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.

FILTERS:

Categories

Preconference: Tuesday, Dec 12, 2023

Sessions

9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Project Management for Beginner: The Minimum You Need to Know to Thrive

Location: Room 2

Speakers:

Audience level:

  • Beginning
  • Intermediate

Show/Hide Description ⇩

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
9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Cyber Security Attack Surface: Avoiding and Recovering

Location: Room 3

Speakers:

Audience level:

  • Beginning
  • Intermediate
  • Advanced

Show/Hide Description ⇩

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
9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Becoming a Great Leader Using Situational Leadership Skills

Location: Room 4

Speakers:

Audience level:

  • Intermediate

Show/Hide Description ⇩

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
9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Unleashing the Potential of ChatGPT in Local Government

Location: Room 5

Speakers:

Audience level:

  • Beginning

Show/Hide Description ⇩

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
9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Designing for Inclusivity: Transforming Government Experiences with a Human-Centered Design Approach

Location: Room 6

Speakers:

Audience level:

  • Beginning

Show/Hide Description ⇩

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
9:00 am - 4:00 pm

How to Plan for and Conduct a Tabletop Exercise

Location: Room 7

Speakers:

Audience level:

    Show/Hide Description ⇩

    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 Mel Reeder 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
    1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

    The Dark Arts of Project Leadership: Influence and Politics

    Location: Room 2

    Speakers:

    Audience level:

    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    • Advanced

    Show/Hide Description ⇩

    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
    1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

    Understanding the 12 Components of an Effective Disaster Recovery Plan

    Location: Room 3

    Speakers:

    Audience level:

    • Intermediate

    Show/Hide Description ⇩

    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
    1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

    Performance Management and Work Planning

    Location: Room 4

    Speakers:

    Audience level:

    • Beginning

    Show/Hide Description ⇩

    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

    9:45 am - 10:45 am

    Designing Data Visualizations for Greater Impact

    Location: Room 1

    Speakers:

    Audience level:

    • Intermediate

    Show/Hide Description ⇩

    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
    9:45 am - 10:45 am

    Co-AI Technical Writing: Documentation, Experimentation, User Testing, & Ethical Design

    Location: Room 2

    Speakers:

    Audience level:

    • Beginning

    Show/Hide Description ⇩

    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
    9:45 am - 10:45 am

    Become Open to Change

    Location: Room 3

    Speakers:

    Audience level:

    • Intermediate

    Show/Hide Description ⇩

    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
    9:45 am - 10:45 am

    DevSecOps: Injecting Security Into Your Culture

    Location: Room 4

    Speakers:

    Audience level:

    • Beginning
    • Intermediate
    • Advanced

    Show/Hide Description ⇩

    The future of application security is here and it is called DevSecOps. Security can no longer be a “thing” you do at the end of a project and only if you have time. Security cannot be optional but integrated organically throughout the lifecycle from the start. DevSecOps is a shift in culture, mindset, development practices and project management to ensure your security posture remains intact and grows with the business.

    • Security/IT Operations
    9:45 am - 10:45 am

    Strategic Business Analysis - The Catalyst for Excellence

    Location: Room 5

    Speakers:

    Audience level:

    • Intermediate
    • Advanced

    Show/Hide Description ⇩

    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
    9:45 am - 10:45 am

    Women in IT

    Location: Room 6

    Speakers:

    Audience level:

      Show/Hide Description ⇩

      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
      9:45 am - 10:45 am

      Why IT Support for Your Local PSAP is Mission Critical

      Location: Room 7

      Speakers:

      Audience level:

      • Beginning
      • Intermediate
      • Advanced

      Show/Hide Description ⇩

      Right now the 911 network is going through a major overhaul to an all IP-based system. NG9-1-1 will require IT and GIS to be at the table with 911.The impact this will have on PSAPs is just now being explored with impacts that include on-going cybersecurity needs, PSAP solution upgrades (that may include cloud based vs. on premise systems) and hardware updates. The best way to ensure that these needs are met and the right decisions are made would be to have IT leadership at the table with the 911 local decision makers. This session will provide some education on what changes are occuring in the network, the impacts to the county-based PSAP and how IT can get involved.

