[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 53 (Tuesday, March 19, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10047-10048]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-05076]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Telecommunications and Information Administration


Recruitment of First Responder Network Authority Board Members

AGENCY: National Telecommunications and Information Administration, 
U.S. Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The National Telecommunications and Information Administration 
(NTIA) issues this Notice on behalf of the First Responder Network 
Authority (FirstNet) to initiate the annual process to seek expressions 
of interest from individuals who would like to serve on the FirstNet 
Board. One of the 12 appointments of nonpermanent members to the 
FirstNet Board will expire in August 2019. NTIA issues this Notice to 
obtain expressions of interest in being appointed by the Secretary to 
the FirstNet Board.

DATES: Expressions of interest must be postmarked or electronically 
transmitted on or before April 18, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to submit expressions of interest as 
described below should send that information to: Marsha MacBride, 
Associate Administrator, Office of Public Safety Communications, 
National Telecommunications and Information Administration, by email to 
[email protected]; or by U.S. mail or commercial 
delivery service to: Office of Public Safety Communications, National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Room 4078, Washington, DC 20230. 
Please note that all material sent via the U.S. Postal Service 
(including ``Overnight'' or ``Express Mail'') is subject to delivery 
delays of up to two weeks due to mail security procedures.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marsha MacBride, Associate 
Administrator, Office of Public Safety Communications, National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Room 4078, Washington, DC 20230; 
telephone: (202) 482-1150; email: [email protected]. Please direct 
media inquiries to NTIA's Office of Public Affairs, (202) 482-7002.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background and Authority

    The Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (Act) 
created the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) as an 
independent authority within NTIA and charged it with ensuring the 
building, deployment, and operation of a nationwide, interoperable 
public safety broadband network, based on a single, national network 
architecture.\1\ FirstNet holds the single public safety license 
granted for

[[Page 10048]]

wireless public safety broadband deployment. The FirstNet Board is 
responsible for providing overall policy direction and oversight of 
FirstNet to ensure that the nationwide network continuously meets the 
needs of public safety.
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    \1\ 47 U.S.C. 1422(b).
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II. Structure

    The FirstNet Board is composed of 15 voting members. The Act names 
the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, the Attorney 
General of the United States, and the Director of the Office of 
Management and Budget as permanent members of the FirstNet Board. The 
Secretary of Commerce appoints the twelve nonpermanent members of the 
FirstNet Board.\2\ The Act requires each Board member to have 
experience or expertise in at least one of the following substantive 
areas: Public safety, network, technical, and/or financial.\3\ 
Additionally, the composition of the FirstNet Board must satisfy the 
other requirements specified in the Act, including that: (i) At least 
three Board members have served as public safety professionals; (ii) at 
least three members represent the collective interests of states, 
localities, tribes, and territories; and (iii) its members reflect 
geographic and regional, as well as rural and urban, representation.\4\ 
An individual Board member may satisfy more than one of these 
requirements. The current nonpermanent FirstNet Board members are 
(noting length of term):
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    \2\ 47 U.S.C. 1424(b).
    \3\ 47 U.S.C. 1424(b)(2)(B).
    \4\ 47 U.S.C. 1424(b)(2)(A).

 Edward Horowitz, Chair, Venture capital/technology executive 
(Term expires: August 2021)
 Teri Takai, Government information technology expert; former 
CIO, states of Michigan and California (Term expires: August 2019)
 Robert Tipton Osterthaler, Business/technology executive, 
network (Term expires: January 2021)
 Richard Ross, Jr., Police Commissioner, City of Philadelphia 
(Term expires: January 2021)
 Richard W. Stanek, Sheriff, Hennepin County, Minnesota (Term 
expires: January 2021)
 David Zolet, President & CEO, LMI (Term expires: January 2021)
 Richard Carrizzo, Fire Chief, Southern Platte Fire Protection 
District, MO (Term expires August 2021)
 Neil E. Cox, Telecommunications/technology executive (Term 
expires: August 2021)
 Brian Crawford, SVP and Chief Administrative Officer for 
Willis-Knighton Health System/former Fire Chief and municipal 
government executive (Term expires: August 2021)
 Billy Hewes, Mayor of Gulfport, MS (Term expires: August 2021)
 Paul Patrick, Division Director, Family Health and 
Preparedness, Utah Department of Health (Term expires: August 2021)
 Brigadier General Welton Chase, Retired, U. S. Army, Army 
Information Technology (Term expires: September 2021)

    More information about the FirstNet Board is available at 
www.firstnet.gov/about/Board. Board members are appointed for a term of 
three years, and Board members may not serve more than two consecutive 
full three-year terms.\5\
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    \5\ 47 U.S.C. 1424(c)(2)(A)(ii).
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III. Compensation and Status as Government Employees

    FirstNet Board members are appointed as special government 
employees. FirstNet Board members are compensated at the daily rate of 
basic pay for level IV of the Executive Schedule (approximately 
$164,200 per year).\6\ Each Board member must be a United States 
citizen, cannot be a registered lobbyist, and cannot be a registered 
agent of, employed by, or receive payments from a foreign 
government.\7\
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    \6\ 47 U.S.C. 1424(g).
    \7\ See, Revised Guidance on Appointment of Lobbyists to Federal 
Advisory Committees, Boards, and Commissions, Office of Management 
and Budget, 79 FR 47482 (Aug. 13, 2014).
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IV. Financial Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

    FirstNet Board members must comply with certain federal conflict of 
interest statutes and ethics regulations, including some financial 
disclosure requirements. A FirstNet Board member will generally be 
prohibited from participating on any particular matter that will have a 
direct and predictable effect on his or her personal financial 
interests or on the interests of the appointee's spouse, minor 
children, or non-federal employer.

V. Selection Process

    At the direction of the Secretary of Commerce, NTIA will conduct 
outreach to the public safety community, state and local organizations, 
and industry to solicit nominations for candidates to the Board who 
satisfy the statutory requirements for membership. In addition, by this 
Notice, the Secretary of Commerce, through NTIA, will accept 
expressions of interest until April 18, 2019, from any individual, or 
any organization that wishes to propose a candidate, who satisfies the 
statutory requirements for membership on the FirstNet Board.
    All parties wishing to be considered should submit their full name, 
address, telephone number, email address, a current resume, and a 
statement of qualifications that references how the candidate satisfies 
the Act's expertise, representational, and geographic requirements for 
FirstNet Board membership, as described in this Notice, along with a 
statement describing why they want to serve on the FirstNet Board and 
affirming their ability and availability to take a regular and active 
role in the Board's work. The Secretary of Commerce will select 
FirstNet Board candidates based on the eligibility requirements in the 
Act and recommendations submitted by NTIA. NTIA will recommend 
candidates based on an assessment of their qualifications as well as 
their demonstrated ability to work in a collaborative way to achieve 
the goals and objectives of FirstNet as set forth in the Act. NTIA may 
consult with FirstNet Board members or executives in making its 
recommendation. Board candidates will be vetted through the Department 
of Commerce and are subject to an appropriate background check for 
security clearance.

    Dated: March 13, 2019.
Kathy Smith,
Chief Counsel, National Telecommunications and Information 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2019-05076 Filed 3-18-19; 8:45 am]
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