![GOVIT-Symposium-rev](https://fusionlp.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/GOVIT-Symposium-rev.png)
Dec 12-14, 2023 • St. Paul RiverCentre
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
This was by far the most needed and awesome IT Symposium. The success stories, the common cause, and just to take a time to think about who we serve and to hear from leaders was amazing and very motivating.
All times are listed in Central Time Zone.
Join us for the 2023 GOVIT Symposium Pre-Conference!
7:30 | Registration Opens |
8:00 – 9:00 | Breakfast food & beverage available in the concourse |
9:00 – 12:00 | ½ day Pre-Conference Training Sessions (or part 1 of full day) |
12:00 – 1:00 | Lunch Break |
1:00 – 4:00 | ½ day Pre-Conference Training Sessions (or part 2 of full day) |
All times are listed in Central Time Zone.
7:30 | Registration & GOVIT Hub Opens (Lower Level Rotunda & Exhibit Hall A) |
7:30 – 8:30 | Continental breakfast & beverage available (Exhibit Hall A) |
8:15 – 8:30 | Welcome & Opening Comments (Exhibit Hall B) |
8:30 – 9:15 | Keynote (Exhibit Hall B) |
9:15 – 9:45 | GOVIT Hub open time & transition to Upper Level Concourse for breakout sessions |
9:45 – 10:45 | 60-minute breakout sessions (Upper Level Concourse) |
10:45 – 11:00 | Break (coffee/tea/water stations in Upper Level concourse) |
11:00 – 12:00 | 60-minute breakout sessions (Upper Level Concourse) |
12:00 – 1:00 | Lunch and plenary session (Exhibit Hall B) |
1:00 – 2:00 |
GOVIT Hub (Exhibit Hall A) Enjoy these learning opportunities on the show floor: · Fireside chat – 30 minute discussions on a variety of topics · Experience Lab – hands on learning about accessibility · Golden GovIT Awards Showcase – interviews of each of the award nominees · Quiet conversations or relax in the lounge areas |
2:00 – 2:45 | Symposium Slam with desserts! (Exhibit Hall B) |
2:45 – 3:00 | Break/Transition to Upper Level Concourse |
3:00 – 4:00 | 60 minute breakout sessions (Upper Level Concourse) |
4:00 – 5:00 | Happy Hour (Upper Level Concourse) |
All times are listed in Central Time Zone.
7:30 | Registration & GOVIT Hub Opens (Lower Level Rotunda & Exhibit Hall A) |
7:30 – 8:30 | Continental breakfast & beverage available (Exhibit Hall A) |
8:15 – 8:30 | Welcome & Opening Comments (Exhibit Hall B) |
8:30 – 9:15 | Keynote (Exhibit Hall B) |
9:15 – 9:45 | GOVIT Hub open time & transition to Upper Level Concourse for breakout sessions |
9:45 – 10:45 | 60-minute breakout sessions (Upper Level Concourse) |
10:45 – 11:00 | Break (coffee/tea/water stations in upper level concourse) |
11:00 – 12:00 | 60-minute breakout sessions (Upper Level Concourse) |
12:00 – 1:00 | Lunch, speaker & Golden GOVIT Awards (Exhibit Hall B) |
1:00 – 2:00 |
GOVIT Hub (Exhibit Hall A) Enjoy these learning opportunities on the show floor: · Fireside chat – 30-minute discussions on a variety of topics · Experience Lab – hands-on learning about accessibility · Byte-sized Learning – 15-minute presentations on a variety of topics · Quiet conversations or relax in the lounge areas |
2:00 – 3:00 | Closing plenary & closing comments (Exhibit Hall B) |
3:00 – 4:00 | Reception & silent auction (silent auction ends at 3:45) |
BREAKOUT SESSION SCHEDULE
*Sessions and speakers are subject to change. Additional sessions will be added as they become available.
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Tuesday, Dec 12, 2023
Sessions
Cyber Security Attack Surface: Avoiding and Recovering
Location: Room 1
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Beginning
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Cyber security is the number one concern for state and local government for the past 10 years, and cyber threats continue to increase and threaten critical government operations as never before. In this highly interactive workshop, join a diverse group of thought leaders to discuss issues and best practices in creating an effective cybersecurity plan. The session will address how to collaborate among various departments, create effective training, and inspire commitment to ongoing improvement. We'll review the latest data, leading practices, and delve into what a good cybersecurity plan looks like, including tailoring plans to your unique needs and resources gaining acceptance across your organization.
- Preconference
- Security/IT Operations
Project Management for Beginner: The Minimum You Need to Know to Thrive
Location: Room 3
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Beginning
- Intermediate
Whether you and your boss have made a conscious decision to have you manage a project, or it happened organically, you now need to do more than your “normal” daily job. In addition, you now need to lead a project – so what does that mean? This presentation will discuss the basics for successfully delivering a project on-time, on-budget with the desired scope, what artifacts are really needed vs. “optional”, as well as building a right-sized project plan. Successful completion of a project requires knowing the art and science of project management. This session will deliver the blend of skills you will need to be a Project hero.
- Preconference
- Product & Project Skills
Unleashing the Potential of ChatGPT in Local Government
Location: Room 5
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Beginning
In this interactive workshop on AI and the Applications of ChatGPT, you'll discover the transformative power of AI technologies, with a special focus on ChatGPT, in revolutionizing local government practices. In this comprehensive session, we will kickstart the workshop with an overview of AI, followed by an in-depth introduction to ChatGPT. The main highlight will be a presentation of practical applications of ChatGPT tailored to the local government context. Through small group activities, you'll brainstorm and experiment with using ChatGPT for real-world use cases. To ensure a well-rounded understanding, we'll also discuss major trends in AI, ethical concerns, and potential issues, engaging in thoughtful debates and group discussions.
- Preconference
- Innovation, Insights & Trends
Becoming a Great Leader Using Situational Leadership Skills
Location: Room 6
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Intermediate
All great leaders are flexible in their skill set. There are six basic leadership styles and mastery of each one is critical to success. Most people use one leadership style to fit all situations. This does not work. Learn each of the styles and where each one is most appropriately applied. All styles will be illustrated in detail with examples. Bonus: Each participant will complete a leadership survey during class so they can see what styles they use most often.
- Preconference
- People & Leadership Skills
Designing for Inclusivity: Transforming Government Experiences with a Human-Centered Design Approach
Location: Room 8
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Beginning
Discover how inclusive design practices can lead to better experiences for all. This workshop will explore practical strategies and insights for reimagining how government interacts with its citizens. We will focus on digital experiences, but the tools you learn here can be applied to all kinds of experiences. Whether you're a public servant, a designer, or simply passionate about improving government interactions, this workshop will equip you with the knowledge and tools to make a meaningful impact. In this workshop you'll get hands-on experience: - identifying, prioritizing, and empathizing with audiences - conducting inclusive user research - mapping a user's journey through an experience, both online and offline - practicing developing accessible content
- Preconference
- Digital Government
How to Plan for and Conduct a Tabletop Exercise
Location: Room 9
Speakers:
Audience level:
Exercises are an effective tool to practice for a cyber incident. In this workshop we will talk through important points of an effective cyber exercise. We will walk through a few case studies and then conduct a mock exercise in the afternoon. We will be planning the workshop with Christian Torkelson at the league of MN Cities and CISA advisor Chris Gabbard along with Exercise facilitators form Online Business Systems to conduct the Exercise.
- Preconference
- Security/IT Operations
Understanding the 12 Components of an Effective Disaster Recovery Plan
Location: Room 1
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Intermediate
Increasing extreme weather and other natural and man-made disasters reinforce the critical need to review current disaster recovery plans at every level of government. When was the last time your plans were reviewed and practiced? This workshop, led by leaders from a variety of government settings, will provide an interactive format for both thought and action, addressing the most common deficiencies in most plans and practical strategies for evaluating and amending them.
- Preconference
- Security/IT Operations
The Dark Arts of Project Leadership: Influence and Politics
Location: Room 3
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Beginning
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Successful journey from start to finish of a project is not linear, clean, forecastable or easy. Your interest is to deliver the project on time, on budget with a smile on everyone’s face, but others have conflicting interests. Armed with your System Development Life Cycle (SDLC), a planning tool of your choice and the innocence that always comes at the start of a project you think you are set to go. Then the plan that you have worked so hard to perfect shows a flaw, falls behind schedule or budget, gets amended or completely thrown out altogether. How you minimize these occurrences and provide the best chance to survive the project intact. This presentation will start with the Top 10 Keys to Success which include Communicate, Communicate, Communicate; Managing Change and Expectations; Pace, Perfection and Price – pick 3. We then discuss how to become a Master Magician covering topics such as Winning at Politics; Controlling outcomes through Influence; Communicating & Motivating and Marketing your Project. While it takes less than 8 hours to learn how to use a tool to manage a project it takes a lifetime to learn the art of successfully delivering a project. This presentation will focus on the soft-side of project management, having fun with the topic and using audience participation and exercises to share the community’s intelligence.
- Preconference
- Product & Project Skills
Performance Management and Work Planning
Location: Room 6
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Beginning
A key tool in the management toolbox is measuring and tracking employee improvement. In this 3 hour interactive workshop, managers will learn about the five levels of employee performance, and how to help your team advance their skills and their career goals. We'll also learn about precision management - making sure the right people work on the right tasks at the right time. A helpful tool is the workplan, which lets you and your team plan ahead and balance time and tasks, as well as provide progress updates. Bring your laptop to engage in this interactive session.
- Preconference
- People & Leadership Skills
Wednesday, Dec 13, 2023
Sessions
Co-AI Technical Writing: Documentation, Experimentation, User Testing, & Ethical Design
Location: Room 1
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Beginning
OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google Bard, and similar generative AI technology is now in use everywhere. Co-writing content with AI is eclipsing older notions of AI assistantship. This panel re-envisions co-AI technical and professional writing amid this transformative AI writing landscape, inviting participants to join in discussion and research on documenting generative AI’s ability to develop documentation; providing critical examination to deal with issues of explainability, transparency, and user advocacy; introducing co-AI technical writing and usability testing to students; and designing ethical futures through use of ethical algorithmic impact assessment tools and processes.
- Innovation, Insights & Trends
Designing Data Visualizations for Greater Impact
Location: Room 2
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Intermediate
Visualizations are an effective way to communicate results and insights from data analysis. However, without proper planning and design, these visual representations fail to convey important knowledge and may lead to misrepresentation. In this presentation, we look at important factors to consider for creating meaningful visualizations that quickly and effectively communicate the intended message.
- Digital Government
Become Open to Change
Location: Room 3
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Intermediate
Change can be hard but it also can be rewarding. A high tolerance of ambiguity and change is necessary in today's workplace since change is all around us. Understanding the stages will help us navigate change effectively. Enjoy the stories and high energy of this session and Become Open to Change!
