Speakers 2026

John provides day-to-day Coalition management of the Safer Buildings Coalition and leads SBC's mission-driven thought leadership, public policy, and lobbying efforts. John has extensive experience in analyzing and developing positions for telecommunications regulatory and legislative issues involving federal and state agencies and legislative bodies.

John is co-author of The Complete ERCES Handbook (erceshandbook.com), the definitive resource for learning and reference material pertaining to Emergency Responder Communications Enhancement Systems (ERCES).

John currently serves on the TIA Smart Buildings Working Group and Public Safety Subgroup, the CTIA Smart Cities Steering Committee, IWCE Advisory Board, and the NATE DAS Integrated Infrastructure Working Group. John serves on the advisory boards of non-profits Make Our Schools Safe (MOSS - makeourschoolssafe.org) and Telecommunications Against Trafficking and Exploitation (TATE - 3sgf.org/tate-initiative). John is also a certified ERCES instructor for the Florida State Fire College.

John has held key business development, operations, engineering, and executive roles at telecom service companies such as Level 3 Communications, MFS, and MCI. John was a co-founder of Nextlink (later named XO Communications) where he served as VP of Operations and Engineering and VP of International Network Development. John led dark fiber provider City Signal Communications in the position of President and CEO. John also served for five years in the role of Capture Director and engineering team lead for a leading DAS Integrator.

The Safer Buildings Coalition is the leading advocacy organization focused on eliminating in-building wireless dead zones. Founded in 2012, SBC unites more than 175 member companies and many thousands of content subscribers—spanning public safety, the wireless industry, and building operations—to ensure reliable emergency communications inside buildings. Core initiatives include championing school safety technologies, driving the "9-1-1 Inside" movement, and improving indoor 9-1-1 location accuracy and mapping. SBC leads workforce development through its Complete ERCES Handbook, the definitive technical reference underpinning multiple industry-recognized certification programs—ensuring the professionals who design and install these critical systems are properly trained and credentialed.

Presenting:

• Breaking the Outdoor-Only Tradition - Why the FCC Should Measure Wireless Coverage Where Americans Actually Use It
• Cell Phone Bans in Schools: Exploring Alternatives to All or Nothing Solutions
• Communications Where There Is None
• Streamlining ERCES Deployments - Examining SBC's Petition to FCC for Part 90 Signal Booster Rules Reform
• The Next Critical Communication - How Telecom Can Fight Human Trafficking