Highlights included remarks from the Second VP Candidate, discussion of a policy amendment, induction of a life member and a government relations update.
By Rick Goldstein
APCO 2025 attendees on Sunday heard about goals of the second vice president candidate, they considered an amendment to the association policy manual, and the new chief counsel laid out governmental strides for public safety communications.
Speaking in the Baltimore Hilton, APCO President Stephen P. Martini introduced the Executive Committee composed of First Vice President Jack Varnado, Second Vice President Michael O’Connor and Immediate Past President Becky Neugent. He inducted James J. McFarland of the Pennsylvania Chapter as an APCO life member. And he introduced Jennifer Reese of the Oregon Chapter as the only candidate for 2025-2026 second vice president.
The 23-year APCO veteran has served the public safety communications industry since 1990. She pledged focus during her executive committee term on:
- Fostering mental wellness, including “advocating for peer support programs within agencies and identifying best practices for leadership to recognize and address signs of burnout.”
- Encouraging mentorship. “We are stronger because of our members, and I want to ensure we can continue to bring new leadership up in the association as we move forward,” Reese said.
- Facilitating technological changes, especially as it relates to artificial intelligence (AI). “Standards need to be developed so ECCs can use this powerful tool to their best advantage,” she said.
“I’d like to leave this association stronger than I found it. That’s a big goal, but one I think we can achieve together,” Reese said.
Online voting is open until 2:15 p.m. eastern time on Tuesday.
Nicole McGinnis, APCO chief counsel and director of the Government Relations Office, introduced herself while delivering an update on legislative and regulatory initiatives.
“I’ve spent my career working in telecommunications law and public policy,” McGinnis said. That includes 22 years for the Federal Communications Commission and as deputy chief of the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau.
She encouraged APCO members to keep in touch. “Hearing from you and about what matters drives our work in Washington.”
Turning to emergency communications centers (ECCs), McGinnis praised NG9-1-1 as a boost to public safety communications by upgrading reliability, situational awareness and establishing caller locations.
McGinnis said APCO is pushing for federal funding of these innovations. “Together with our public safety partners, we are advocating for legislation to establish a federal grant program that would help state and local 9-1-1 authorities implement NG9-1-1 in a comprehensive, interoperable, secure, innovative and efficient manner.”
McGinnis touted rules issued by the FCC to facilitate NG9-1-1 deployment. She said APCO members could help with comments regarding FCC rules now under consideration that pertain to NG9-1-1 reliability and interoperability. She said members’ experience can be incorporated into comments submitted to the FCC. “If you have any particular challenges or stories, I encourage you to come find me.”
McGinnis discussed protection of the 4.9 GHz spectrum on behalf of public safety communications. She also described the legislative and regulatory moves that APCO is taking to reclassify public safety telecommunicators so the lifesaving nature of their work is recognized under federal rules.
“When it comes to government regulations, the APCO government relations team has your back,” McGinnis said.
The meeting concluded with an APCO policy manual amendment to correct for an incongruity among two non-discrimination clauses. The amendment will be voted on by the assembled quorum on Tuesday at the Second General Business Session.
