Previous Award Winners

2023

Leadership in Advocacy Award
Keith Kelley
Deputy Chief of Police
Field Operations Bureau
Athens-Clarke County Police Department

Leadership in Regulatory Service Award
Umair Javed
Chief Counsel to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel
Federal Communications Commission

Leadership in Legislative Service Award
Kate O’Connor
Chief Counsel (Majority)
Subcommittee on Communications and Technology
U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce

Leadership in Advancing Communications Policy Award
Richard Reed
Chief Network Management and Operations Officer
First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet)

Read the press release.

2022

Leadership in Advocacy Award
Commissioner Adam Thiel
Fire Commissioner, City of Philadelphia
Director, Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management

Leadership in Regulatory Service Award
Ethan Lucarelli
Legal Advisor to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel
Federal Communications Commission

Leadership in Legislative Service Award
The Honorable Richard Hudson
U.S. House of Representatives

Leadership in Advancing Communications Policy Award
Gerald Leverich
Chief Counsel, Communications and Technology, Committee on Energy and Commerce
U.S. House of Representatives

Read the press release.

2021

Leadership in Advocacy Award
Captain Mel Maier
Commander, Emergency Communications and Operations Division
Oakland County Sheriff’s Office
Pontiac, MI

Leadership in Regulatory Service Award
Michael Dame
Deputy Associate Administrator, Office of Public Safety Communications
National Telecommunications and Information Administration

Leadership in Legislative Service Award
The Honorable Brian Fitzpatrick
U.S. House of Representatives

Leadership in Advancing Communications Policy Award
Robert “Bob” Bloom
Former Public Safety Systems Administrator
Department of Emergency and Customer Communications
Alexandria, Virginia

Read the press release.

2020

Leadership in Regulatory Service
John Evanoff
Deputy Division Chief, Policy and Licensing Division
Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau
Federal Communications Commission

Leadership in Legislative Service
The Honorable Frank Pallone, Jr.
U.S. House of Representatives

Leadership in Advocacy
Jeff Bratcher
Chief Network and Technology Officer
FirstNet Authority

Leadership in Advancing Communications Policy
Karima Holmes
Former Director of the Office of Unified Communications
Washington, DC

2019

Leadership in Advocacy
Dereck Orr
Chief, Public Safety Communications Research Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology

Leadership in Regulatory Service
Lisa Fowlkes
Chief, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, Federal Communications Commission

Leadership in Legislative Service
The Honorable Greg Walden
U.S. House of Representatives

Leadership in Advancing Communications Policy Award
The Honorable Ajit Pai
Chairman, Federal Communications Commission

2018

Leadership in Advocacy
Dan Cotter
Director, First Responders Group, Science and Technology Directorate
U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Leadership in Regulatory Service
Zenji Nakazawa
Public Safety and Consumer Protection Advisor
Office of Chairman Ajit Pai, Federal Communications Commission

Leadership in Legislative Service
The Honorable Bill Nelson
United States Senator

Leadership in Advancing Communications Policy Award
Ed Parkinson
Director of Government Affairs
First Responder Network Authority

2017

Leadership in Advocacy Award
Commander John K. Merrill, USCG (Retired)
Director, Office for Interoperability and Compatibility
U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Leadership in Regulatory Service Award 
Roberto Mussenden
Attorney-Advisor, Public Safety & Homeland Security Bureau
Federal Communications Commission

Leadership in Legislative Service Award 
The Honorable Norma Torres
United States Representative

Leadership in Advancing Communications Policy Award 
Jeffrey Johnson
Fire Chief (Retired)
Vice Chairman, First Responder Network Authority
CEO, Western Fire Chiefs Association

2016

Leadership in Advocacy Award
Rear Admiral Ronald T. Hewitt, USCG (Retired)
Director, Office of Emergency Communications, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Leadership in Regulatory Service Award
Thomas J. Beers
Policy Division Chief (Retired), Public Safety & Homeland Security Bureau, Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

Leadership in Legislative Service Award
John Branscome
Senior Counsel to Ranking Member Bill Nelson, U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation

Leadership in Advancing Communications Policy Award
TJ Kennedy
President, First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet)

2015

Leadership in Advocacy Award
Bill Schrier
Senior Policy Advisor, Office of the Chief Information Officer, State of Washington

Leadership in Regulatory Service Award
David Goldman
Chief Counsel for Communications and Technology, Minority Staff
Energy and Commerce Committee, United States House of Representatives

Leadership in Legislative Service Award
The Honorable John Shimkus
United States Representative

Leadership in Advancing Communications Policy Award
Sue Swenson
Chairwoman, First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet)