      • Security/IT Operations
      9:45 am - 10:45 am

      Project Stakeholders: Dealing with Sleeping Giants to Saboteurs

      Location: Room 8

      Speakers:

      Audience level:

      • Beginning
      • Intermediate

      Show/Hide Description ⇩

      All projects have their promoters and their detractors, people that can either make or break your project or your team. This presentation will give you practical advice on who you need to focus on, show you how to classify where each person sits on the “Interest, Attitude, and Power” axis of your Stakeholder chart and how to improve the attitude and interest of the power players in your world. This presentation will cover the basics and then quickly move into advanced topics, using exercises and situational case studies to emphasize key points, to help you achieve the best win-win outcome for you, your team and your project.

      • Product & Project Skills
      9:45 am - 10:45 am

      Bringing Zero Trust to Network Infrastructure

      Location: Room 10

      Speakers:

      Audience level:

      • Intermediate
      • Advanced

      Show/Hide Description ⇩

      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
      9:45 am - 10:45 am

      Research Resources Help ID What's Trending in Local Government

      Location: Room 9

      Speakers:

      Audience level:

      • Beginning

      Show/Hide Description ⇩

      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
      9:45 am - 10:45 am

      AI’s Impact to Security

      Location: Ballroom A

      Speakers:

      Audience level:

      • Beginning
      • Intermediate
      • Advanced

      Show/Hide Description ⇩

      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
      9:45 am - 10:45 am

      Joint Cyber Security Collaboratives

      Location: Ballroom B

      Speakers:

      Audience level:

      • Intermediate

      Show/Hide Description ⇩

      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
      11:00 am - 12:00 pm

      There are No Politics in the Project World

      Location: Room 1

      Speakers:

      Audience level:

      • Beginning
      • Intermediate
      • Advanced

      Show/Hide Description ⇩

      Business people are faced with lots of data and have to make lots of decisions; and there are plenty of options and opinions about those decisions. If someone does not support your "project" or your "strategy" it is because they have a different perspective that is based on their experiences and priorities. Their lack of support for your idea is not politically based; it's because “you” do not understand their perspective. It is up to you to listen better and try to appreciate an alternative view. Hopefully the other person or department will try to appreciate your good idea too. This presentation will discuss how to take out (or at least reduce) politics in your project, program or portfolio, leaning on effective, pro-active approaches by altering your view of “politics” and improving your understanding of other perspectives.

      • Product & Project Skills
      11:00 am - 12:00 pm

      Chaos and Challenge to Clarity and Creativity

      Location: Room 2

      Speakers:

      Audience level:

      • Advanced

      Show/Hide Description ⇩

      “What do you do next when you don’t know what to do next?” This was the question most frequently asked at a recent conference. Uncertainty can freeze our creative thinking and force us to return to that which is familiar when what we need is to be at our creative peak. The rapidly developing sciences of neuropsychology and quantum physics have provided us with new tools with which to replace brain fog with clarity, change anxiety to certainty, summon “intuition on demand” and become respected leaders who contribute to the development of a new and better-functioning world.

      • People & Leadership Skills
      11:00 am - 12:00 pm

      Accessibility Compliance on Government Websites

      Location: Room 4

      Speakers:

      Audience level:

      • Intermediate

      Show/Hide Description ⇩

      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
      11:00 am - 12:00 pm

      Scaling Agile Transformation at State of Utah

      Location: Room 5

      Speakers:

      Audience level:

      • Beginning
      • Intermediate
      • Advanced

      Show/Hide Description ⇩

      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
      11:00 am - 12:00 pm

      Security 2.0 – Building Blocks of a Modern Security Architecture

      Location: Room 6

      Speakers:

      Audience level:

      • Beginning
      • Intermediate

      Show/Hide Description ⇩

      Our current security architectures are continually challenged to prevent or even detect malicious actors. How can we take our security programs and architecture to the ‘Security 2.0?’ This talk walks through three major building blocks of a modern security architecture and its use of AI and Automation to name some components. In this interactive session we will walk through the following: a.) Explain what capabilities we are seeing in newer modern architectures and b.) whiteboard an approach to build it out.

