Opening Session -
Monday 08:00 - 09:00
Keynote Speaker:
Brian Fontes, Ph.D
NENA CEO

Brian Fontes currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer for the National Emergency Number Association, a position he has held since June 2008.  As CEO, he is responsible for all aspects of the Association.  His primary objectives are to ensure that Americans have access to reliable 9-1-1 service, 9-1-1 centers have state-of the art technologies and well-trained professionals, and sufficient funding is available so that the 9-1-1 system can best serve those who call upon it as their first voice of hope.  Prior to joining the Association, Fontes was Vice President, Federal Relations for Cingular Wireless and served in that capacity after its acquisition by AT&T.  Prior to that, Fontes was Senior Vice President for Policy and Administration at the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA).  Before joining CTIA, Fontes served as the Senior Advisor to Commissioner James H. Quello, Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and as the FCC’s Chief of Staff.  Fontes started his professional career as a Professor of Communications at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

In the Fall of 1995, President Clinton appointed Fontes as head of the United States Delegation to the International Telecommunication Union’s World Radio Conference held in Geneva, Switzerland, and gave him the rank of Ambassador.  Fontes also served as Chairman of the Council of the Communication Regulatory Agency in Bosnia-Herzegovina.  Fontes has served on numerous U.S. delegations. 

He is currently on the Board of Directors of the 9-1-1 Institute and the Quello Center for Telecommunication Management, Policy and Law.  He also serves on the Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee (Department of Commerce). 

Fontes received a Ph.D. in Mass Media/Telecommunications from Michigan State University’s Department of Telecommunications and a M.S./B.S. from Brigham Young University.