Megan Bixler has over 24 years of experience supporting the military, government, and private organizations in the executive decision-making process. She is an expert at translating complex requirements into decision points and deliverables. She has worked in this capacity for the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T) and Department of Defense (DoD) Intelligence Services. She has worked in various military and consulting capacities for the U.S. Army, the Department of Homeland Security, and Lockheed Martin. Ms. Bixler has focused her career on identifying critical first responder technology needs and developing viable solutions. Ms. Bixler has worked for APCO International since 2016 and managed technology development, cybersecurity, standards development, and consulting services portfolios.

Mr. Bratcher is the Assistant Executive Director and Chief Network and Technology Officer at the FirstNet Authority and also serves as the Chief Network and Technology Officer. His career spans more than 30 years in advanced wireless communications within the federal government and private sector. In his current role, he is responsible for the Operations Mission Units leading the Innovation, Network Management, and Procurement activities of the public-private arrangement executing the operation, deployment, and evolution of the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (FirstNet Network). Mr. Bratcher was selected for the Senior Executive Service in December of 2015, and his office is located at the FirstNet Authority’s technical headquarters in Boulder, Colorado.

Prior to joining the FirstNet Authority in 2013, Mr. Bratcher served 10 years at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS) as a Division Chief where he jointly led the creation of the Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) program with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). He directed the technical programs at PSCR focused on advancing public safety communications for Land Mobile Radio (LMR) and broadband technologies.

Prior to Federal service, Mr. Bratcher spent more than ten years in the private sector wireless industry where he deployed several of the first 2nd and 3rd Generation wireless cellular systems across the United States as well as numerous international markets. Mr. Bratcher received his BS in Electrical Engineering from Texas Tech University and his MS in Telecommunications from Southern Methodist University. During his tenure at the Department of Commerce he has been recognized with multiple Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards for advancing public safety wireless communications. In 2020, he received the APCO Leadership in Advocacy award and in 2023 he was elevated to Fellow of the Radio of Club of America.

Joshua Briggs serves as the State of North Carolina’s Next Generation 911 (NG911) Program Manager for AT&T Consulting since 2017. With more than 35 years of experience in public safety including technology, private sector, and operations, he has extensive experience working with internal and external customers, local and state government officials, senior leadership, and suppliers & manufactures of public safety technology. Joshua has managed and participated in multiple multi-million-dollar projects and implementation teams, including Public Safety 9-1-1 projects ranging from consulting, training, project management, program management, and service management. His previous experience includes working as a 9-1-1 Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) Director, telecommunicator, paramedic, firefighter, a reserve law enforcement officer, and a team manager of solutions architects and product consultants in the public safety private sector.

Derek Campbell serves as the Operations Chief with the U.S. Army’s Redstone Arsenal Police Department. With more than 16 years of experience in municipal, state, and federal law enforcement, his background includes patrol operations, traffic homicide investigations, collision reconstruction, training, and service as an adjunct police academy instructor at the Alabama Criminal Justice Training Center. Campbell also serves as the Garrison’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Program Manager, having developed and fielded one of the first UAS programs within the U.S. Army’s Installation Management Command (IMCOM). He holds an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate and oversees the integration of UAS capabilities into installation law enforcement operations.

Kim Coleman Madsen is a Senior Manager with the FirstNet Authority, working in the Stakeholder Collaboration Division. She has more than 30 years experience in public safety communications, including supervising an Emergency Communications Center, working as the policy manager with the State of Colorado Public Safety Communications Network, and most recently at the state level in public safety broadband planning efforts before moving to the FirstNet Authority in 2019.

Jesse Cooper currently serves as a domain lead for the Innovation and Investment unit with a focus on mission critical services for the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority). In this role, he is dedicated to enhancing public safety communications by leading the evolution of mission critical services on the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network. He and his team collaborate with diverse stakeholders to drive consensus decisions, influence product development, and ensure the delivery of innovative solutions to meet the evolving needs of first responders. Prior to starting with the FirstNet Authority, Jesse spent 29 years with the Phoenix Police Department and retired as Assistant Director over the Technical and Support Services Division.

