Charles Preston Thomson, an APCO Life Member from the Northern California Chapter who served as an AFC Frequency Advisor, died on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015.

Pres found interest in public safety communications after working summer jobs at Watson Communications and A.B. DuMont Labs. In 1960, he worked as a radio technician for the city of Berkeley.

In 1972, he designed and managed a new radio system at a position for San Francisco’s Bay Area Air Quality Management District. After acquiring a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, he became director of communications for Sonoma County.

“It’s men like Preston who we stand on the shoulders in order to continue to move our industry forward,” said Monica M. Corbin-Simon, Training Coordinator at the Houston Emergency Center.

After working at the state of California’s Telecommunications Division for 14 years, Pres retired from the public sector and became a frequency advisor for NAPCO. He also traveled the world as an APCO Ambassador to learn about the similarities and differences in radio systems abroad.

Maureen Will, President of the Atlantic Chapter at APCO, recognized Pres’ technological knowledge after meeting him on a People to People trip to China.

“He was such a delightful man and so well versed in technology – he taught us a thing or two!!” Will said.

Pres was a member of APCO International for 53 years since joining in 1962, and earned APCO International Life Member Status.

Service information TBA.