- People & Leadership Skills
AI’s Impact to Security
Location: Room 4
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Beginning
- Intermediate
- Advanced
This session will provide insight into AI’s impact to the current threat landscape and challenges, volumes of events, staffing shortages, expertise deficiencies, siloed security controls. Statistics will be shared from the recent Ponemon Institute’s Cost of a Data Breach 2022 study in attack vectors, response/organizational impact and costs attributed to various controls, remote workforces, and impact in cost and response times attributed to AI/Machine Learning etc. The session will include AI’s use in law enforcement and critical infrastructure protection, AI aggregated social media misinformation/disinformation, bias, and evolving Trust and Validation requirements in today’s AI systems, the necessity and value of AI insight to security and where the industry is moving in AI for security. This includes next generation Security frameworks in play and evolving that are already changing the game.
- Security/IT Operations
Joint Cyber Security Collaboratives
Location: Room 5
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Intermediate
None of us has the resources to fully defend ourselves alone. We must create collaboratives to defend ourselves leveraging the power of our entire community. Join this session to hear how one such collaborative has been able to decrease breaches by 70% while decreasing costs by over $440,000,000 per year.
- Security/IT Operations
Perspectives on AI in Minnesota Government
Location: Room 6
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Intermediate
- Advanced
As AI dominates the technology zeitgeist, this session will provide a current snapshot of AI in Minnesota government. Our panel will discuss where AI intersects with security, policy, legislation, private sector partners, and how it might benefit services delivered to Minnesotans. We’ll look at where we are now and where we expect to be in the future.
- Digital Government
- Innovation, Insights & Trends
7 Powerful Analysis Techniques - Up your analysis game
Location: Room 7
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Beginning
- Intermediate
Ready to up your business analyst game? Many of the analysis techniques used today were born out of waterfall projects decades ago. Sure the tried and true oldies but goodies deliver, but are there better techniques? In this presentation we’ll introduce you to amazing techniques that will up your analysis skills to the next level. Join us to explore 7 ready to use, powerful techniques that perform multiple functions and are shifting the business analysis landscape. These techniques help you deconstruct the context, scope, capabilities and function of many different types of projects from software to runway models. Download the accompanying book for free and start using this techniques immediately.
- Product & Project Skills
Women in IT
Location: Room 8
Speakers:
Audience level:
Women are still under represented in the tech field, especially in leadership positions. Come hear from a group of women leaders in government technology about their experiences and advice for those seeking to grow in the profession as well as those seeking to better support the next generation of talented women. We will focus on the following questions: • What are some challenges that you have faced being a woman in IT? • What is a positive experience you have had as a woman in tech? • What is the best professional advice you have received? • What advice would you give to women entering the workforce today?
- People & Leadership Skills
Bringing Zero Trust to Network Infrastructure
Location: Room 10
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Deploying and managing network infrastructure implies a set of challenges in and of itself: provisioning resources in a timely manner, supporting and troubleshooting client issues and gaining visibility into the true state of the network. On top of that, there are increasing needs and requirements to bring security and segmentation into the infrastructure itself. Gone are the days where we could just funnel traffic through firewalls and assume everything would be OK! This session will outline how, with the unique capabilities of Arista EOS to provide granular visibility and segmentation, Arista CloudVision to centrally manage and monitor the state of the network and Arista NDR to provide real-time threat hunting and adversarial modeling, infrastructure administrators can take a proactive approach to enabling a Zero-Trust Architecture in their networks rather than a reactive wait-and-see mentality.
- Security/IT Operations
Research Resources Help ID What's Trending in Local Government
Location: Room 9
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Beginning
Targeted surveys and research are a great way to get an overview of a topic or issue. They provide a picture into what is happening now, whether they be emerging trends or leading practices. This facilitated discussion will take a look at the variety of research resources available from Public Technology Institute – a division of Fusion Learning Partners, to help drive smarter decision-making in local government. We will then open up for a group discussion on the types of research that audience members would like to contribute to, or would like to see developed in the future.
- Innovation, Insights & Trends
Uncovering Hidden Customer Experience Heroes
Location: Room 11
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Intermediate
Want to deliver better, more efficient, positive experiences for your constituents? Make sure both they and your employees see themselves reflected in your organization. Improve your understanding of what drives constituents and the employees who serve them and you’ll find much better engagement all around. In this interactive session, we use principles of experience design and change management to demonstrate: How your employees and constituents – both of them – drive the experience of your organization. The components of building a successful user experience – from people to process to technology. What a service blueprint can do to help you understand your current experience and prioritize areas for improvement. How to begin crafting your organization’s service blueprint.
- Digital Government
Unleashing the Power of XaaS & DaaS: Transforming the Modern Workforce
Location: Room 12
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Beginning
- Intermediate
- Advanced
We are delighted to invite you to an informative session where we will be diving into the transformative worlds of "Device as a Service" (DaaS) and "Anything as a Service" (XaaS). Join us for an engaging discussion on how these innovative models are reshaping the landscape of technology solutions for the modern workforce. Key Topics: *Embrace operational expenditure for greater cost savings, control, and predictability *Customize DaaS or XaaS program components to suit your unique business requirements *Optimize budget allocation with Technology on Demand, paying for technology as you use it
- Innovation, Insights & Trends
- Security/IT Operations
Multi-Cloud Adoption and Azure Hybrid
Location: Room 13
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Beginning
- Intermediate
For those who are either exploring or currently on a multi-cloud path, this session will explore the journey of multi-cloud from migrate to operate. During the session we'll spend time educating on cloud adoption, accelerate and why Azure hybrid may be a good solution.
- Digital Government
- Innovation, Insights & Trends
The Professionalization of IT Management and Leadership: Trends and Opportunities for Professional D
Location: Room 1
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Beginning
- Intermediate
- Advanced
As state and local government technology leaders and managers oversee multi-million-dollar portfolios there is a growing need for upskilling as well as greater recognition and status. Today, many enlightened public managers realize, to be effective in leading an IT enterprise one needs continuous professional development programs for both tech leaders and staff. Learn the many affordable options that exist for the busy professional - all aimed at building greater knowledge and capacity for effective career enhancement and professional growth.
- People & Leadership Skills
Better Service through Automation
Location: Room 2
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Beginning
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Are ongoing operations and maintenance slowing your agency’s pace of innovation? Stuck in a cycle of “wash, rinse, repeat”? Automation is one of the best ways to improve security, improve services, and increase innovation within your overburdened IT staff. With an automation first mindset you’ll spend more time doing real work and getting more from your existing technology investments. Automation reduces human error, improves operations and increases the reliability and repeatability of numerous IT operations. The more people that are automating in your environment the more successful your agency’s initiatives will be.
- Digital Government
Minnesota's National Award Winning Projects
Location: Room 3
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Beginning
- Intermediate
- Advanced
The State of Minnesota was recently awarded with three (out of twelve!) State IT Recognition Awards by the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO). These prestigious awards honor innovation and excellence in the use of information technology in state government. Learn about and be inspired by these three cutting edge projects, presented by each project's lead representative: 1. Delivering Swift Relief to Minnesota's COVID-19 Frontline Workers, Tyrone Spratt, Chief Business Technology Officer 2. Revamping Access: How AI is Enhancing Driver and Vehicle Services, Pong Xiong, Director of Driver & Vehicle Services 3. Smart Bridges - The Future is Here, Ed Lutgen, State Bridge Engineer
- Innovation, Insights & Trends
Experience the Magic of Generative AI Technology
Location: Room 4
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Beginning
- Intermediate
- Advanced
With all the buzz in the market around Generative AI, getting started meaningfully can feel like the challenging part. In this session, you will hear real world use cases on how public sector agencies including Minnesota's Department of Vehicle Services are unlocking value from generative AI. Learn from keynote speaker Chris Hein and other Google Cloud AI experts on how to ramp up quickly, so you can be up and running in weeks with your top use cases. Get all your questions answered on topics including security, responsibility, and privacy. Join us for an interactive conversation as we lift the curtain to demonstrate the now and the future of Generative AI in government.
- Innovation, Insights & Trends
Cyber Threat Awareness and Creative Strategies for Managing Risk
Location: Room 5
Speakers:
Audience level:
Ransomware. Spear phishing. The “insider” threat. Organizations and firms face a myriad of cyber threats that come with ample amounts of risk. From reputational damage to financial losses, the possible costs of a cyber attack or data breach can be challenging to quantify—and mitigate. Mark Lanterman, Chief Technology Officer of Computer Forensic Services, will discuss latest trends in our cyber landscape including topics such as the Dark Web, doxxing, ransomware, and the role of the human element in making or breaking a strong security culture. Mark will also provide practical suggestions for improving cybersecurity postures with proactive and reactive strategies.
- Security/IT Operations
Scaling Agile Transformation at State of Utah
Location: Room 6
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Beginning
- Intermediate
- Advanced
The Division of Technology Services (DTS) at State of Utah was interested in improving their predictability and quality of delivery for their technology initiatives. Alan Fuller, CIO, wanted to identify a transformation partner to help the agency achieve business agility by creating a culture of planning and learning. Join us in this session on how Agile Brains was engaged to perform a current state assessment, build a custom transformation roadmap and coach the DTS teams to adopt Agile Ways of Working. Learn about the approach on how the State was able to create pilot programs, launch delivery trains and start delivering business value incrementally and iteratively. This session will share the challenges of scaling Agile within the State, the change in leadership mindset which helped us succeed. Toady, all 23 agencies and divisions within State of Utah are utilizing the same Scaled Agile methodology and are able to delight customers by building products and services faster with increased agility.
- Product & Project Skills
Accessibility Compliance on Government Websites
Location: Room 7
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Intermediate
In this session, we will review a non-technical guide to strategic accessibility: What's new in accessibility? How can you reach disabled residence? How do you justify resources to your leaders? How can you avoid lawsuits?
- Digital Government
Strategic Business Analysis - The Catalyst for Excellence
Location: Room 8
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Intermediate
- Advanced
This educational, actionable and fun presentation showcases how strategic Business Analysis imparts excellence across an organization. This session is not only for Business Analysis practitioners at all levels of experience (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced), but also other related practitioners including Project Managers and Product Managers and anyone seeking ways to impart excellence (or more excellence) to their operation or organization. A recent attendee commented “every professional, including executive management can benefit from this presentation.” Each attendee will receive takeaway material including tools and techniques for their immediate use in advancing their individual professional practice.
- People & Leadership Skills
- Product & Project Skills
Building Smart Government to Help Communities Thrive – GIS Action Stories
Location: Room 9
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Beginning
- Intermediate
People and places thrive when location is at the forefront of government decisions. Come find out how Geographic Information System (GIS) technology can drive efficiency and enable geo-decisions across government organizations in Minnesota. We will demonstrate how GIS empowers applications for Public Safety, Fiber, and Permitting that benefit members in the LOGIS consortium. Our municipal partners will conclude this presentation by sharing their GIS success stories and lessons learned to highlight LOGIS-developed GIS solutions that help promote smart governance.