Dr. Damon Darsey is a physician that holds two board certifications in emergency medicine and emergency medical services (EMS) with over twenty years of experience in public safety, field, and emergency medicine. Dr. Darsey was in academic emergency medicine for over fourteen years, where he was the medical director for a medical communications center, statewide air ambulance service and public safety support division. In 2021, Dr. Darsey started a healthcare consulting firm that provides support to regional and rural community hospitals in areas supporting the acute care and coordination of patient movement, emergency care, access, and analytics. He has established over a dozen command/transfer centers and speaks nationally on this topic.

Currently, Dr. Darsey is the Chief Executive Officer of Paladin Emergency Services Consulting, a firm that provides consulting to counties, cities and agencies on improving pre-hospital and acute care services. Darsey has provided EMS medical direction for over twelve years and currently provides medical direction to non-transport EMS services, 911 advanced life support services, industries and is the Medical Director for the Mississippi Department of Public Safety/Mississippi Highway Patrol. His clinical practice is in a rural critical access hospital in Mississippi. Damon lives in Ridgeland, Mississippi with his wife and four kids.

Dr. Darsey is member of the First Responder Network Authority Board and serves as chair of the Board's Advocacy Committee.

Stephen Devine is the Chief Technology Officer with APCO International. He is responsible for overseeing the effectiveness of technology resources within APCO and leads all APCO technical components related to Next Generation 9-1-1, Cybersecurity, and other emerging technologies. Additionally, Stephen is also responsible for developing new business strategies related to APCO Technical Services and serves as the Senior Technical Advisor to the Chief Executive Officer while overseeing operations for both APCO’s Communications Center & 911 Services Department (CC9S) and APCO’s Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) Spectrum Management Division.

Stephen is a Life member of APCO International and has spent his 40-year career in public safety communications. He resides in Jefferson City, Missouri.

Kevan Dilworth is the Program Manager for Installation Command & Control (C2) Modernization serving the USAF force protection community and leads the Wing-chartered Air Force Team Awareness Kit Center of Excellence (CoE) at Wright-Patterson AFB (88th Air Base Wing). In these roles, he manages a next-generation unmanned systems autonomy portfolio focused on installation operations and tactical situational awareness. Kevan specializes in bridging technical gaps between Department of War (DoW) networks and local mutual aid partners to enable seamless joint operations.

Alexander (Alex) Dimopoulos develops machine learning solutions for the National Institute of Standard and Technology Public Safety Communications Research Division (NIST PSCR) on the Location-Based Services (LBS) team, focusing on artificial intelligence (AI)-driven spatial intelligence for enhanced situational awareness and navigation capabilities in public safety. His work leverages AI and 3D mapping technologies to deliver these critical capabilities. Before joining NIST, he researched machine learning (Air Force Research Laboratory at Carnegie Mellon University), gained experience with autonomous systems in complex environments (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Subterranean (SubT) Robotics Challenge with NASA JPL), and studied Cognitive Science (UC San Diego).

Paul Ebel brings over three decades of dedicated service in public safety to his role as Senior Public Safety Advisor for the First Responder Network Authority. Currently overseeing five states within Federal Emergency Management Agency Region 5, including his home state of Wisconsin, Paul plays a pivotal role in advancing public safety communications and technology across Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, and Illinois.

Before joining the FirstNet Authority, Paul served for 34 years with the Green Bay Police Department, a tenure marked by a commitment to excellence and leadership in various capacities. Throughout his career, Paul held several key roles within the department, including Operations Commander, District Captain, and Interim Director of the county-wide 911 center. His career culminated with his retirement in 2022 as the Investigations Commander, where he demonstrated exceptional skill in managing complex investigations and ensuring community safety.

During his time with the Green Bay Police Department, Paul played a crucial role in overseeing law enforcement deployment for large-scale events in the city, including Green Bay Packers games, showcasing his ability to coordinate resources effectively and maintain public safety during high-profile gatherings.

