Secretary Lutnick Appoints Sheriff Michael Adkinson as Chairman of FirstNet Authority Board

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration at the U.S. Department of Commerce announced that Secretary Howard Lutnick has appointed Sheriff Michael A. Adkinson, Jr., to serve as Chairman of the Board of the First Responder Network Authority. Adkinson is the Sheriff of Walton County (FL) and was appointed to the FirstNet Authority Board in 2024. He has served as the Acting Chairman of the FirstNet Authority Board since September 2025. Adkinson has served as Walton County Sheriff since 2009 and was most recently reelected in 2024. Sheriff Adkinson serves on the Board of Directors for the National Sheriffs’ Association and is a past president of the Florida Sheriffs’ Association.