- Product & Project Skills
Cisco Secure Access SASE: Easier for IT, Safer for Everyone
Location: Room 10
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Beginning
- Intermediate
- Advanced
As part of Cisco’s overall SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) architecture, Cisco Secure Access is a powerful as-a-service solution that provides a cloud-based security stack for the cloud edge. This technical talk will provide a demo-rich look at Cisco’s SSE (Security Service Edge) solution and the benefits it can offer to organizations looking to improve their security. The focus will be on the remote user and branch to Internet & private application use cases. This will include Zero Trust Network Access and Remote Access VPN services. We will explore real-world use cases highlighting our unique architecture and differentiators.
- Security/IT Operations
Protect Your Apps & Unleash Your Potential with SaaS-based Security
Location: Room 11
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Intermediate
In today's digital-first world, public sector organizations of all sizes are constantly innovating to deliver new products and services to their customers. This rapid pace of innovation can expose organizations to a variety of risks, including: • Rapid app updates: New features and functionality can introduce new vulnerabilities. • Third-party APIs: APIs provide a convenient way to connect applications, but they can also be exploited by attackers. • Malicious bots: Bots can be used to automate attacks, such as account takeovers and denial-of-service attacks. To protect against these risks, organizations need to implement a comprehensive security strategy that is intuitive and easy to deploy. Learn how F5 helps organizations accomplish this with their SaaS-based security platform.
- Security/IT Operations
Creating a Resilient Technology Ecosystem
Location: Room 12
Speakers:
Audience level:
Imagine defending a fort without knowing it's entrances. That's the challenge of many technology teams without visibility and control. Real world telemetry data across 14 million endpoints shows why there is more strain than ever on IT and Security Teams supporting a hybrid work environment. Gain insights into some of the associated challenges and a path to help mitigate risk and create resiliency.
- Security/IT Operations
A Public Sector Perspective on Responsible AI
Location: Room 13
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Beginning
- Intermediate
- Advanced
The demand for responsible AI has increased globally. Building systems fairly requires a wide range of perspectives and expertise. In this session, you will learn about public sector use cases that highlight the intersection of technology and society, and find out how the approach can be utilized across different regions. With an upswing in AI/ML technology use and regulation right around the corner, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has helped customers to embrace the use of AI in a responsible manner—seeking to minimize risks, create a framework that maximizes organizational outcomes, and deliver fair systems.
- Innovation, Insights & Trends
Hacking the Cloud: Play-by-Play Attack on GitHub, Okta, and Salesforce
Location: Room 14
Speakers:
Audience level:
Varonis demonstrates how an attacker uses off the shelf security tools, API calls, and scripting to discover secrets in a public repository, leading to user impersonation in Okta, privilege escalation and sensitive data discovery in Salesforce, and ultimately data exfiltration from AWS. We also show you how Varonis can help detect and defend against these types of attacks at every step.
- Security/IT Operations
A Human-Centered Approach to Modernizing Government IT
Location: Fireside Chat Area in GOVIT Hub
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Beginning
Join us for a fireside chat to explore how we can modernize government IT by putting people first and using a human-centered approach to change management for better outcomes. During this chat, we will discuss how human-centered design can help us understand what our constituents, citizens, and residents need and how we can use this understanding to create technology solutions that meet their needs.
- Digital Government
Government IT Professionals Transforming Public Procurement
Location: Room 1
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Beginning
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Few things are as frustrating for government IT professionals as dealing with the public procurement process. The Alliance for Innovation is out to transform how procurement is done and your voice is needed! This focus group session is specifically designed for anyone working in the public sector to share their specific needs and ideas to transform public procurement for the good.
- Innovation, Insights & Trends
Government 2.0 - Becoming Citizen Obsessed
Location: Room 2
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Intermediate
Historically government has developed large solutions to large public needs using project management often taking years to develop and deploy. Too often these large system deployments fail to meet citizen, user, and business partner expectations. By investing in customer-experience, product and agile coaches, as well as user researchers and product and agile tools, the State of Minnesota and its 23 executive agencies have embarked on a journey to transform how government is run and how services and solutions are traditionally developed. During this presentation, the State's Product & Agile Center of Enablement (PACE) coaches will share details about the work completed, work in progress, challenges and tactics being employed to overcome, as well as offer a look ahead as to what can be expected in the near, and long-term future for the state of Minnesota's Project to Product Transformation.
- Digital Government
The BA/PM Conundrum
Location: Room 3
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Beginning
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Most projects require at least 2 project professionals – the Business Analyst and the Project Manager. When working together they can be a great force for delivering a great outcome. When there is disagreement on leadership, direction, priorities and/or approach, the project suffers. This session will discuss the occasional situations where conflict arises between a Business Analyst and the Project Manager and how to navigate them successfully for that great project outcome. This session will use case studies, interactive activities and audience engagement to practice the lessons learned and review alternative approaches to the various scenarios. Learn to analyze your own strengths and weaknesses, and those of your project partner, while using the information to build strong, trusting relationships.
- Product & Project Skills
Artificial Intelligence and Poor Cyber Security Don’t Mix
Location: Room 4
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Intermediate
AI is disrupting everything and everyone AI that is not secured is incredibly dangerous We are all in for one hell of a ride
- Security/IT Operations
The Happy Leader: Unlocking the Power of Positive Leadership!
Location: Room 5
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Beginning
- Intermediate
- Advanced
People who are happy at work are more committed to their organization, rise to leadership positions more rapidly, achieve higher productivity, and suffer fewer health problems. Current research shows that happiness should not be an afterthought in workplaces. It should be a fundamental goal, entwined with position skills is the key to individual and organizational success! In this session, you will discover the benefits of a happy workplace and come away with practical strategies you can implement that boost your own emotional well-being, support the well-being of colleagues and employees, and foster a workplace culture of happiness. This upbeat and interactive session delivers an inspiring message to help you embrace the true happiness that lies within yourself - for both your personal and professional life.
- People & Leadership Skills
Securing the Future: Addressing Threats to Critical Infrastructure.
Location: Room 6
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Beginning
- Intermediate
As the digitization of operational technology (OT) advances, so too do the threats to critical infrastructure. Today's landscape calls for proactive measures to ensure the stability, safety, and resilience of OT systems. The presentation delves into a comprehensive approach, spotlighting critical focus areas such as OT asset management, risk mitigation, personnel training, access control, and incident response. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of the current challenges and tangible strategies to fortify their OT environments against emerging threats.
- Security/IT Operations
Communicate In Full Color
Location: Room 7
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Beginning
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Join Speaker and Entrepreneur Scott Schwefel for an engaging presentation to learn about how people really do communicate in color. Scott will stretch how we use our brain to understand each other, and offer a system to help us all understand ourselves, and each other to improve relationships and maximize productivity. You will come away energized, and excited.
- People & Leadership Skills
Effective Interviewing
Location: Room 8
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Intermediate
To build a strong team, you need to hire the right people. A key component to getting the right people in the door is conducting an efficient, informative interview. In this 1-hour workshop, you'll learn how to ask insightful interview questions that help you to find the right candidate for the job.
- People & Leadership Skills
Bluum Technology and Verkada Physical Security Capabilities
Location: Room 11
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Advanced
Providing and managing physical security today is challenging and an enormous responsibility. in this session, you will learn about traditional vs hybrid-cloud physical security infrastructure, and transforming building security with a proactive approach. Find out how Bluum and Verkada are partnering to provide a physical security ecosystem to protect people and property in a privacy conscious manner.
- Digital Government
- Security/IT Operations
Demystifying Generative AI for Government
Location: Room 10
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Beginning
Gain knowledge on the difference between AI and Generative AI and how it works. Get a feel for appropriate use cases being implemented in government sector. Hear best practices for tools, data platforms and governance of this leading-edge technology.
- Innovation, Insights & Trends
Think Tank: Cybersecurity in Local Government
Location: Room 9
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Intermediate
Join Stefanie Horvath, Chief Information Security Officer for the City of St. Paul, to discuss current and future cybersecurity issues and solutions at the local level. This is an open, informal discussion, so bring your questions, concerns, ideas to the table and be prepared to walk away with fresh perspectives and new connections!
- Security/IT Operations
Solving Document Accessibility in Municipal Government
Location: Room 12
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Beginning
The last frontier in web accessibility for governments is our documents. Most documents are not accessible to assistive technology. We will address why this is important and how you can solve the problem.
- Digital Government
Cyber Resilience: Recovering Quickly from Ransomware Cyber-attacks
Location: Room 13
Speakers:
Audience level:
Ransomware is growing fast. Cyber-attacks are getting more sophisticated, frequent, and complex resulting in significant operational downtime, costly mitigation and recovery, sensitive data loss, reputational damage, and legal consequences. An organization’s best recourse is to prepare for the inevitable with a ransomware recovery strategy. Join this interactive session to learn what happens during a ransomware attack and ways to recover without paying a ransom. Get best practices for developing a ransomware remediation plan, hear how other government organizations utilize Rubrik to enhance their security posture, and ask questions on how Rubrik can help you strengthen your organization’s cyber resiliency.
- Security/IT Operations
Thwarting Email Attacks with Prevention
Location: Room 14
Speakers:
Audience level:
The increased connectivity of our world has provided more opportunities for threat actors to exploit and infiltrate systems through email and collaboration platforms. The good news is technology and AI have advanced significantly to thwart these hackers by preventing them as the best first step to safeguard your organization. During this session we will discuss why your email security solution may be in the wrong position in your environment and how taking action on already delivered messages is too late. We will explore how hackers have advanced their attacks on these vectors, cybersecurity system factors that go into mitigating these threats and using AI to gain an advantage on the attackers by preventing these threats before your end users have a chance to slip up.
- Security/IT Operations
AI and Advanced Solutions
Location: Room 15
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Beginning
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Artificial intelligence capabilities are rapidly advancing thanks to innovations in models, algorithms, and hardware, enabling a wave of emerging AI solutions with the potential to transform major industries like government, healthcare, transportation, and finance. We will do a high level review of emerging advanced solutions.
- Digital Government
- Innovation, Insights & Trends
- Security/IT Operations
- People & Leadership Skills
- Product & Project Skills
Thursday, Dec 14, 2023
Sessions
Tech Providers Transforming Public Procurement
Location: Room 1
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Beginning
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Few things are as frustrating for private sector companies as dealing with the public procurement process. The Alliance for Innovation is out to transform how procurement is done and your voice from the private sector is needed! This focus group session is specifically designed for tech providers to share their specific needs in transforming public procurement for the good.
- Innovation, Insights & Trends
Strategic Planning: It's Easier to Interpolate Than Extrapolate
Location: Room 2
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Intermediate
Most leaders plan ahead a year or two ahead, and find themselves constantly changing course to meet new demands. As more agencies are being asked for longer-term planning horizons, this workshop will help leaders to plan further out. We'll discuss and practice strategic planning so you can lead your organization towards strategic outcomes.