Post-retirement, Paul continued to contribute his expertise to the field of emergency management, spending a year with Hospital Sisters Health System as the Emergency Manager for the Wisconsin Division, where he was instrumental in enhancing emergency preparedness and response across six hospitals.

L. V. Pokey Harris has been employed within the emergency services realm of public safety for nearly 30 years. Pokey has extensive knowledge and experience in 911, public safety communications, emergency management, and local government/private sector management. As the Executive Director of the North Carolina 911 Board, she serves as its chief administrative officer tasked with the responsibility of administering the affairs and business of this policy-making Board, including the nationally recognized deployment of the statewide ESInet.

Ms. Harris has a master’s degree in public administration with a concentration in Emergency Management from Jacksonville State University. She is a member of the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) and Association of Public Safety Communications Officers (APCO) and currently serves as the Past-President for the National Association of State 911 Administrators (NASNA).

Greg Hauser joined the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management (NCEM) in 2018 as the Statewide Interoperability Coordinator (SWIC) and leader of Emergency Support Function (ESF) 2 activities. Before joining NCEM, Greg spent 17 years as a telecommunicator and Search and Rescue (SAR) communications specialist for the Charlotte Fire Department. Greg serves as the vice chair of the National Council of SWICs.

Greg has led first responder communications efforts throughout his career for numerous large-scale incidents and events, including the 2012 Democratic National Convention (DNC) and served as an advisor for the 2016 and 2020 Republican National Conventions (RNC), Super Bowl 42 and the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Greg has coordinated North Carolina’s first responder communications response and recovery efforts for Hurricanes Irene, Matthew, Florence, Dorian and most recently Helene, which created devastating public safety communications network impacts.

G.B. Jones is the Chief Safety and Security Officer for the FIFA World Cup 2026™, where he is responsible for leading safety and security, access control, accreditation, medical, and emergency preparedness planning for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and its test events.

Prior to joining FWC2026, Mr. Jones was the International Security Director for the National Football League, where he led security planning for the NFL's international markets, including the games in London, Germany, and Mexico. Mr. Jones retired from the Federal Bureau of Investigation in May 2019 after 23 years of service, where his assignments included directing counterterrorism programs for special events, aviation security, and maritime security. He was a sworn law enforcement officer for more than 31 years and has experience as a municipal police officer, deputy sheriff, Minnesota State Trooper, and FBI Agent.

Mr. Jones earned a master’s degree in public administration from Hamline University in St. Paul, MN, and a master’s degree in National Security Studies - Homeland Security and Defense from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA. He also attended the 262nd Session of the FBI National Academy.

Stephanie Layman has served as the UAS Prize Challenge Specialist for the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Public Safety Communications Research Division (NIST PSCR) since 2023. She joined the NIST PSCR Open Innovation team and Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Portfolio as an Open Innovation Project Manager in 2021. In both roles, she has supported internal and external research and development, communications, legal, administrative, and procurement resources to design and implement prize challenges that advance PSCR’s mission. Prior to PSCR, Stephanie accumulated six years as a contracted project manager and research analyst for federal and local government clients, including NIST PSCR, the Department of Energy, Colorado Energy Office, Denver International Airport, Regional Transportation Authority, and the City and County of Denver. She has additional experience in project management, research, and communications through her time with the United States Peace Corps, Urban Leaders Fellowship, Seoul Metropolitan Government, and LIVESTRONG Foundation. Stephanie holds Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, a Master of Public Affairs degree from the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas at Austin.

Scott Ledgerwood leads the User Experience portfolio (UX) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Public Safety Communications Research Division (NIST PSCR). Scott is focused on improving usability and user interface testing for first responders. His team develops new test methodologies for first responder technologies, such as leveraging virtual and augmented reality, and conducts research and development for improving factors of public safety user experiences, including image/video quality and usability. Ledgerwood holds a Bachelor of Science degree in applied information technology from George Mason University, a Master of Business Administration degree from Bellevue University, and a Master of Science degree in telecommunications from the University of Colorado, Boulder. He joined the National Institute of Standards and Technology in 2015.

