Leadership

Edward Parkinson, Acting CEO

: Edward Parkinson was named Acting Chief Executive Officer in October 2018. Previously he served as the Director of External Affairs, where he was responsible for all external communications and intergovernmental relations with local, state and federal organizations. Before joining FirstNet, Mr. Parkinson served for five years as a Professional Staff Member for the House Homeland Security Committee, then chaired by Rep. Peter T. King of New York. During this period, Mr. Parkinson’s primary responsibility was in the field of first responder telecommunications. He also worked on issues including national security, emergency preparedness, and cybersecurity. Previously Mr. Parkinson served as an associate at Kearsage Global Advisors, an advocacy firm, and a research analyst at McKenna, Long and Aldridge, an international law firm specializing in public policy. Mr. Parkinson holds degrees from Georgetown University (M.A), and WITS University, (B.A., Hons).

Jeff Bratcher, Chief Technology and Operations Officer

: Mr. Bratcher is a key leader involved with the shaping of the technology for the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (NPSBN). He led the formation of the First Responder Network Authority technology teams as well as the state-of-the-art FirstNet Innovation and Technology lab located at the FirstNet office in Boulder, Colorado. Building upon his success as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Mr. Bratcher was also appointed to lead the Operations Office as the FirstNet Authority transitions its focus to the implementation of the nationwide FirstNet broadband network built with AT&T. Mr. Bratcher began his federal service in 2003 with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS) also located in Boulder, Colorado. Prior to joining federal service he worked for ten years within the wireless private sector deploying several of the first digital cellular systems in U.S. and international markets. Mr. Bratcher received his BS in Electrical Engineering from Texas Tech University and his MS in Telecommunications from Southern Methodist University.

Erin Greten, Chief Counsel Officer

: Ms. Erin Greten joins FirstNet after over 11 years with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). She most recently served as FEMA’s Associate Chief Counsel for Regional & Field Operations, where she was responsible for leading 100 geographically-dispersed attorneys delivering legal advice and services across all agency programs and operations at all disasters nationwide and at FEMA’s 10 regional offices. Previous to that role, Ms. Greten served as Deputy Associate Chief Counsel for Recovery, where she was principal legal advisor for FEMA’s $5B+ disaster recovery programs. She also served as FEMA’s Assistant Chief Counsel for Regulation & Policy, where she developed, implemented, and supervised FEMA’s regulatory program. Earlier in her career, Ms. Greten served as a regulatory attorney for the United States Coast Guard and practiced commercial litigation for a private law firm. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Michigan State University, and a Juris Doctorate from Catholic University.

Jim Gwinn, Chief Information Officer

: Mr. Gwinn brings over two decades of private sector experience to FirstNet, having held leadership positions at global telecommunications businesses, Verizon, MCI, and WorldCom. For Verizon, he most recently served as Vice President of Information Technology-Network Systems, where he was responsible for more than 1,400 information technology professionals across the U.S., Europe and Asia. Before joining FirstNet in March 2014, Mr. Gwinn was the Chief Information Officer for US Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency (FSA). In that role, Mr. Gwinn was responsible for managing FSA's information technology modernization initiatives and updating the agency's legacy technology and operations infrastructure. Mr. Gwinn holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in management with an MBA from Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tennessee.

Frank Freeman III, Chief Administrative Officer

: Frank Freeman retired as a Colonel in the Air Force after 25 years of experience leading large organizations in facility management, human resources, logistics, environmental protection, security, and emergency management. The recipient of numerous Department of Defense decorations and awards, Mr. Freeman served as senior military advisor to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Installations). He oversaw a team of 19 engineers to execute the Air Force’s $4.1 billion Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Program. Named Chief Administrative Officer of FirstNet in December 2013, Mr. Freeman leads the full scope of mission support functions and serves as the principal senior executive responsible for long-term planning. Frank holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Howard University, a MA in Business Management from Webster University, and a MS in Strategic Studies from the Army War College.

Kim Farington, Chief Financial Officer

: Ms. Farington is a Certified Public Accountant, with over 24 years of government service. Her extensive government career includes positions at US Department of Agriculture, the US Office of Personnel Management, the White House Office of Management and Budget, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Ms. Farington joined FirstNet in May 2015 from the US. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), where she was Associate CFO for Financial Services. In this capacity, she managed the financial, accounting, and reporting operations for all OPM programs. She also managed the development and implementation of OPM's Activity Based Cost Accounting system for management of OPM’s operations. She holds an Associate’s degree from Indiana University and a Bachelor's degree in Accounting from Excelsior College

David Dasher, Chief Procurement Officer

: Mr. Dasher most recently served as the IRS Director, Procurement, where he was responsible for executing the agency’s contracting budget of over $2 billion. Mr. Dasher started his acquisition career in 1990 in the Navy Acquisition Intern Program and then moved into increasingly senior roles, including at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). At DHS, Mr. Dasher participated on several high visibility cybersecurity initiatives on behalf of the department’s Deputy Secretary. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

Richard Reed, Network Management and Operations Officer

: Mr. Richard Reed brings more than 30 years of government and industry experience in emergency communications to the FirstNet leadership team, and became CCO in June 2016. Rich joined FirstNet in early 2014 as the Director of State Plans. Prior to joining FirstNet, he was with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Emergency Communications, where Mr. Reed managed the office’s technical assistance branch. In his roles within both FirstNet and DHS, Mr. Reed worked directly with the first responder community to understand and address their needs. Mr. Reed also served in the U.S. Navy and Navy Reserves, with assignments in the Office of Naval Intelligence and White House Communications Agency, and holds a B.S. in Business Management from National Louis University..

First Responder Network Authority