      • Security/IT Operations
      11:00 am - 12:00 pm

      The Professionalization of IT Management and Leadership: Trends and Opportunities for Professional D

      Location: Room 7

      Speakers:

      Audience level:

      • Beginning
      • Intermediate
      • Advanced

      Show/Hide Description ⇩

      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
      11:00 am - 12:00 pm

      7 Powerful Analysis Techniques - Up your analysis game

      Location: Room 8

      Speakers:

      Audience level:

      • Beginning
      • Intermediate

      Show/Hide Description ⇩

      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
      11:00 am - 12:00 pm

      Building Smart Government to Help Communities Thrive – GIS Action Stories

      Location: Room 9

      Speakers:

      Audience level:

      • Beginning
      • Intermediate

      Show/Hide Description ⇩

      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
      11:00 am - 12:00 pm

      Cyber Threat Awareness and Creative Strategies for Managing Risk

      Location: Ballroom B

      Speakers:

      Audience level:

        Show/Hide Description ⇩

        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
        3:00 pm - 4:00 pm

        Government IT Professionals Transforming Public Procurement

        Location: Room 1

        Speakers:

        Audience level:

        • Beginning
        • Intermediate
        • Advanced

        Show/Hide Description ⇩

        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
        3:00 pm - 4:00 pm

        Better Service through Automation

        Location: Room 2

        Speakers:

        Audience level:

        • Beginning
        • Intermediate
        • Advanced

        Show/Hide Description ⇩

        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
        3:00 pm - 4:00 pm

        The BA/PM Conundrum

        Location: Room 3

        Speakers:

        Audience level:

        • Beginning
        • Intermediate
        • Advanced

        Show/Hide Description ⇩

        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
        3:00 pm - 4:00 pm

        Communicate In Full Color

        Location: Room 4

        Speakers:

        Audience level:

        • Beginning
        • Intermediate
        • Advanced

        Show/Hide Description ⇩

        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
        3:00 pm - 4:00 pm

        Threat Actor TTPs: Tools, Tactics, and Packets

        Location: Room 5

        Speakers:

        Audience level:

        • Intermediate
        • Advanced

        Show/Hide Description ⇩

        This session will focus on the attacker tools emerging as the most prolific and highest risk in the threat landscape. We'll showcase a few that stand out from our continuous survey of the threat landscape, red team activities, and Incident Response investigations. We'll examine how these tools work, how they exploit configurations and systems within your network, and explore why they can be so difficult to detect. We'll also discuss the detection of these threats.

        • Security/IT Operations
        3:00 pm - 4:00 pm

        The Happy Leader: Unlocking the Power of Positive Leadership!

        Location: Room 6

        Speakers:

        Audience level:

        • Beginning
        • Intermediate
        • Advanced

        Show/Hide Description ⇩

        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
        3:00 pm - 4:00 pm

        Positive Conflict - Transform Discord into Collaboration and Innovation

        Location: Room 7

        Speakers:

        Audience level:

          Show/Hide Description ⇩

          Get ready to dive into a world where conflict isn't just a dreaded part of life, but an exciting catalyst for innovation and collaboration! This groundbreaking presentation takes the age-old notion of conflict and gives it a fresh, positive spin. Forget everything you thought you knew about disagreements and disputes, because this presentation turns it all on its head. Through the ingenious use of the Conflict Approach Model, Conflict Engagement Model, and the Collaborative Conflict Model, Paul will show you how to harness the power of positive conflict. It's like having a secret weapon for creativity and teamwork that you never knew existed. Get a free download of the models that are yours to keep. Let’s get this conflict started!