Terese Manley leads the Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) Portfolio at the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Public Safety Communications Research Division (NIST PSCR) and uses Open Innovation approaches to develop the research. In this role, she manages internal and external R&D to develop UAS technology through commercialization and prize challenges that advance PSCR's mission, actively engaging external researchers and working groups – including federal agencies, state and local first responders, industry experts, and academia – to assist in efforts supporting unique applications for public safety operations using UAS. Prior to NIST PSCR, Terese was an industry liaison for the Interdisciplinary Telecom Graduate Program at the University of Colorado Boulder, where she brought industry experts together with faculty and students. For much of her career, Terese held management and engineering positions at Sprint Nextel Corporation in Sales Engineering, managing technical teams to provide wireline and wireless solutions to Fortune 100 and 500 companies. Terese holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder.

Matthew McLamb is the Geographic Information Officer for the State of North Carolina and Executive Director of the Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (CGIA). He has been a part of the North Carolina GIS community for more than 18 years and has experience at both the local and state levels. CGIA works closely with the State of North Carolina public safety answering points, counties, and cities to provide services related to Next Generational 911 (NG911) data maintenance and updates. Matt is part of the project team that administers the CGIA Amazon Web Services environment, which hosts critical NC OneMap services and makes select NG911 layers available to the public via downloadable layers and web services.

Nader Moayeri is a Senior Scientist for the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Public Safety Communications Research Division (NIST PSCR). He has been with NIST since 1997, where he founded the Wireless Communications Technologies Group and managed it for 11 years. His present research interests are in wireless networking, indoor localization and tracking, and Internet of Things/Cyber-Physical Systems (IoT/CPS). He was with the Imaging Technology Department at Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, Palo Alto, California, from 1994 to 1997 and on the faculty of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, from 1986 to 1994. He received a doctorate in Electrical Engineering-Systems from the University of Michigan in 1986.

Jon Olson is the Senior Public Safety Advisor for emergency medical services (EMS) and is responsible for outreach and consultation with local public safety agencies. Since the late 1980s, Jon has been involved with EMS in both a volunteer and career capacity. He started with Wake County EMS in Raleigh, North Carolina, as a paramedic in 1990 and retired as a Deputy Director in August 2021. During his tenure, he was involved with a variety of communications-related projects, from the early deployment of broadband connectivity to recent upgrades to the agency’s trunked radio system. Jon is an active chief officer in his town’s fire department and has experience in emergency management through Emergency Operation Center and Incident Management Team operations, including several regional deployments.

Jon started working with the First Responder Network Authority in 2013, representing the National EMS Management Association on the Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC). His work with the PSAC included serving as an Executive Committee member and Interim Chair, along with leading the telehealth strike team.

Dereck Orr has been the Division Chief of the Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) Division at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Communications Technology Laboratory (CTL) since 2002. Prior to working at NIST, Dereck served as a professional staff member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee for the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, and Related Agencies under Senator Fritz Hollings. Prior to that, Dereck served four years at the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services at the Department of Justice. Dereck received a master's degree in public policy from the College of William and Mary and a Bachelor of Arts in American History from the University of Texas at Austin.

Tom Rogers serves as the Next Generation 911 (NG911) Network Engineer and Program Manager for the North Carolina 911 Board, where he leads the statewide implementation and ongoing evolution of North Carolina’s NG911 network. In this role, he works closely with the Network Monitoring and Assistance Center, public safety stakeholders, and technology partners to ensure the reliability, security, and continuous advancement of the state’s critical 911 infrastructure.

With more than 20 years of experience in the North Carolina 911 community, Tom has served in both local and statewide public safety roles, providing him with a comprehensive understanding of emergency communications operations and technology.

His diverse background spans enterprise IT management, public safety radio systems, 911 operations and technical management, and incident response leadership within law enforcement and emergency management. Tom is passionate about leveraging technology to enhance resilience, improve interoperability, and drive innovation for NextGen 911.

