NGA Expands Leadership with LAPD Veteran Howard Tien to Lead California NG911 Deployment

Tien appointed VP of Product Implementation; Ricardo Reyes joins as Senior Project Manager supporting field delivery and execution

MONROVIA, Calif., June 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- NGA, a leading provider of Next Generation 911 (NG911) technology, announced the appointment of Howard Tien as Vice President of Product Implementation. Tien will lead California's NG911 deployment, serving as the strategic liaison between NGA, the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and public safety answering points (PSAPs) across the state.

Tien's appointment underscores NGA's commitment to a smooth, transparent and reliable rollout of NG911 services statewide. As California continues to modernize its emergency communications, Tien will oversee implementation efforts, working alongside statewide partners to coordinate interagency collaboration and ensure PSAPs have the tools and training already underway to support a smooth NG911 transition.

Tien joins NGA after nearly a decade with the Los Angeles Police Department, where he served as lead systems administrator for the city's 9-1-1 operations. He was instrumental in deploying and managing both legacy and modern platforms—including the AT&T/Intrado 9-1-1 telephony system and Motorola PremierOne CAD—supporting 168 call-taking positions and over 1,800 patrol vehicles. With deep experience in system administration, vendor and contract oversight, and legal-risk coordination, Tien brings the technical and operational expertise needed to help guide California's NG911 transformation.

In addition to managing technical implementation, Tien will drive cross-functional alignment across NGA's product, support and customer success teams to ensure deployments meet real-world emergency response needs. His leadership spans strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, risk mitigation and sustained support for California's evolving 911 infrastructure, especially ahead of global events like the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympic Games.

"Howard is not just a systems expert. He understands the operational reality PSAPs face every day," said Don Fergusen, CEO of NGA. "His appointment strengthens our ability to collaborate directly with Cal OES and our California partners to deliver a smarter, faster and more resilient emergency communications system."

NGA has also named Ricardo Reyes as Senior Project Manager, further strengthening its deep bench of emergency communications experts. Reyes brings more than 25 years of experience in E911 system installation, configuration, and integration. Most recently, he served as a lead technician at AT&T, specializing in VoIP-based public safety infrastructure for state, county, and municipal agencies across California.

With a rare combination of deep legacy system knowledge and modern technical expertise, Reyes is uniquely equipped to guide complex NG911 deployments that align with state requirements and the operational realities of PSAPs. His background includes hands-on work with Motorola and Go Circle integrations, as well as maintaining AT&T's mission-critical voice and data networks. At NGA, he will lead cross-functional deployment teams, translating field complexity into scalable, future-ready solutions while keeping projects aligned, on time, and within scope across California and beyond.

"Ricardo knows these systems inside and out and the agencies and people behind them," said Barbara Winn, chief growth officer of NGA. "His appointment strengthens our ability to meet this crucial moment in California, where trusted technical leadership is essential."

The addition of Reyes and Tien marks an exciting chapter in NGA's mission to bring modern, reliable emergency communication solutions to communities across the state.

About NGA
NGA is committed to delivering the highest levels of redundancy, resiliency, and availability to the 9-1-1 community—ensuring fast, accurate, and high-performance transmission of voice, text, and media during emergencies. Our cloud-native solutions are designed to support the transition from legacy systems to Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG911), with a focus on the needs of call-takers, PSAPs, and emergency response teams. With a clear vision to lead in end-to-end NG911 innovation both in the U.S. and globally, NGA 911 is building the most trusted platform for all service provider types and tiers. We are proud to set the standard for excellence, reliability, and future-ready technology in emergency telecommunications. Learn more at www.NGA911.com.

Contact: Heather Alexander
469-847-8643
[email protected] 

SOURCE NGA - Next Generation Advanced