FirstNet board member Dowd cites support in seeking reappointment

“One of our big apprehensions, going back to the beginning [of FirstNet], was that we would not get the kind of law-enforcement support on the board that we view as necessary to keep the for-profit companies from hijacking this thing,” Pasco said during an interview with IWCE’s Urgent Communications. “We have come to rely on Chuck—and a couple of others on the board—to ably represent the positions of law enforcement, and he has done so.

“He has the requisite expertise, experience and the ability to articulate our positions better than anybody else on the board.”

FirstNet board members are appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. There is no scheduled timetable for the appointments to be announced, but past FirstNet appointments have been made in August, so most industry sources believe an announcement will be made this week or next.

In addition to Dowd, other FirstNet board members with expiring terms are former FirstNet Chairman Sam Ginn, Paul Fitzgerald and Ed Reynolds, according to the FirstNet website.

“I’ve let them know I want to be reappointed,” Fitzgerald said during an interview with IWCE’s Urgent Communications.

Ginn has announced that he will not seek reappointment, so the FirstNet board will have at least one new member when appointments are announced.