U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick announced he had appointed Sheriff Michael Adkinson, Jr. to serve as the chairman of the Board of the First Responder Network Authority, or FirstNet Authority.
Lutnick praised Adkinson’s leadership and experience in making the appointment. The First Responder Network Authority, or the FirstNet Authority, is an independent agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) that oversees FirstNet, the nation’s communications network dedicated to emergency responders and the public safety community.
“Sheriff Adkinson is a proven leader who has worked alongside first responders for nearly two decades as Sheriff of Walton County, Florida,” Lutnick said. “His experience will help lead FirstNet, making sure the network is always available, reliable and fast for those working hard to keep our communities safe.”
Adkinson, the Walton County, Florida Sheriff, was appointed to the FirstNet Authority Board in 2024 and has served as the Acting Chair of the board since September 2025. Walton County Sheriff since 2009, Adkinson also serves on the National Sheriffs’ Association’s Board of Directors and is a past president of the Florida Sheriffs’ Association.
“Congratulations to Sheriff Adkinson on his exceptionally well-deserved appointment as Chairman of the FirstNet Authority Board. His deep public safety experience and leadership will continue to be an invaluable asset to FirstNet,” Arielle Roth, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator, said. “I look forward to continuing our work together to strengthen this mission-critical network and ensure first responders can depend on resilient, ubiquitous connectivity when it matters most.”
FirstNet’s board is made up of representatives from government, industry and public safety and they are charge with oversight of FirstNet’s activities. The board helps ensure that the FirstNet Authority and its commercial partner, AT&T, “develop, deploy, and operate a nationwide broadband network that equips first responders with the mission-critical connectivity they need to save lives and protect U.S. communities.”