- People & Leadership Skills
Analysts Assemble: Unleash your Teamwork Superpowers
Location: Room 3
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Intermediate
In a world where challenges loom large and obstacles seem insurmountable, a team of extraordinary individuals rises to the occasion. They are not just heroes, but a force to be reckoned with - a team united by a common purpose. Together, they embody the true essence of teamwork, harnessing their unique abilities and diverse perspectives to achieve the impossible. Through unwavering commitment to collaboration and communication, they navigate the complexities of team dynamics with finesse and grace. Their secret weapon? Problem-solving and innovation. Teamwork, problem-solving style, and innovation - these are the superpowers that propel teams forward. In this session we'll explore how each of us gravitates to a problem solving style. When we work as a team our preferences and style can create comfort and synergy, or clashes and chaos. We'll explore problem solving processes and learn how to unleash our own extraordinary potential.
- People & Leadership Skills
- Product & Project Skills
The Cyber Threat from the FBI Perspective and the Outreach Efforts the FBI is Taking to Mitigate the
Location: Room 4
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Beginning
- Intermediate
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is taking strong, active measures to combat the ever growing cyber crime problem. In this session, FBI Special Agent John Bonhage will outline the current trends in cyber crime as well as present resources that can be useful for keeping everyone informed as the cyber threat changes and evolves.
- Security/IT Operations
Minnesota's Whole-of-State Cybersecurity Grant Program for Local Government
Location: Room 5
Speakers:
Audience level:
Minnesota IT Services (MNIT), in partnership with the Minnesota Cybersecurity Task Force, launched the 2023 Whole-of-State Cybersecurity Plan that presents a strong, united front against cybersecurity threats for local governments. In this session, learn more about the plan and how $23.5 million of funding will be distributed. At least 80% of funding will go directly to programming, and 25% is designated for rural areas where resources are fewer.
- Security/IT Operations
Hennepin County's FinOps Journey
Location: Room 6
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Intermediate
With organizations expanding their use of public cloud services, it becomes expedient to establish guidelines and processes for effective cloud cost management. This session will describe the history, experiences, and lessons learned from establishing a FinOps practice at Hennepin County over the past two years.
- Innovation, Insights & Trends
Get More Done with Digital Workers
Location: Room 7
Speakers:
Audience level:
You know that bottomless list you make every day full of frustrating, repetitive tasks? What if you could clear it and get work done faster? You can finally free up your time to do the meaningful work that you're passionate about, and leave your repetitive tasks to the Digital Worker. Whether your tasks are emailing coworkers, collating spreadsheets, or creating cases in Salesforce, the Digital Worker has access to a broad range of app-provided skills to help you do these tasks.
- Digital Government
Cyber Sports Nationwide to Change the Game!
Location: Room 8
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Intermediate
The cyber security workforce challenge is about to have a completely new solution starting in middle school through college. Come here about an innovative approach to building a pipeline of future cyber security professionals. Cyber Sports gaming gives an incredible opportunity to completely change the conventional conversations around education and workforce issues in cyber security.
- Innovation, Insights & Trends
- Security/IT Operations
Think Tank: Reinventing Technology Leadership for Local Government
Location: Room 9
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Intermediate
Join Barry Condrey, a veteran local government technology leader, for an interactive discussion on how to build a resilient and respected environment that promotes professional growth and embraces change. Organizational transformation requires new ways of thinking and new approaches to IT leadership - join this Think Tank discussion to share and receive ideas and proven solutions.
- People & Leadership Skills
Necessary, Desirable, Available and Often Ever-changing Data
Location: Room 1
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Beginning
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Data is the Glue binding Minnesotans to Service Providers. Agency, Executive Branch, MNIT and Citizen Stakeholders need to: 1 - Enhance Plans for Operational Success with Product and Program Delivery by Incorporating Geographic Information into User Requirements. 2 - Use Geospatial data to drive investment decisions that deliver multi-customer opportunities to co-invest in modernized processes, staffing and technology solutions. 3 - Prepare for emerging insights into short-term costs of insufficient data stewardship. 4 - Learn how the Internet of Things (IOT) could deliver new value before 2025.
- Digital Government
Cultural Transformation Using Emotional Intelligence Leadership through a Growth Mindset
Location: Room 2
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Beginning
- Intermediate
- Advanced
The role of emotional intelligence (EQ) is key in workplace relationships. EQ is especially important in team and group settings - by its very nature, the workplace involves an amount of continual conflict and stress during change. Even day-to-day work activities require some negotiation and compromise, and these can often lead to negative emotional reactions or outbursts. Having good emotional intelligence enables individuals to reach common goals, thus supporting an organization's mission and vision. During this session, we will explore how emotional intelligence comes into play and how you can grow to be a great leader through emotional intelligence and building a Growth Mindset Culture.
- People & Leadership Skills
Empowering Changemakers
Location: Room 3
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Beginning
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Changemakers are the individuals who make things happen, and more often than not, the people who could make things happen are missing either the principles, the tools, the process, the influence skills, or the know-how to get from A to B. With just a handful of simple, easy to grasp and quick to apply concepts, individuals can become influencers. Join us for this engaging and highly interactive workshop that brings together best practices to help you improve your own ability to enable change and empower changemakers wherever you find yourself.
- Product & Project Skills
AI Governance: Balancing AI Innovation, Transparency, and Security.
Location: Room 4
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Beginning
- Intermediate
The rapidly evolving landscape of AI presents unparalleled opportunities for efficiency and innovation within government IT ecosystems. However, the integration of AI technologies also brings to bear the complexity of security, privacy, and transparency considerations that require rigorous governance. Join our panel of experts at the Minnesota Government IT Symposium as they address AI deployment in private and public domains, the delicate equilibrium between technological advancement and regulatory compliance, and associated challenges as well as the pathways to success.
- Digital Government
- Innovation, Insights & Trends
Simple Ways to Test Your SIEM
Location: Room 5
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Intermediate
It is amazing how many expensive SIEM/SOC services completely fail to detect early warning signs of attacks on Active Directory and network systems. In this session, learn how to test the effectiveness of your own SIEM/SOC by conducting these same attacks using free and open source tools. We will also talk about some important questions you should ask a prospective SIEM/SOC vendor before buying their solutions.
- Security/IT Operations
Artificial Intelligence: Friend or Foe in the Context of Ransomware
Location: Room 6
Speakers:
Audience level:
Smartphones, smart homes, and smart assistants are proliferating our lives. Artificial intelligence is becoming in integral contributor to how this technology adds value to the our lives. The capabilities of the cyber security ecosystem must keep pace with this evolution. During this session we will cover how artificial intelligence is being used to fuel the next generation of cyber security ecosystems. We will see how it can be used to improve accuracy, speed and efficiency of enforcement technologies while enhancing the information used to make business and security decisions. On the other hand, how could AI & Machine Learning be used against us? If we have the technology, so do our adversaries.
- Security/IT Operations
Better Estimation with Throughput Projection
Location: Room 7
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Intermediate
Current estimation techniques don't work and cause cost overruns. In this session, learn about faster, easier and more accurate project estimation, by counting, not pointing, stories by feature and dividing by throughput.
- Product & Project Skills
Gate’s Open, Come On In: Inclusive Hiring in Cybersecurity
Location: Room 8
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Beginning
- Intermediate
- Advanced
In this session, Laura and Chris will discuss the importance of inclusive hiring, highlight positive actions folks can take to build equity and inclusion into the hiring lifecycle by default, and share stories of what has and hasn’t worked in their striving for greater equity, inclusivity and an effective cybersecurity workforce.
- People & Leadership Skills
Generative AI, Government, and YOU: Your Role and Responsibility in Shaping the Future of Government
Location: Room 10
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Intermediate
The rise of Generative artificial intelligence (GAI) has redefined the possibilities and limits of technology, having significant implications across all sectors, including government. This one-hour interactive presentation aims to address the role, responsibility, and potential impact of government professionals in the rapidly evolving field of Generative AI. The presentation includes deep dives into potential use cases, ethical implications, societal impacts of applying Generative AI in government; the critical role of government professionals in shaping the future of Generative AI and strategies for staying abreast of this rapidly changing technology; and an interactive Q&A session, allowing participants to discuss their thoughts, concerns, and questions about Generative AI. By the end of this session, participants will have a comprehensive understanding of the opportunities and challenges presented by Generative AI. They will be better equipped to navigate these complex issues, ensuring that they can play a proactive role in shaping a future that balances technological innovation with societal needs and values.
- Innovation, Insights & Trends
Think Tank: Idea Generation!
Location: Room 9
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Intermediate
Let's work together to generate ideas. This Think Tank session is our version of an "unconference" session - we'll start with a discussion around a topic [to be added later] then discuss the issue in small group breakouts. Bring a pen and an open imagination. The answer is in the room!
- Innovation, Insights & Trends
AI vs. Reality: A Visual Challenge
Location: Fireside Chat Area in GOVIT Hub
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Beginning
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Join us for 'AI vs. Reality: A Visual Challenge.' In this presentation, we will compare real photos with those made by AI. Your challenge is to spot the difference. See how AI's creativity measures up against real-world imagery in this straightforward, engaging showcase!
- Innovation, Insights & Trends
IT Resilience and Incident Response Templates
Location: Byte-Sized Learning Area in GOVIT Hub
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Beginning
- Intermediate
- Advanced
Many plans for IT Resilience and Incident Response are targeted at large enterprises with dedicated IT and Cybersecurity experts. This is not a reality for most cities or local government entities. The League of Minnesota Cities is excited to launch new IT resilience and Incident Response templates freely available to local government entities. This "byte-sized" learning presentation will briefly introduce the templates and propose an implementation approach that connects public service and political priorities with technical and cybersecurity matters. Templates include: - Asset and Data Inventory Template - Business Continuity Plan Template - IT Disaster Recovery Plan Tempalte - Incident Response Plan Template
- Security/IT Operations
Government GenAI Fireside Chat
Location: Fireside Chat Area in GOVIT Hub
Speakers:
Audience level:
- Beginning
Gain knowledge on the difference between AI and Generative AI and how it works. Get a feel for appropriate use cases being implemented in government sector. Hear best practices for tools, data platforms and governance of this leading-edge technology.
- Innovation, Insights & Trends
Aaron Rose
Aaron Rose is a Cyber Security Evangelist, Security Architect, and a member of the Office of the CTO at Check Point Software Technologies. As a subject matter expert in Cloud, Internet of Things, and Application security, Aaron has dedicated his career to securing organizations and their resources beyond the traditional network firewall. Passionate about making cybersecurity education accessible to all, Aaron actively engages as a guest lecturer, mentors students, and assists in the development of cybersecurity courses.
