Key Areas of Expertise:
- Public safety wireless telecommunications regulatory affairs
- Public safety wireless telecommunications emerging technology market strategies and implementation
- Wireless broadband and location technologies
- Public/private partnership development for public safety wireless telecommunications
Joe Hanna is a native of Dallas, Texas. He received an undergraduate degree in Psychology/Sociology from North Texas State University, a Master’s degree in Criminology and Corrections from Sam Houston State University, and completed coursework towards a PhD from the University of Montana.
Initially working as a criminal justice planner, he also managed a public policy research effort funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities. He began his career with the Richardson Police Department in 1981 as a Police Planner. In 1987, he assumed command of the Communications Division and was responsible for the design and construction of the Department’s new communication facility, the consolidation of Police, Fire, and EMS communications services, and managed the implementation of the City’s 800 MHz trunked radio, mobile data, and computer aided dispatch systems. In 1996, he was elected to the Board of Officers of APCO International and has served as President of the Association for the 1999-2000 term.
He has served as a member of the Region 40 NPSPAC Planning Committee, the National Emergency Number Association, as a Fellow in the Radio Club of America, the ComCare Alliance, the E9-1-1 Institute, the Emergency Services Interconnection Forum, and the FCC’s Network Reliability and Interoperability Council and was the inaugural co-chairman of the EDACS Public Safety User’s Group,.
He was recognized by Radio Resource magazine as the most influential person in public safety communications in the area of leadership for the year 2000. After retiring from the Richardson Police Department in November, 2000, he initiated consulting services to the wireless industry, wireless location technology providers, the public safety land mobile radio industry, and public safety agencies. He has provided service to clients in the United States, Canada, Europe and South America. He served as the public safety advisor to the 800 MHz Transition Administrator and currently serves as a Senior Fellow for the Center for Digital Government.
