James Arden Barnett Jr., a 32-year U.S. Navy veteran, has joined RigNet as senior vice president of government services at the Houston-based broadband and networking technology provider.
The retired Navy rear admiral will report to RigNet CEO and President Steven Pickett and oversee its portfolio of cybersecurity, artificial intelligence communications service offerings for the public sector, the company said Monday.
Barnett previously served as a partner at Venable, SVP for national security policy at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies and chief of the Federal Communications Commission’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau.
He led PSHSB’s public safety, cybersecurity, homeland security and emergency management programs as well as the development of the FirstNet nationwide broadband network for first responders during his tenure there.
Prior to retiring from military, he served as deputy commander of the Navy’s Expeditionary Combat Command.