has always put that up front.
“Last week, after we issued our press release about our directors, folks inside the Department of Commerce conveyed that the situation had changed since we talked to them. It was clear to them that Sonim was the leader in the FirstNet handset space and—as such, given our trajectory—Jeff would need to resign from our board. At the end of the day, we all need to do what is right for public safety. While we’re sad to see Jeff leave us, it’s the right thing to do.”
Johnson has served on the FirstNet board since it was created in 2012. His term is scheduled to expire in August 2019, according to the FirstNet web site. Prior to joining the FirstNet board, Johnson served as president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and was a key advocate in public safety’s effort to convince Congress to reallocate the 700 MHz D Block for first-responder use.
Unfortunately, the fact that
Unfortunately, the fact that he had “secretly” been a Sonim board member since last summer raises suspicions. There has been a lot happening since last summer. It’s very disappointing that an organization that is supposed to be dedicated to public safety would be naïve enough to place itself in this position.
This would seem to be a
This would seem to be a no-brainer that he should have never even considered being on the board. Now his judgement can be questioned.
Jeff Johnson was up front and
Jeff Johnson was up front and heavily vetted before agreeing to serve on the board. Situations, relationships, and work positions change, requiring modifications in board appointments conflict of interest factors. The previous two posts sound more like sour grapes and hard feelings rather than constructive dialogue. Best wishes to Chief Johnson and Sonim in your future endeavors. Your hard work is appreciated.
Old Texan, you are right on.
Old Texan, you are right on. Chief Johnson is above board, fully vetted, and those other two posts are sour grapes. All the best to Chief Johnson, Chairman Swenson, and Sonim Technologies.