Abrar Hashmi
Abrar Hashmi is the Chief Agile evangelist and Founder of an Agile Brains Consulting Inc. He has assisted in value-based delivery transformations in various Fortune 500 companies and spoken at multiple Agile conferences as well. Agile Brains was listed as Top 10 Agile Solution Provider by CIO Applications for their customer centric focus approach to help achieve business agility. Their award-winning proprietary framework "ABC" starts with an organizational assessment (A) followed by brainstorming (B) solutions with Coaching (C) support to help deliver business value to customers. He has trained thousands of students in over sixty cities and is focused on organizations embrace a culture of fearlessness and innovation. Abrar holds numerous Agile certifications (SPC, RTE, CLP, ICP-FDO, ICP-IDO, ICP-EPO, ICP-ATF, ICP-ACC, CSM, TBR) and believes in building the new generation of Agile leaders. Abrar was listed in the Drexel 40 under 40 list for leaders to look out for in 2021. Agile Brains was listed as an INC 5000 winner for one of the fastest growing private companies in United States. He was listed by Forbes in the Next 1000 leadership list for 2021.
Adam Frumkin
Adam Frumkin is a results-driven leader with more than 25 years of experience in developing, directing, and executing business transformation and strategies. He has an established record collaborating with other executives to bring clarity to strategic business decisions and implementing technology to transform business processes. He has focused experience in strategic planning, cultural & organizational development and emotional intelligence, process reengineering, enterprise system implementations, cybersecurity and disaster recovery and business continuity planning. Serves as: • Council Chair to the PTI Executive Committee • Vice Chair for the NACo IT Standing Committee • Subcommittee Vice Chair the NACo Finance, Pensions, and Intergovernmental Affairs Steering Committee for the Elections Subcommittee. Additionally, Mr. Frumkin has been named as one of the 2023 Top 25 Doers, Dreamers, and Drivers by Government Technology; StateScoop – Local Smart County Executive of the Year 2021 and the Columbus Business First – BizTech Executive of the Year 2021. He is an adjunct professor at The Ohio State University, and for the PTI Certified Government Chief Information Officer (CGCIO) through Rutgers University.
Adam Kehler
Adam has over 20 years’ experience in technology including 8 years performing consulting services in Health Information Privacy and Security. Adam holds CISSP and Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certifications and has conducted hundreds of Health Information Security Risk Assessments and Compliance Gap Analyses for Healthcare organizations focused on meeting HIPAA and Meaningful Use requirements. This builds on Adam’s experience as a Software Developer, Systems Administrator, Business Analyst, Project Manager, and Operations Manager. Adam has a proven ability to address the most technical aspects of information security while maintaining an ability to translate complex issues to non-technical audiences.
Al Hleileh
Led the development of city analytics and digital marketplaces across the globe
Alan Shark
Dr. Alan R. Shark is the Executive Director for the Public Technology Institute (PTI), a division of Fusion Learning Partners. and Associate Professor for the Schar School of Policy and Government, George Mason University. He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and Co-Chair of the Standing Panel on Technology Leadership. A noted author, his most recent textbook book, “Technology and Public Management” was published earlier this year. He is also the host of the popular bi-monthly podcast, Sharkbytes.net.
Alex Hepp
Amy Cheney
Ann Duin
Ann Hill Duin is Professor of Writing Studies and Graduate-Professional Distinguished Teaching Professor at the University of Minnesota where her work focuses on augmentation technologies, digital literacy, and human-AI collaboration.
Anthony Capers
Experienced IT professional with Bluum Technology
Barry Condrey
Barry has worked in the IT field for over 40 years holding a wide range of technology leadership positions in the public and private sectors and was most recently the CIO for Chesterfield County, VA for 17 years. Under his leadership Chesterfield County VA was four times recognized as the #1 digital county in the USA. Barry holds a masters degree in public leadership with a minor in economics from Virginia State University and a bachelors degree in computer science from DeVry University. He has been adjunct faculty for Virginia Commonwealth University and is currently adjunct faculty for the Public Technology Institute in the certified government CIO program. Barry has been an active NACo contributor, a gubernatorial appointee to the Virginia elections security standards workgroup and a two-time president of the Virginia Local Government IT Executives (VALGITE) organization. He is a certified government CIO (CGCIO), a certified information security manager (CISM) and a national top 25 Doer, Dreamer & Driver. He likes to teach, research technology, write code and blog about technology leadership from his home in Moseley, Virginia.
Ben Mandelstein
TBD
Benjamin Youtz
Benjamin Youtz brings more than 14 years of hands-on experience in IT and Finance to his role as the Capability Leader for Data and Analytics at Logisolve. Ben has extensive experience through innovative data-related projects, extending his expertise from impactful reports to architecting comprehensive enterprise data warehouse solutions. His designs cross many industries, including IT, Finance, Retail, Insurance, Construction and Excels at turning numbers into narratives and insights into impacts!
Brandon Hirsch
Brandon Hirsch is the Director of Government Relations for Minnesota IT Services.
Brandon Olson
Dr. Brandon Olson holds a PhD in Information Technology with a specialization in Project Management and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). Dr. Olson is a Professor and Director of the Master of Science in Applied Data Analytics and Master of Science in Project Management programs at The College of St. Scholastica. In his role at St. Scholastica, he teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in Data Analytics, Computer Information Systems, IT Leadership, and Project Management. Dr. Olson has several published works and presents on topics in data analytics, project management, portfolio management, and knowledge management. In addition to his scholarship and work at the college, Dr. Olson serves as a consultant in the areas of data analytics, project management, and project governance.
Brent Birkeland
2012-Present, Douglas County IT Director 2023-2024 Chair, MN Counties Information Technology Leaders Association
Brian Johnson
Brian Johnson is the president of 7 Minute Security, which specializes in security assessments, penetration testing and training. He is especially passionate about teaching others about security, and hosts a weekly podcast to help consumers and businesses strengthen their security posture. When he isn’t camped out behind a keyboard, he enjoys indoor skydiving and outdoor activities with his family, as well as singing and playing guitar in an acoustic duo.
Chelsey Mona
When I started my career more than 20 years ago, the internet was still in its infancy. Back then, we were just happy to make something that worked at all. But as I've matured in my practice, inclusivity has become a core value that drives my work. I've helped organizations such as the City of Minneapolis change how they're communicating with their audiences. I want to make experiences that are not just easy to use and accessible, but enjoyable! I'm still learning on my journey and invite you all to join with me.
Chetan Ganatra
Chris Hein
Chris Hein runs engineering for Google Public Sector. His team is responsible for architecting technical solutions to solve Public Sector problems. He’s been with Google for 9 years as a Solution Architect, Technical Evangelist, and now Director of Customer Engineering. During that time Chris has helped Fortune 10 companies and state governments alike work more like Google. He is also a member of the Executive AI Principles Fellowship at Google focused on ensuring ethical use of AI both internally and externally. His goal is to help public sector and educational organizations become more efficient and effective in furthering their mission using best in breed technologies and methodologies.
Chris Luhman
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Christian Torkelson
Christian Torkelson (CISSP) is a former elected municipal official and current Cybersecurity expert for the League of Minnesota Cities. He is passionate about public service and enjoys helping local governments and non-technical staff untangle the web of uncertainty surrounding cybersecurity issues. Christian has over 15 years of IT and Cybersecurity experience in the private and government sectors. He focuses on risk management, security program development, training, and compliance.
Collette Johnson
Craig Thielen
Craig is passionate about helping organizations realize their potential through building culture and capabilities for sustained competitive advantage. For over 30 years, he has been a highly sought-after management consultant and has advised many world-class global organizations including United Healthcare, Mayo Clinic, Molson Coors, Navistar, Digi-Key, Target, Land O'Lakes, Pentair, CHS Inc., General Mills, Johnson Controls, Xcel Energy and many more. Craig is a globally recognized thought leader, speaker and writer on the topics of strategy, innovation, enterprise agility, data centricity, digital transformation, and culture. Craig Thielen is a Principal and head of Digital Solutions at Trissential, an award winning management consulting firm focused on business improvement. Trissential is part of Expleo, a global technology & engineering leader with offices in 30+ countries. Previously, Craig served as Vice President at Fujitsu, a global technology leader and Partner at Born Information Services.
Dale Bowen
Dale Bowen has over thirty years experience at PTI, with a focus on research, collaboration, networking, and information-sharing in the local government tech community.
Dan Card
Dan Card is an assistant professor in the Department of Writing Studies at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. His research explores the complex relationship between communication, technology, and the production and circulation of information in digital environments.
Danielle Miller
Danielle Miller is a Principal Experience Strategist at Clockwork. She helps clients across private sector and government agencies to create actionable digital strategies and design human-centered experiences. She enjoys guiding teams through the journey of blending user needs with business objectives and leveraging user research to craft the best solutions.
Dimitri Capetz
Dimitri Capetz has been working in the IT and Networking industry for 15 years. Starting in operations and working up through deployment, engineering, design and architecture, he has personally taken part in all aspects of managing some of the largest and most complex environments in Minnesota. Since coming on board at Arista Networks, he has focused on delivering simple and scalable network solutions to customers to help them address the very real challenges of deploying and operating modern networking infrastructure.
Don Torrez
Don Torrez has worked with more than 350 local governments to better understand web accessibility and how to best comply with law and guidelines. Don is a Certified Accessibility Coordinator with the ADA and has written training curriculum on Web Accessibility and speaks out for greater awareness in electronic disability issues. His vision is to remove the fear and confusion from this issue.
Doug Gawtry
I have been doing GIS work for 25 years now. 15 of those years have been with local government. I have also worked in the energy and telecommunication sectors.
Ed Lutgen
Ed Lutgen is the Minnesota Department of Transportation State Bridge Construction and Maintenance Engineer. Ed graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Civil Engineering degree and has more than 20 years of experience in bridge design, maintenance, inspection, load rating, project development, and construction.
Elizabeth Lo
20 years of state and local government experience and double master’s degrees in economics and journalism with expertise in leading strategic and enterprise initiatives including enterprise resource planning systems, project management, continuous process improvement, contract and budget development.
Emily Schneider
GIS Specialist for the city of Crystal.
Eric Freer
Eric Freer brings over 20 years of entrepreneurial experience and leadership to his role as Director of Business Development and Strategic Markets at Sterling. Leveraging his track record of charting transformative visions and record growth for startups across the technology and healthcare sectors, Freer builds innovative solutions to solve complex customer issues. At Sterling, a leading IT solutions provider, Freer focuses on expanding the company’s federal, public sector, and commercial footprint. Backed by elite internal teams and superior industry partnerships, Sterling offers its customers a simplified, secure IT experience through the management of long-term scalable implementations. Previously, Freer held critical management roles driving advancements at MedTech and emerging technology startups. With his proven learning agility, melding both business intelligence and the ability to inspire teams, he develops new technologies that disrupt ineffective models while also simultaneously enhancing effective ones. Passionate for progress, Freer consults on driving growth across a range of healthcare and tech companies. His background spearheading startups has molded his forward-thinking approach into true value creation.