          • People & Leadership Skills
          3:00 pm - 4:00 pm

          Effective Interviewing

          Location: Room 8

          Speakers:

          Audience level:

          • Intermediate

          Show/Hide Description ⇩

          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
          3:00 pm - 4:00 pm

          Think Tank: Cybersecurity in Local Government

          Location: Room 9

          Speakers:

          Audience level:

          • Intermediate

          Show/Hide Description ⇩

          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
          3:00 pm - 4:00 pm

          Artificial Intelligence and Poor Cyber Security Don’t Mix

          Location: Ballroom A

          Speakers:

          Audience level:

          • Intermediate

          Show/Hide Description ⇩

          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
          3:00 pm - 4:00 pm

          Ransom Situation: 1 Click Away

          Location: Ballroom B

          Speakers:

          Audience level:

          • Beginning
          • Intermediate
          • Advanced

          Show/Hide Description ⇩

          What are your best protections when only 1 user click can compromise your infrastructure? Well orchestrated social engineering ploys using families and friends to get to your users are increasing. We’ll review the new techniques used by bad actors to effectively mine information and gain access, and how accessible, and low priced the tooling used to attack individuals and organizations are.

          • Security/IT Operations

          Thursday, Dec 14, 2023

          Sessions

          9:45 am - 10:45 am

          Tech Providers Transforming Public Procurement

          Location: Room 1

          Speakers:

          Audience level:

          • Beginning
          • Intermediate
          • Advanced

          Show/Hide Description ⇩

          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
          9:45 am - 10:45 am

          Strategic Planning: It's Easier to Interpolate Than Extrapolate

          Location: Room 2

          Speakers:

          Audience level:

          • Intermediate

          Show/Hide Description ⇩

          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
          9:45 am - 10:45 am

          Hennepin County's FinOps Journey

          Location: Room 3

          Speakers:

          Audience level:

          • Intermediate

          Show/Hide Description ⇩

          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
          9:45 am - 10:45 am

          Better Estimation with Throughput Projection

          Location: Room 4

          Speakers:

          Audience level:

          • Intermediate

          Show/Hide Description ⇩

          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
          9:45 am - 10:45 am

          General High Availability

          Location: Room 5

          Speakers:

          Audience level:

          • Intermediate

          Show/Hide Description ⇩

          Reduce both CAPX and OPEX with IBM solutions for high availability and disaster recovery. The IBM i HA/DR portfolio covers the spectrum from storage-based solutions to IP based Geographic Mirroring for both on premise and/or in cloud. The solution portfolio enables automated fail-over, provides off-line backups and ransomware protection. We’ll cover the options, how they work and how you should position them as well as the latest enhancements.

          • Security/IT Operations
          9:45 am - 10:45 am

          Records and Data Practices Laws in Minnesota

          Location: Room 6

          Speakers:

          Audience level:

          • Beginning
          • Intermediate

          Show/Hide Description ⇩

          Being compliant is an essential part of government technology business practices. Join us for this critical review of records and data practice laws in Minnesota.

          • Security/IT Operations
          9:45 am - 10:45 am

          Analysts Assemble: Unleash your Teamwork Superpowers

          Location: Room 7

          Speakers:

          Audience level:

          • Intermediate

          Show/Hide Description ⇩

          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
          9:45 am - 10:45 am

          Get More Done with Digital Workers

          Location: Room 8

          Speakers:

          Audience level:

            Show/Hide Description ⇩

            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
            9:45 am - 10:45 am

            Think Tank: Reinventing Technology Leadership for Local Government

            Location: Room 9

            Speakers:

            Audience level:

            • Intermediate

            Show/Hide Description ⇩

            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
            9:45 am - 10:45 am

            Securing the Future: Addressing Threats to Critical Infrastructure.

            Location: Ballroom A

            Speakers:

            Audience level:

            • Beginning
            • Intermediate

            Show/Hide Description ⇩

            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
            9:45 am - 10:45 am

            Softer Side of App Sec Program

            Location: Ballroom B

            Speakers:

            Audience level:

            • Beginning

            Show/Hide Description ⇩

            Building an app sec program is more than the tools and technologies. The people and process are equally as important, if not more important. This presentation will walk through scenarios and have small group discussion to explore ideas. The presenter will share lessons learned that were discovered going through building app sec programs at different companies.