2014

Leadership in Advocacy Award
Joseph Heaps, Policy Advisor, Office of Science and Technology, National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice

Leadership in Regulatory Service Award
Timothy May, E911/NG911 Projects Manager, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, Federal Communications Commission

Leadership in Legislative Service Award
Senator Amy Klobuchar (Minnesota)

Leadership in Advancing Communications Policy Award
Sam Ginn, Chairman, First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet)

2013

Leadership in Advocacy Award
Sheriff Paul H. Fitzgerald, Story County, Iowa, FirstNet Board Member

Leadership in Regulatory Service Award
Kenneth P. Moran, Senior Deputy Chief, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, Federal Communications Commission

Leadership in Legislative Service Award
Congresswoman Anna G. Eshoo Ranking Member, Communications and Technology Subcommittee, Energy and Commerce Committee

Leadership in Advancing Communications Policy Award
Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, Federal Communications Commission

2012

Leadership in Advocacy Award
Richard Mirgon, Past APCO Intl. President

Leadership in Regulatory Service Award
Jeffrey Goldthorp, Associate Bureau Chief, Federal Communications Commission

Leadership in Legislative Service Award
Senator Joe Lieberman and Senator John McCain

Leadership in Advancing Communications Policy Award
Anna Gomez, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information, NTIA

2011

Leadership in Advocacy Award
William J. McCammon, Executive Director, East Bay Regional Comm Systems Authority

Leadership in Regulatory Service Award
Patrick Donovan, Attorney-Advisor, Policy Division, Federal Communications Commission

Leadership in Legislative Service Award
Senator John J. Rockefeller

Leadership in Advancing Communications Policy Award
Gregory Schaffer, Assistant Secretary, Office of Cybersecurity and Communications, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

 

2010

Leadership in Advocacy Award
Deputy Chief Christopher Moore, San Jose Police Department & Deputy Chief Charles Dowd, New York City Police Department

Leadership in Regulatory Service Award
Brian Marenco, Public Safety & Homeland Security Division, FCC

Leadership in Legislative Service Award
Congressman Peter King

Leadership in Advancing Communications Policy Award
Governor Tim Pawlenty & Governor Martin O’Malley

Special Recognition Award
Rear Admiral Michael Brown, Department of Homeland Security, Office of Cybersecurity & Communications

Marilyn J. Praisner Award for Leadership in Local Government Communications Policy
Timothy Loewenstein, County Supervisor, Buffalo County, Nebraska

2009

Leadership in Advocacy Award
Craig Jorgensen, Project Director, APCO Project 25-34

Leadership in Regulatory Service Award
Erika Olsen, Deputy Bureau Chief of Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, FCC

Leadership in Legislative Service Award
Senator Daniel Inouye

Leadership in Advancing Communications Policy Award
Janet Napolitano, Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Special Recognition Award
Chris Essid, Director of Office of Emergency Communications, Department of Homeland Security

2008

Leadership in Advocacy Award
Mike Pedigo, Executive Director, Denco Area 911 District

Leadership in Regulatory Service Award
Jeff Cohen, Senior Legal Counsel of Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, FCC

Leadership in Legislative Service Award
Congressman Bennie Thompson, United States House of Representatives, Homeland Security Committee – Interoperable Communications Grant Program

Leadership in Advancing Communications Policy Award
Derek Poarch, Chief of Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, FCC

Leadership in Local Government Communications Policy
Dedicated to Marilyn J. Praisner

2007

Leadership in Advocacy Award
Steven Proctor, Executive Director, Utah Communications Agency Network

Leadership in Regulatory Service Award
David Furth, Associate Bureau Chief of Public Safety and Homeland Security, FCC

Leadership in Legislative Service Award
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton

Leadership in Advancing Communications Policy Award
Commissioner Michael J. Copps, Federal Communications Commission

Special Recognition Award
James M. Assey, Jr., Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee

2006

Leadership in Advocacy Award
Chief Harlin McEwen and Steve Souder, Director, Fairfax County Department Public Safety Communications

Leadership in Regulatory Service Award
Tracy Simmons, Chief of Licensing Operations in the Public Safety and Critical Infrastructure Division, Federal Communications Commission

Leadership in Legislative Service Award
Representative Jane Harman and Representative Curt Weldon

Leadership in Advancing Communications Policy Award
Kevin Martin, Chairman, Federal Communications Commission

2005

Leadership in Advocacy Award
Nancy Pollock, Executive Director, Metropolitan 9-1-1 Board

Leadership in Regulatory Service Award
Michael Wilhelm, Federal Communications Commission

Leadership in Legislative Service Award
U.S. Senator John McCain

Leadership in Advancing Communications Policy Award
Michael Powell, Former Federal Communications Commission Chairman

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