Gus Broman
Gus is a seasoned communication consultant with experience across various industries including IT, Health Care and Higher Education. He helps clients manage organizational change such as corporate restructuring, installing enterprise software or implementing new processes. His experience spans various industries including Publishing, Technology, Health-Care, and Education. His client base is broad and includes Starkey Hearing Technologies, Tennant, Regis Corporation, Express Scripts, and Mayo Clinic. Gus grew up in North St. Paul and lettered in Soccer, Basketball and Football, he earned his Communication degree from Bethel University. Gus received his MBA from the University of St. Thomas and has been certified by the Project Management Institute as a Project Management Professional since 2003. He’s been an adjunct professor at Bethel teaching in the Business Department for the past 16 years. Gus resides in Eagan with his wife Margie and they have 3 adult boys. Eli their oldest son is pursuing a PhD in Chemistry at the UofM. Their second son Anders is a commercial airline pilot, and the youngest son Hans is a Junior Biology major at Grand Canyon University. Gus and his wife published a book Bridge to Teen to assist parents in Biblically bridging the gap between childhood and adolescence. After their boys finished with Eagan athletics, they’ve continued going to sporting events: Gus does the local TV announcing while Margie runs “Camera 1.” Go Wildcats! Gus works out daily, so he can consume more lutefisk…yes he really does like it! GusBroman@Gmail.com
Heather Benoit
Executive Vice President of Strategic Foresight Heather Benoit is a professionally trained futurist and experienced strategist with expertise in innovation and foresight. As SGR's Executive Vice President of Strategic Foresight, she leverages her experience to understand the most complex challenges facing local governments and works collaboratively to create aspirational visions of the future. Previously, Heather served as the Futures & Insights Lead at M3 Design, where she led futures research in technological development, social and political trends, and environmental sustainability. Prior to that, Heather worked as a product design engineer, leading the development of products ranging from delicate neurosurgical devices to ruggedized industrial equipment. Heather received a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and a Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Baylor University, an MBA from the Quantic School of Business & Technology, and is currently completing a Master of Science in Strategic Foresight at the University of Houston. pronounced: Heather Ben-Wah
Holly LaRochelle
Holly is the Executive Director of Metro-INET, a public consortium that provides a full suite of IT services to over 30 metro area municipalities, in a cost-sharing model. Metro-INET is an example of government working at its best: smaller communities who may not otherwise afford an in-house IT Department benefit from the support of 25 talented IT professionals for network, telephony, data, and desktop support. Holly holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree from the University of Minnesota, a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from Hamline University, and is an accredited Project Management Professional (PMP).
Ilan Kabilan
Multi Cloud Solutions Specialist. Accelerating IT transformations and modernizations aligning to business needs.
Jamey Heary
Jamey Heary is the Chief Security Architect at Cisco Systems, where he leads the Global Security Architecture team and serves as a trusted advisor and architect for many of Cisco's largest and most strategic customers. With over 25 years of experience in the IT security field, Jamey is passionate about consulting on security design and architecture, with a focus on integrated solutions for enhanced protection. Jamey is an accomplished author, having written three books on security, and holds patents on risk reputation techniques. He also invented the SAFE security architecture process, which has become an industry standard. He is a sought-after speaker at cybersecurity events and is a distinguished speaker at Cisco Live. Jamey is a recognized expert in the field, with a CCIE certification and eight years of experience serving on the PCI Standard Board of Advisors.
Jennifer Battan
With an unwavering passion for infusing creative problem-solving techniques into everyday work, Jennifer Battan, CBAP® has dedicated her career to helping teams transform their analysis and problem-solving skills. Don't be fooled by her playful approach - Jennifer is a serious thought leader with an international reputation as a speaker and educator. With certifications in a variety of design and facilitation techniques, Jennifer can guide teams to think, learn, and work in new and exciting ways. From the VIEW Assessment of Problem-solving Style to LEGO® Serious Play® and Gamestorming, Jennifer's toolkit is expansive and always evolving. With Jennifer as your guide, you'll have fun learning, exploring your potential and building your problem-solving skills.
Jeremy Mann
I began my career in business analysis as an IT subject matter expert in the enterprise education management domain. Since then, the opportunities to create solutions and make the world a better place have led me to retail, legal, healthcare and financial institutions, from the local all the way to the global marketplace. As a business analyst ambassador, I successfully achieved a CBAP© certification and actively participate in my local chapter, as well as present on a more national level. I am a career consultant with a diverse background in servant leadership and coaching.
Jerry Hess
[Feel free to shorten the bio, if too long] Jerry Hess leads the FinOps/Cloud Cost Management area for Hennepin County. Over the past two years, a formal FinOps practice focusing on Microsoft Azure has been established at Hennepin. Jerry holds a FinOps Practitioner certification. Prior to leading FinOps, Jerry managed various county IT areas including Enterprise Architecture, IT Infrastructure, and various IT Operations process areas (Major Incident/Problem Management, Disaster Recovery, IT Security Operations, Availability and Capacity Management). Jerry has supplemented his extensive IT infrastructure and network operations experience with industry certifications such as CISSP and ITIL. Prior to Hennepin County, Jerry worked for 13 years at Harris Corp as the manager for multiple Network Operations Centers. This including IT network management and ITIL processes for a U.S. Navy and Marines Corps contract. Prior to Harris, Jerry worked for a couple of start-up organizations and was responsible for Technical Operations, including IT operations, call center operations, and digital streaming of data files and live video via satellite. Jerry started his career in various software development roles from programmer to project manager to line management. Most of this software development was focused on real-time software involved with structural testing, airborne military applications and early wearable PCs developed for military and commercial environments. Notable employers were MTS Systems, Control Data/ General Dynamics. Education: University of Saint Thomas, Master of Business Administration Luther College, Bachelor of Arts, Physics and Mathematics Notable Professional Certifications: FinOps Practitioner – From FinOps Foundation CISSP/ISSMP – Certified Information Systems Security Professional/Information Systems Security Management Professional ITIL Expert – Information Technology Infrastructure Library ISO 27002 Information Security Foundation - Guidelines for organizational information security standards and management practices
Jessica Fendos
Jessica Fendos is the GIS Supervisor for LOGIS. Jessica has worked in advancing geospatial technology for Minnesota government at the city, state and county levels for more than 20 years. She has extensive experience in implementing enterprise GIS systems and developing GIS solutions that enable location-based decision making and process improvement for local government. She received a Master of Geographic Information Science degree from the University of Minnesota and has been a Certified GIS Professional (GISP) since 2008.
Jim Hall
Jim Hall is CEO of Hallmentum, a training and workshops company, and a former Chief Information Officer in government and higher education.
Joe Gorman
Joe Gorman, Security Engineer for Check Point Software, supports Minnesota and the Dakotas organizations. With 12+ years in cyber security, Joe is a trusted advisor to state and local and educational organizations enhancing their security beyond standard firewalls, keeping all of your information secure, wherever it resides.
Joe Perzel
Joe Perzel has been leading projects of all sizes and managing staffs since 1982 in both a corporate and vendor capacity. He has a background in multiple industries such as healthcare, insurance, finance, government, manufacturing, non-profit and education. Presently Joe is President of the Minnesota Chapter of IIBA, partner at JPerzel Inc. as well as Program Manager at Surescripts LLC. Previously he has held leadership positions at Cargill, Thomson Reuters, MN Workers Compensation Bureau, International Multifoods and PMI Minnesota. Joe has been speaking since 2002 on topics ranging from leadership, management/strategy, negotiations/sales. He has presented keynotes, chapter meetings and workshops internationally to multiple corporate, government and non-profit organizations, BBC (Building Business Capability) conference, International Institute of Business Analysts (IIBA) chapters, PMBA Conferences, PMI Global and Region 2, over 20 PMI chapters, local and global Society for Quality (ASQ), International Project Management Assoc. (IPMA) and the PMO Impact Summit.
John Bonhage
John Bonhage entered on duty with the Federal Bureau of Investigation as Special Agent (SA) in 1995. Over the past 27 years he has worked on criminal, counterintelligence, counterterrorism, environmental, aviation security and white-collar crime investigations out of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office. In addition to investigative case work SA Bonhage was on the FBI Minneapolis SWAT team for 20 years and is an FBI certified Firearms Instructor. SA Bonhage currently is the InfraGard and Private Sector Coordinator for Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota and is responsible for FBI liaison with corporations headquartered in the Minneapolis area.
John Israel
John Israel is the State of Minnesota's Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). At MNIT, he leads the executive branch cybersecurity teams, the Minnesota Cybersecurity Task Force (MCTF), and collaborative efforts to engage with entities statewide to build effective cybersecurity strategies across all levels of government in the state.
John Mumma
John has more than 20 years of government and private sector IT experience and has served in a number of roles. His industry experience includes government, healthcare, financial services, and retirement plan administration. John enjoys messy, ambiguous situations and his favorite saying is, "Good ideas never die, they just hibernate until the organization is ready for it".
Jordan Dockter
Jordan Dockter and Jennifer Fung of Sterling will be hosting this entertaining and educational Fireside Chat!
Jordan Wiseman
Jordan has spent more than a quarter century removing barriers, improving security, and enhancing lives through technology. He combines practical experience with modern business skills to protect people and data. Currently, Jordan is a Fellow with Online's Risk, Security, and Privacy team where he works with clients in several sectors as a VCISO and advisor. He also contributes research and leadership on many topics, including, compliance, cryptography, extended reality, artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, and data privacy.
Josh Sizemore
Josh has been serving a variety of clients with technology solutions for more than twenty years. Current focus is helping similar state and local government organizations better manage endpoints vulnerabilities with a dispersed workforce, reducing risk exposure, and create a resilient technology ecosystem in light of future cyber incidents.
Karri Harvey
Kasey Ross
Kasey Ross is the Director of Change Strategy at Clockwork. She has 20+ years of experience supporting individuals and companies through business transformations, organizational development, and technology changes. She draws on behavioral science, community engagement, user experience approaches, as well as traditional change management techniques, to deliver creative and effective solutions to clients.
Laura Farvour
Laura began her tech career at the University of Minnesota in 2009 and grew up inside the Office of Information technology. In 2018, she found her true calling as part of University Information Security. She followed her passion for automating all the things to a new role with Code42 in 2021 and has been orchestrating and engineering every security tool she can get her hands on since then. In between workdays, she teaches group fitness (kickboxing and strength training), plays and cuddles with her pups, and enjoys the occasional three hundred hours with an open world game.
Laura Farvour
Laura is a cybersecurity engineer who has primarily specialized in security operations. She served the University of Minnesota as an incident responder for over three years, at which time she joined corporate life as a SecOps engineer with Code42. As a neurodivergent human, Laura loves to consider ways that she and others can participate in creating a world that encourages folks to show up as they are, rather than as they expect others to want them to show up. It's clear in cybersecurity that we need not only bodies, but diversity of mindset and skill. Laura's efforts in cybersecurity within organizations partners her efforts within spaces that promote equity, kindness, and fair treatment for all humans at work.
Lee-Ann Breuch
Lee-Ann Kastman Breuch, Ph.D., is a Professor and Chair in the Department of Writing Studies at the University of Minnesota. Her research investigates rhetoric and digital writing in a variety of settings such as classrooms, professional organizations, and social media. She teaches courses in technical communication, digital writing, usability research, and evaluation of online interfaces.