Matt Schiller is the Director of the First Responder Network Authority’s Capital Planning and Futures Division within the Office of Innovation and Investment. He is responsible for managing the full life-cycle of the program’s investment activity. Matt came to the FirstNet Authority in 2014 from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), most recently having supported a $4.6 billion broadband grant program. Prior to joining federal service, he spent more than 20 years in the private sector at leading telecommunications providers including Sprint/Nextel (now T-Mobile), GlobalOne, and Sprint International in various senior-level development, strategy, and finance roles. He received his Master of Business Administration from The George Washington University.

Dr. Andrei Shkel is a Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and the Associate Dean of Research and Innovation in The Samueli School of Engineering at the University of California, Irvine. From 2009 to 2013, he took a leave from academia to serve as a program manager in the Microsystems Technology Office at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), where he initiated and managed an invested portfolio in microtechnology development for Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (micro-PNT). His research interests are reflected in over 300 publications, 44 issued patents, and three books, and include precision gyroscopes, integrated inertial measurement units, systems and algorithms for inertial navigation, and chip-scale solutions for navigation aiding and self-contained navigation. He has been awarded in 2013 the Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service. Dr. Shkel is a Fellow of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the National Academy of Inventors (NAI).

Lori Stone is a Senior Public Safety Advisor for the First Responder Network Authority. She is responsible for outreach and consultation with local public safety agencies in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. Prior to joining the FirstNet Authority in 2015 she worked on the deployment of Maryland’s statewide public safety radio system and managed public safety communications grant programs. Lori also spent several years at the Maryland Emergency Management Agency, drafting Memorandum of Understandings and Infrastructure Sharing Agreements with all levels of government agencies, writing Standard Operating Procedures and Guidelines, and developing and testing Continuity of Operations Plans. She has a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from Towson University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland School of Law.

Michael Varney is the senior director of field operations at the First Responder Network Authority. He joined the FirstNet Authority in 2015 after nearly 30 years serving in information technology and public safety communications positions with the State of Connecticut, including as the statewide interoperability coordinator. Previously, he served as the chairman of the National Council of Statewide Interoperability Coordinators and as an initial representative on the FirstNet Authority’s Public Safety Advisory Committee. Michael also has a strong public safety background, having served for more than 35 years in the fire and emergency medical services, including 14 years as a fire chief. He participated in numerous statewide and national working groups that worked to address mutual aid and communication issues. In 2007, he was awarded the International Association of Fire Chiefs’ Volunteer Fire Chief of the Year.

Charlotte Whitacre is the director of government engagement at the FirstNet Authority, having served with the agency for 10 years. Charlotte joined the FirstNet Authority after serving 10 years at the U.S. Department of Justice as a telecommunications manager. She has more than 27 years in communications experience, beginning in the U.S. Army Signal Corps where she specialized in satellite operations/engineering and worked primarily on NATO and United Nations missions. Charlotte attended West Virginia University as a double major in public relations and French.

Matt Whitlock is an Extended Reality (XR) researcher within the User Interface/User Experience (UI/UX) portfolio of the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) Division. In this role, Matt supports internal research efforts toward effective XR integration for public safety use cases. Prior to joining NIST, Matt earned his PhD in computer science from the University of Colorado Boulder where his research focused on the intersection of data visualization and XR technology. Matt has a bachelor’s in computer science from the University of Alabama.

Dr. Christina Wilson is a Domain Lead in the Innovation and Investment Office for the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority), where she leads the research and investigations that inform FirstNet Authority investments into the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network and associated services. Additionally, she collaborates with public safety stakeholders and industry partners to drive innovation in public safety communications and technology. Before joining the FirstNet Authority, Dr. Wilson supported the Interoperable Communications Technical Assistance Program as a contractor under the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) for 10 years; working with public safety agencies across the United States on issues related to interoperable public safety communications. In addition, Christina was an adjunct professor for 15 years at the University of Colorado Denver, in the Business School as well as the Department of Psychology. Christina Wilson was also a Police Officer at the City and County of Broomfield Police Department in Colorado.