CEO Parkinson to leave FirstNet Authority in two weeks

FirstNet Authority CEO Ed Parkinson will leave his position in two weeks to “pursue an opportunity in the private sector,” necessitating a search for his successor, according to a FirstNet Authority announcement released today.

Parkinson will continue to fulfill his duties at the helm of the FirstNet Authority for the next two weeks, including the board meeting on May 4. FirstNet Deputy CEO Lisa Casias will become the organization’s acting CEO on May 10, according to the FirstNet Authority press release.

Parkinson has led the organization since being named acting CEO in October 2018. Parkinson was named as the FirstNet Authority’s permanent CEO in March 2020. Prior to that, Parkinson was one of the first employees at the FirstNet Authority, joining the organization in 2013.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the public-safety community and deliver the communications network they’ve needed for so long,” Parkinson said in a prepared statement. “Seeing FirstNet advance from concept to reality during my tenure has been exciting; the network is transforming public-safety operations and enabling first responders to save more lives and keep their communities safer.”

In fact, Parkinson played a key role in getting the FirstNet Authority established. As a staff member for the House Committee on Homeland Security, he worked with committee Chairman Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) to draft the initial legislation that proposed reallocating 10 MHz of 700 MHz spectrum for public-safety broadband communications.

This proposal evolved into providing this spectrum and adjacent spectrum held by the Public Safety Spectrum Trust (PSST)—as well as $7 billion—to a new entity known as the FirstNet Authority. In February 2012, Congress passed the FirstNet legislation as part of an omnibus package, and President Barack Obama signed it into law.

FirstNet Authority board Chair Stephen Benjamin expressed appreciation for Parkinson’s work.

“With Ed’s leadership, the FirstNet Authority has overseen the growth and advancement of the network and built strong, trusted relationships with the public-safety community,” Benjamin said in a prepared statement. “We are grateful for the leadership and experience that Ed brought to the FirstNet Authority and wish him all the success in his future plans.”

Jason Porter, president of nationwide public-safety broadband network (NPSBN) contractor AT&T’s public-sector and FirstNet business units, echoed this sentiment.

“Since I joined the FirstNet mission, it has been a true pleasure working with Ed Parkinson, and all of us at AT&T thank him for his service,” Porter said in a prepared statement. “We look forward to our continued partnership with the FirstNet Authority and are confident that together we can further realize public safety’s vision for their own public safety network and communications ecosystem to help America’s first responders stay mission-ready.”

There was no announcement today about Parkinson’s private-sector plans, but his next career step is expected to be revealed soon, according to sources familiar with the situation.

This story will be updated.