Lisa Meredith
Executive Director for MnCCC for more than 20 years. MnCCC is a joint powers organization, working with counties and other local government entities on providing software solutions. I have more than 25-years experience in the nonprofit world. My undergraduate degree is in Business and Marketing from the University of Minnesota-Duluth. I have my MBA with a concentration in nonprofit management and public policy from Saint Thomas University. I have a Masters in Leadership with a concentration in facilitation, also from Saint Thomas University. I am a certified ToP Facilitator (CTF).
Lyle Marsh
Mark Lanterman
Speaker Bio Mark Lanterman is the Chief Technology Officer of Computer Forensic Services. Before entering the private sector, Mark was a member of the U.S. Secret Service Electronic Crimes Taskforce. Mark has over 30 years of security and forensic experience and has testified in over 2000 cases. Mark is faculty for the Federal Judicial Center in Washington, D.C., the National Judicial College in Reno, Nevada, and the University of Minnesota. Mark is a professor in the cybersecurity program at the St. Thomas School of Law in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Mark has provided training in digital evidence, computer forensics and cybersecurity to the United States Supreme Court. He has also presented to the 8th and 11th Circuit Federal Judicial Conferences as well as numerous State and Federal Judicial Conferences across the United States. Mark completed his postgrad studies in cybersecurity at Harvard University and is certified as a Seized Computer Evidence Recovery Specialist (SCERS) by the Department of Homeland Security. Mark is a member of the Minnesota Lawyers Professional Responsibility Board and serves on its Rules & Opinions Committee.
Matthew Moran
GIS Technician at the City of White Bear Lake since 2021.
Matthew Winterer
Matt's professional trajectory as a technologist and leader has been guided by a persistent quest for knowledge. His aptitude for adapting to various tech-centric environments, paired with a robust background, enables him to devise solutions for complex and challenging scenarios. The diverse nature of Matt's work experiences has equipped him with a pragmatic approach to problem-solving, efficient solution crafting, and project execution. His technical skill set is demonstrated through his proficiency with tools such as Akamai WAF and CyberArc, encompassing areas from web security, server management, infrastructure, to identity management, automation, and virtualization. Besides his technical engagements, Matt has a penchant for public speaking, where he articulates complex concepts in an accessible manner. He values continuous growth and collaboration and considers them pivotal elements in his professional philosophy. Matt welcomes the opportunity to share knowledge and foster collaborative discussions. His contributions aim at providing meaningful insights into the realms of cybersecurity, AI, and ethical tech governance. Through his presentations, Matt seeks to stimulate thoughtful discussions geared towards achieving a safer and more intelligent digital realm.
Mel Reeder
Melissa is the Chief Information Officer at the League of Minnesota Cities where she oversees the internal technology and assists cities with their technology. Melissa earned a Master’s in Information Systems, a certificate in Cybersecurity and Privacy Law, and a PMP. Melissa has worked in technology leadership roles in municipal and county government.
Michael Kiefer
Dr. Mike Kiefer has a Ph.D. in behavioral psychology. He researched peak performers for over ten years and published his research in the form of a seven book series: The Powermind System. Dr. Mike has spoken professionally for over 25 years on topics of achievement, efficiency and leadership.
Michael Lea
Michael is currently an automation specialist at Red Hat helping customers move to an automation first mindset. He has over 20 years of IT experience to include cloud, networking and security assurance roles.
Michael Melore
Michael Melore, CISSP IBM Senior Cyber Security Advisor, Certified Information Systems Security Professional, Author, frequent National public speaker and moderator, and recognized subject matter expert in Security and Threat Intelligence, Identity Access Governance, and Authorization. Pioneer in Identity and Access Management, Access Governance, and Authentication. Past Consulting roles include: Lead architect for many of the world’s largest authentication and authorization infrastructures. This includes two of the 1st individual Billion user authentication infrastructures. Founder, Moderator, and Group Secretary for 21 Regional CISO/Security Leader Round Table Chapters across the US. Champion, host and evangelist of regularly scheduled cyber range threat simulation exercises, cyber training and education.
Neng Xiong
Neng Xiong is currently a member of the FinOps team at Hennepin County as a FinOps Analyst supporting Azure Cloud. Neng is an accomplished FinOps Practitioner with a background in Professional IT and finance. Prior to becoming a FinOps Analyst, Neng has worked in departments such as, Human Services and Public Health, Financial Analysis and Accounting, and the Enterprise Support Services within Hennepin County. He attended Metropolitan State University where he obtained both his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and computer information systems. When not at work, he prioritizes spending time with his family, playing soccer, hiking, camping, fishing, and traveling.
Paul Crosby
Meet Paul Crosby, the CEO and co-founder of The Uncommon League. Not just content with leading a company, Paul doubles as a full-time instructor, imparting practical advice on Project Management, Agile, Scrum, Product Management, and Strategic Enterprise Analysis. Paul isn't your run-of-the-mill CEO, folks. He’s also the brains behind three books: “Fail Fast Fail Safe - Harnessing Failure to Succeed”, “The Uncommon Book of Analysis Techniques”, “7 Powerful Analysis Techniques”, and the bright shiny new “Positive Conflict - Transform Discord into Collaboration and Innovation”. His thought-provoking insights have been showcased at events across North America and Europe, including BA World, Project World, Building Business Capabilities, Government Symposiums, IIBA conferences, and many more. But wait, there's more! Paul is currently cooking up two more literary treats: "The Uncommon Book of Analysis Techniques - Part Deux” (expected to hit the shelves late 2023) and "9 Pillars of Analysis - perspectives for every Analyst" (predicted to make a splash in early 2024). And if that wasn't enough, Paul is also a board member of the Sing Your Life - Uncommon Foundation. Under his guidance, the foundation has partnered with TechFluent, Women in Technology, and a host of other organizations to promote Business Analysis, Agile, Product Management, and Project Management skills to new audiences. His mission? To catapult talented individuals into rewarding technology and analysis careers.
Paul Veeneman
With over 27 years of experience across various industries including Finance, Oil and Gas, Healthcare and Manufacturing, Paul has been actively working within the Nation’s critical infrastructure, addressing challenges, providing guidance, insight and innovation in Operations Technology, Industrial Controls, IoT, IIoT, SCADA cyber security knowledge, expertise, and education. Paul currently holds the CISSP, CISM, and CRISC certifications, and serves on several boards, including the local Minnesota chapters of InfraGard, the Information Systems Security Association (ISSA), and the International Society of Automation (ISA).
Peter Alsis
Phil Almeroth
Phil is the Director of Capabilities for Logisolve, a Twin Cities based consulting firm with a wide variety of practice areas, including Government. He is also the Public Board Member for the Board for Global EHS Credentialing. He has broad and deep experience in Program, Project, and IT Management across Financial Services, Banking, Manufacturing, Government, Agriculture, and Media for 35+ years.
Pong Xiong
Pong Xiong is the director of the Department of Public Safety Driver and Vehicle Services division, a position he took in 2021. Before joining DPS, Xiong spent 10 years at the Minnesota Department of Revenue, most recently serving as its director of tax operations. There he supported the annual processing of millions of returns across over 60 tax types, processing of $27 billion annually in tax revenue across all payment platforms. He also oversaw the agency’s central print-and-return mail process, which generates over 3 million letters annually; integrated tax management system support for all cross-agency functions; external tax software provider certification; and annual legislative implementation. Prior to his state service, Xiong served in the United States Marine Corps. His service to his country included a tour to Afghanistan in 2010. Xiong holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management, a Bachelor of Science in Technical Management from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University – Worldwide, and is a graduate of the state’s Senior Leadership Institute.
Richard Matson-Daley
Richard Matson-Daley has almost two decades of technology experience that spans nonprofit, private, higher education and government sectors. He is a stronger believer in collaboration, conversation, participatory leadership, and keeping the people most impacted at the center of all the work we do.
Robert Wallace
Robert is an IT transformation leader with over 28 years of experience in all areas of IT. He has expertise in infrastructure, web, system and application development, training, operations/support, telecom, call-center, datacenter, virtualization, cloud, agile, business agility, lean, process improvement, security, compliance, and more. Robert has extensive SAFe/Agile Organizational Adoption Coach and Program Implementation Consultant certifications and practical experience (SAFe SPC). He guides and coaches' organizations from executives, IT and business executive leadership, to managers, program management, projects, teams, and individual staff. Robert teaches how to adopt Lean-Agile values, principles, and methods to regain and amplify customer and user-driven design and prioritization. He accelerates the incremental delivery of value, drives innovation and improves employee/customer satisfaction.
Romelia Flores
Romelia’s industry experiences combined with her unique software development and design expertise make her one of IBM's most highly sought-after innovators. She has collaborated with leading clients in the design of Electric Vehicle Fleet Management, Space Object Analytics, Connect 360 Health & Human Services, and Airports of the Future. She holds 85 US patents and 10 patents pending. In 2021, she received the Dallas Business Journal’s Women in Business Award. In 2018, she was the first female ever named to the Dallas Tech Titan Hall of Fame and was the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award winner from Great Minds in STEM.
Ron Holifield
Ron Holifield is the Executive Director of the Alliance for Innovation, a nonprofit association of local governments that exists to spur government innovation. Ron Holifield is also CEO of SGR which helps local governments Recruit, Assess and Develop authentic servant leaders. Current clients include over 700 local governments in 47 states, Ron has also provided strategic consultation to some of the leading companies in America, including American Express, Xerox, IBM, PeopleSoft, Verizon, Aramark, Space Imaging, NASA and many more. He previously served almost two decades in City Management with six different cities, ranging from 1,811 residents to over 200,000. Ron is a recognized leader in innovation and initiatives to run government using private business principles. While still active as a City Manager, “Texas Business Magazine” named DeSoto as one of the “10 Best Managed Cities in Texas”. Ron’s weekly 10 in 10 Update on Leadership and Innovation has over 40,000 readers. His second book, 4th Dimension Leadership: a Radical Strategy for Creating an Authentic Servant Leadership Culture is available on Amazon and he is a contributor to the book Building Brands and Creating Cultures of Authentic Servant Leadership, by Stacy Schweikhart.
Ronald Kimlinger
Ron has 30+ years of IT experience and significant experience in project leadership with particular emphasis on full lifecycle software development. Ron has managed many large-scale and award- winning software development projects.
