NPSTC Proudly Awards 2018 Richard DeMello Award to FirstNet Board Chairwoman

The National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) announced that it is proud to award the 2018 Sue Swenson Photo Richard DeMello Award to Sue Swenson, FirstNet Board Chairwoman [2014–2018]. The DeMello award is NPSTC's most important honor, and is presented to one individual in public safety communications who has demonstrated the highest levels of personal and professional conduct and performance in the local, state, and national public safety communications arena. For 6 years Sue Swenson has provided vision, leadership, and technological expertise in her roles with the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet).NPSTC is honored to offer our appreciation and recognition of her work that has helped to advance the cause of public safety communications. Thanks, largely due to Ms. Swenson's leadership, the FirstNet Authority, in partnership with AT&T, is now delivering the long sought-after "Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network." As Ms. Swenson said at the June 2018 Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) Broadband Stakeholders Meeting, "We have spent so many years talking about what seemed to be the elusive nationwide public safety broadband network. It is thrilling this year that FirstNet is finally here and first responders are using its capability with great satisfaction."

Harlin McEwen, former Chair of the FirstNet's Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC), who received the very first DeMello award in 2006, said, "I am extremely pleased that Sue is being honored with the DeMello Award. She is most deserving of this recognition. When she was appointed FirstNet Board Chairwoman in 2014, the first action she took was to elevate the importance of the PSAC and to open FirstNet Board meetings for public attendance. Since then, she has continually stressed that the NPSBN was being developed for public safety and by public safety."

http://www.npstc.org/article.jsp?id=2223&cat=6307