            • Security/IT Operations
            9:45 am - 10:45 am

            Minnesota's Whole-of-State Cybersecurity Grant Program for Local Government

            Location: Ballroom C

            Speakers:

            Audience level:

              Show/Hide Description ⇩

              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
              11:00 am - 12:00 pm

              Necessary, Desirable, Available and Often Ever-changing Data

              Location: Room 1

              Speakers:

              Audience level:

              • Beginning
              • Intermediate
              • Advanced

              Show/Hide Description ⇩

              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
              11:00 am - 12:00 pm

              Cyber Sports Nationwide to Change the Game!

              Location: Room 2

              Speakers:

              Audience level:

              • Intermediate

              Show/Hide Description ⇩

              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
              11:00 am - 12:00 pm

              Managing Change and Surviving to Talk About It

              Location: Room 3

              Speakers:

              Audience level:

              • Intermediate
              • Advanced

              Show/Hide Description ⇩

              Project, Program and PMO Mangers are in the business of improving the organization they work for. This improvement often leads to the need to change the organization, a department or some people’s job. This session will quickly go through the strategic benefits of Organizational Change Management (OCM) and then delve into several tactical approaches for how to lead a successful assimilation of your initiative through the enterprise. While most project professionals are taught how to run a project from kick-off to lessons learned, many either are unaware or struggle with the side effect of the organizational change that follows enterprise level projects deployments. This presentation will key in on techniques and tools your rollout can use to survive the aftermath of your Go-Live.

              • People & Leadership Skills
              11:00 am - 12:00 pm

              Empowering Changemakers

              Location: Room 4

              Speakers:

              Audience level:

              • Beginning
              • Intermediate
              • Advanced

              Show/Hide Description ⇩

              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
              11:00 am - 12:00 pm

              The Power of Collaboration: Promoting Organizational Maturity and Inclusivity in Digital Government

              Location: Room 5

              Speakers:

              Audience level:

              • Beginning
              • Intermediate

              Show/Hide Description ⇩

              The Hennepin County Design System will launch in early 2024. Find out how the collaboration across multiple departments joins diverse perspectives and expertise, fosters innovative solutions, and pushes the boundaries of what is possible. Breaking down silos in government creates an opportunity to tap into collective knowledge and expertise which results in a more comprehensive, effective, and inclusive design system that benefits everyone.

              • Digital Government
              11:00 am - 12:00 pm

              Cultural Transformation Using Emotional Intelligence Leadership through a Growth Mindset

              Location: Room 6

              Speakers:

              Audience level:

              • Beginning
              • Intermediate
              • Advanced

              Show/Hide Description ⇩

              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
              11:00 am - 12:00 pm

              Gate’s Open, Come On In: Inclusive Hiring in Cybersecurity

              Location: Room 8

              Speakers:

              Audience level:

              • Beginning
              • Intermediate
              • Advanced

              Show/Hide Description ⇩

              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
              11:00 am - 12:00 pm

              Think Tank: Idea Generation!

              Location: Room 9

              Speakers:

              Audience level:

              • Intermediate

              Show/Hide Description ⇩

              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
              11:00 am - 12:00 pm

              Generative AI Growing Pains, Security Value and Implications

              Location: Ballroom B

              Speakers:

              Audience level:

              • Beginning
              • Intermediate
              • Advanced

              Show/Hide Description ⇩

              The state of AI today is reminiscent of when the company I was with in my youth achieved a major milestone for the world. Netscape brought the world a new world wide web interface to the internet and allowed the masses simplified access to the internet. The chatbots today are in the same way bringing the masses to AI. In this session, we’ll review how many organizations are already exploring it’s use for their enterprises, growing pains, barriers to entry, challenges spanning from trust and bias to accurate information, and new applications of AI in security.

              • Innovation, Insights & Trends
              11:00 am - 12:00 pm

              Simple Ways to Test Your SIEM

              Location: Ballroom C

              Speakers:

              Audience level:

              • Intermediate

              Show/Hide Description ⇩

              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
              11:00 am - 12:00 pm

              Artificial Intelligence: Friend or Foe in the Context of Ransomware

              Location: Ballroom D

              Speakers:

              Audience level:

                Show/Hide Description ⇩

                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

                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.