Scott Schwefel
Scott Schwefel has over 30 years of entrepreneurial experience, starting in 1990 by founding Benchmark Computer Learning, which he grew to become Minnesota's largest technology training company. Benchmark was named one of the fastest growing private companies in Minnesota in 1997 and 1998, and Scott was named to Minnesota's 40 under 40 of successful top executives in the year 2001. Scott used Insights Discovery for the last four years that he ran this company. He then founded Insights Twin Cities to deliver the Insights Discovery System to businesses all over the world, and sold that business to Insights Global in 2014. Today Scott owns and operates Discover Yourself, Insights' largest Global Partner, teaching and coaching CEOs and Senior Executives in Sales, Leadership and Team Performance. Scott also serves as a faculty member for Insights, teaches Insights Discovery Accreditations, and is faculty for Insights Navigating Team Effectiveness, as well as delivering Insights' leadership, team and sales programs. Scott's greatest passion is delivering large programs as a highly rated keynote speaker. He is a CSP, Certified Speaking Professional, a designation held by less than 8% of all Professional Speakers. Scott has presented in Paris, London, Venice, Amsterdam, Kuwait, Portugal, Shanghai, Beijing and throughout North America. Scott has also personally trained over 3,500 CEOs as a highly rated Vistage speaker, the largest CEO membership organization in the world, and as a professional speaker brings the magic of Insights Discovery to thousands around the world. Scott's Ted Talk has over 3,600,000 views, and can be seen at www .scottstedtalk.com. Scott is married to his life and business partner Linda Schwefel for over 30 years, who is also an Insights Associate Consultant, and together they have three adult children. Scott is passionate about helping people reach their full potential and he and Linda deliver over a dozen free programs and talks to non-profits annually for this reason.
Sean Barton
Sergio Ortega
Sergio Ortega is the Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML) Business Development Lead for State and Local Government at Amazon Web Services (AWS). He has 20+ years of experience developing and executing AI/ML strategies in state and local government. In addition, Sergio has a background in AI/ML, metaverse, analytics, user experience, and consumer insights. Sergio has a Master of Science degree in data science at the City of University of New York and Masters in Business Administration from the University of Warwick.
Shawn Riley
A lifelong technologist and entrepreneur, Shawn started his first company at the age of 16. He worked as a thought leader for companies like IBM and the Mayo Clinic. His career has included massive change and transformation initiatives spanning multi-billion dollar organizations and roles as Chief Executive Officer, Chief Information Officer, Chief Technology Officer, and Information Management Officer. In 2017 Shawn was appointed by Governor Doug Burgum to lead the state of North Dakota’s Chief Information Officer and cabinet member. Today he serves as the co-founder of Bisblox, a Venture Studio building companies around the world. Shawn is always looking to connect with others who have a “we can change the world” attitude as he strives to be a servant leader and improve lives, empower people, and inspire success.
Shawn Wood
Shawn is a seasoned technology solutions executive with over 15 years of industry experience. Specializing in technology solutions & consulting services. Seth Markgraf is a senior solutions architect that has deep technical knowledge with an emphasis on data center technologies (Compute, Storage, Data Protection and Advanced Networking, etc.). He has worked in the IT industry for 21 years.
Sinikka Waugh
Sinikka Waugh, president and founder of Your Clear Next Step, spends her days helping people have better workdays. Trainer, coach, business leader, and difference maker, Sinikka is known for consistently helping people improve their emotional intelligence and find innovative ways to solve problems and get things done at work. Putting her 20+ year background in languages, literature, and project management to good use, Sinikka has provided compassionate leadership in transformation initiatives and helped over 46,000 people have better workdays since 2008. Her clients value how her results-driven professionalism blends seamlessly with her down-to-earth, “try this now” approach and her relentless passion for helping others achieve even better. Her class participants describe her as energetic and engaging (even over Zoom!). Sinikka holds a BA from Central College, an MA from the University of Iowa, and is a certified Project Management Professional through the Project Management Institute (PMI). Sinikka and her husband Spencer live in Indianola, Iowa with their daughters. The team at Your Clear Next Step lives the company’s core values of being intentionally reliably useful, approaching problems with creativity and the art of the possible, being positive people-people, and demonstrating humility alongside confidence as they deliver training and coaching to their clients in central Iowa and around the world.
Stefanie Horvath
Stefanie has more than 15 years of experience in Information Communication Technology and IT security. Prior to joining the City of St. Paul as Deputy Director and Chief Information Security Officer in October, 2022, she served as Chief Business Technology Officer at Minnesota IT Services for four years. Since 2003, she has served as a member of the Minnesota Army National Guard, which has included deployments in Kosovo and Iraq, and was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General in 2019. She concurrently serves as Assistant to the Director of Operations for U.S. Cyber Command. She holds a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College.
Stephen Clark
With his capabilities in business and technology architecture, analyzing, defining, roadmapping and executing complex, multi-business unit global business initiatives that require new and evolved accountabilities, policies, standard, procedures, system-supported data and information management solutions, Stephen has most recently focused on public sector state and federal operating model and technology modernization investment planning.
Stephen Frethem
Stephen has worked in the IT Industry since 2000 and in the security industry for the previous eight. Based out of the Twin Cities, Stephen has spent time at some of the largest organizations including Target, US Bank, Honeywell, and United Health Group. In his current role at Varonis, Stephen works with organizations around the US helping organizations protect their data from insider threats and cyberattacks.
Ted Goessling
Theresa Wise
Tim Herman
Tim Herman is a cyber security evangelist and an Enterprise Account Director at Online Business Systems helping companies and organizations with Digital Transformation and Cyber Security. Tim previously spent two years working closely with Transportation, Energy, and Mining companies helping with Cyber Preparedness through Tabletop Exercises and Incident Response Planning. He is President of the MN InfraGard Member Alliance, which is an FBI Private Sector Partnership to protect our nation’s critical infrastructure. Tim also serves on the MN Cyber Security Summit Think Tank Advisory Board and spent three years on the MN Information Systems Security Association Board. Tim is passionate about helping businesses and organizations be successful and previously worked with Class One Railroads as Business Development Executive at MBA Engineering, a firm that specializes in ICS/OT/IoT/IIoT/SCADA systems programming, integration, analytics, and cyber security. He also spent time as vCIO- Director of Client Strategy and Success for an IT Managed Services Provider and over ten years as President of SBC, a business strategy, and consulting company.
Tom Guetzke
An award-winning speaker and best-selling author, Tom Guetzke has engaged and inspired audiences around the globe. Traveling to over 65 countries, Tom discovered the self-care habits each one of us can use to boost the happiness in our lives! An expert in the science of happiness, Tom identified The 5 Happy Habits from research in the fields of positive psychology, neurology, and sociology. Tom holds a Masters and completed advanced Positive Psychology & Happiness studies at Penn University, UC Berkeley and Yale. He is also a featured author in Think Positive, Live Happy, a best-selling book in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. As The Happologist, Tom is on a mission to help people, just like you, discover the positive effects of happiness on your health and well-being to lead a life filled with laughter and joy!
Tomo Lennox
My mother has a genius level IQ, and she taught me to do really hard puzzles. When I started getting difficult assignments at school, and especially when I started working, I discovered that everything is a puzzle. Puzzle skills prepare you for everything. Before the first PC, before the first Apple, I was a computer nerd. I was the only student to build a computer in high school. I was the first student in college to have a computer terminal. As my focus became software, I wrote my own operating system, and learned every computer language and framework you have ever heard of. I taught waterfall and structured programming classes. I became a framework expert in my very first job. While doing embedded (combined hardware/software) development, 6 years before the Agile Manifesto, I discovered “Agile” as an extension of the Rapid Prototyping framework. As I carefully experimented with it and documented it, but when XP and Scrum were published, I lost my chance at fame. But as I became a Scrum advocate, I found it to have mixed success; less success than the methods I had developed. I discovered David Anderson and went to his first conference on Kanban. I discovered Mary Poppendieck’s Lean Software Development, and became a reviewer of her second 2 books. Lean had the answers to the problems of Scrum. With certification in Agile and Lean, I developed methods that visibly increase team throughput quickly, and teams loved them. I helped some team switch to Kanban, but most of the teams I work with continue to do Scrum Guide Scrum and add Lean and XP methods. Almost every team I work with improves, and some become high performance teams. I now work to scale this to the entire organization, what they now call Business Agility. It works!
Tony VanDemark
Tony VanDemark is a Senior Sales Engineer at Rubrik for State and Local Government for 8 states in the Midwest. He has 20+ years of background working as a consultant in business continuity, disaster recovery and security solutions.
Trent Leopold
Trent Leopold is an active, professional Sr. Business Analyst with more than 25 years professional experience in the private and public sectors. His experience includes serving in various governance roles. Leopold's experience includes serving as an advisor to two U.S. Presidents, a U.S Vice-President and two Texas Governors. Trent is an active member of the IIBA® and PMI®, and serves to establish Business Analysis standards. He is an IEEE® officer, involved with creating international professional standards including those endorsed by the ISO® most recently pertaining to AI governance. Leopold received a lifetime achievement award from "Who's Who." He is a longitudinal research participant with a major U.S. University in an international study exploring human brain function. Trent’s education includes a MSc. degree in Managerial Science and he's a licensed airplane pilot.
Tyrone Spratt
Tyrone (Ty) Spratt, Chief Business Technology Officer (CBTO) with MNIT Services at MDA, BAH and DLI, has 15 years of government experience holding various business and IT positions within DHS, DNR and MNIT. Ty has also had stops in city and county government and private sector experience with UnitedHealthCare. Known for his collection of colorful ties and irrepressible laugh, Ty has been part of many large IT endeavors including SWIFT and IT consolidation. Ty earned his undergrad and MBA from Metropolitan State University. Active in his community as Lincoln Elementary PTO treasurer and recreation basketball director for Anoka Ramsey Athletic Association, Ty lives in Coon Rapids with his wife Betsy and two sons Isaac (10) and Samuel (8).
Vincent Cabansag
Vincent Cabansag is the Chief Operating Officer at Clockwork. He is responsible for managing internal operations, information technology, and operations engineering and leads the delivery of Clockwork’s strategy, design, and software engineering services and solutions. As the Vice Chair of the State of Minnesota's Technology Advisory Council, Vincent shapes the State’s approach to modernization, providing a human-centric and pragmatic perspective to executive, legislative, and agency leaders.
Vincent Cabansag
About Fusion Learning Partners
From learning opportunities and events to organizational development and collaborative initiatives, Fusion exists to strengthen and transform the communities where we work, live, and thrive.
Because Innovation Begins with Learning.
2023 Steering Committee
- Alex Hepp, City of Hopkins
- Chad Kummerow, Microsoft
- Dave Andrews, Minnesota State Services for the Blind - DEED
- Jay Wyant, Minnesota IT Services
- Jim Hall, Hallmentum
- Matt Bailey, IBM
- Lisa Meredith, Minnesota Counties Computer Cooperative
- Melissa Reeder, League of Minnesota Cities
- Joel Pingel, Google
- Sarah Mixdorf, Google
- Sue Wallace, Quantico Source
- Nash Pherson, Microsoft
- Jennifer Marik, Amazon Web Services- WWPS
- Amy Middendorf, Morrison County
- Adam Larson, Washington County
- Jaime Wascalus, City of St. Paul
- Amy Kretsch-Ward, Fortinet
- Lee Jones, Salesforce
- John Gamades, Orangeball Creative