John Provenzano | A New Era for NENA & 911 Advocacy

John Provenzano got his start in Washington by spending three days walking the halls of Congress, knocking on every office in the Florida delegation until one hired him to open mail. Today he’s CEO of NENA, the National Emergency Number Association, representing more than 26,000 members. In this episode of The Wilmac Wire, host Emily McNulty sits down with John to talk about his path from Capitol Hill to NENA, and what’s ahead for the 911 industry, including how professionals at every stage of their careers can get involved. Here’s what you’ll hear about: How a handshake with a governor at age 13 sparked a lifelong pull toward politics Landing a mailroom job on Capitol Hill, and the six years that followed Stepping in as NENA’s CEO after 17 years under his predecessor, and what surprised him about the 911 community NENA’s new strategic plan, and how 911 professionals can get involved, from volunteering to on-demand online education Where the 911 SAVES Act stands, and why John thinks NG911 funding needs a new approach Episode Breakdown: 0:00 Welcome and introducing John Provenzano 2:53 Icebreaker: This or That 6:47 What sparked his interest in politics 8:03 Landing his first job on Capitol Hill 17:53 Stepping in as NENA’s CEO 23:29 NENA’s new strategic plan and the Action Council 32:58 The 911 SAVES Act and the push to fund NG911 36:03 How NENA is thinking about AI 39:51 The mindset behind his career 41:27 How to get involved with NENA, including online education Connect with John Provenzano on LinkedIn Listen to more episodes of The Wilmac Wire:   Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | iHeart | Riverside