FirstNet Chair Sue Swenson, Vice Chair Jeff Johnson resign from authority’s board

Typically, the Commerce secretary has announced FirstNet board selections during the latter part of August or shortly after. Last year, the 2017 FirstNet board selections were not announced until January 2018, because the U.S. Senate did not vote to confirm Redl—whose position helps lead the selection process—until November.

By law, the FirstNet board consists of 15 members, with three being representatives from the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Justice. The other 12 members—at least four of whom are required to be public-safety representatives—are selected by the NTIA administrator to serve three-year terms.

In addition to filling the board slots vacated by Swenson and Johnson, there are five FirstNet board positions to fill—four board members with expiring terms and one seat that was not filled when Ross announced board appointments in January.

Kevin McGinnis—a member of the original FirstNet board appointed in 2012 whose term expires this month—is not eligible to return after serving two terms.

Neil Cox, Ed Horowitz and Annise Parker are the other FirstNet board members with expiring terms. McBride said that two board members are seeking to serve a second term on the FirstNet, but she did not identify them.

In addition to the expiring terms, the FirstNet board has an opening that was created when Redl did not announce a replacement in January for James Douglas, the FirstNet board member who previously served as governor of Vermont. In January, Beltway sources indicated that NTIA hoped to appoint a governor or former governor to the FirstNet board during this round of appointments.

FirstNet’s board also will get at least one new member next year. At that time, Teri Takai will have served two full terms—as well as an additional year as an original member of the FirstNet board—and will not be eligible to continue serving as a FirstNet board member. Takai will be the lone original member of the 2012 FirstNet board continuing to serve in this capability, with the expiration of McGinnis’s term and the resignations of Swenson and Johnson.