                Andy Pilney

                Steve Finnis has worked with High Availability for 25 years.

                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.

                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

                Ben Youtz

                Ben Youtz is a dedicated Data Analyst providing both business intelligence and analytics in multiple dimensions including renewable energies, finance, HR, business development, marketing, and IT. He volunteers as a mentor, was appointed to the Lean Innovation council and serves as a guest lecturer at universities including Augsburg University and the University of St. Thomas.

                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.

                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.

                Charles Stech

                I have worked in records and information management for decades.

                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.

                Chris Luhman

                .

                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.

                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.

                Drew Koenig

                Security professional with over 20 years in IT Security. Currently I am the Principal IT Security Architect at the Federal Reserve 9th District in Minneapolis. As a side hobby I have a blog, http://www.binaryblogger.com where I add news, tips, and opinions around current technology and social media topics. I also manage the Security In Five blog where I cover security topics, issues or offer tips. https://securityinfive.com

                Eric Poynton

                Eric Poynton is the most tenured Threat Research Specialist at Awake Security, The NDR Security Division of Arista Networks. He focuses on threat hunting and successfully discovers and investigates compromised IoT, managed, and unmanaged devices in enterprise networks on a near daily basis. Additionally, Eric conducts research and development on methodologies to make Security Operations Center (SOC) teams more accurate and efficient. Areas of research include IoT, Cloud environments, and more. He is a former Board Member on EC-Council's Security Operations Center Advisory Board and is self-taught in computer science and several programming languages. Eric also graduated with honors from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree focused in Economics.

                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

                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 Daw

                Joe Daw (CISSP, CCSP, CIPM) has been with IBM for 8 years as a Cyber Security Architect for IBM North America and currently residing in the Cleveland, OH area. Joe came to IBM with 20+ years of experience in Firm Information Security leadership (CISO), which included Jones Day, a top global law firm, and Farmers Insurance (Security Manager). Joe's key strengths are in assessing, implementing, and building information security programs within multiple industries, many of which required and maintained Sarbanes-Oxley and PCI compliance. Joe holds a Bachelor of Computer Science from the University of Akron and maintains a CISSP, CCSP and CIPM, as well as is a founder and active board member for the local Cleveland, OH ISC2 chapter program.

                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.

                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.

                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).

                Lynette Crane

                Lynette Crane is a 45-year veteran of research and training in stress management and resilience, presenting her programs to organizations throughout the United States. A certified HeartMath trainer in Resilience Advantage, she draws upon the latest research in neuropsychology and quantum physics to construct programs that fit the schedules of the overly-busy people in a constantly changing world.

                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.

                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).

                Penni Dehaan

                I have worked for the State of Utah for 30 years in various positions. Currently, I am working on the Project Management Team as a scaled agile coach. We recently implemented scaled agile for the Department of Technology Services, State of Utah with a quarterly roll out approach. It was really successful and the department is fully using scaled agile.

                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.

                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.

                Sandi Stroud

                Sandi Stroud has spent 3 years as the 911 program manager for the state of Minnesota. Statutorily, the division she works for, Emergency Communication Networks within the Department of Public Safety manages the 911 IP network for each PSAP in the state. Prior to her role with ECN, Ms. Stroud spent her career as a GIS professional at the local, state and national levels. She also spent 5 years building the Datamark program for Michael Baker International. This included developing the first SaaS GIS for NG9-1-1 solution on the commercial market.

                Sarah Goranson

                Information Security leader who believes Security is everyone's job. Sarah has over 20 years of experience in Technology and Security in a variety of technical and leadership roles. She currently oversees Security Operations and Architecture for the Minneapolis Fed.

                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.

                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.

                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.

                Susannah Harris

                tbd

                Tasha Riedman

                I'm a UX/UI Designer with more than a pretty interface. I'm a futurist with energy to give; focused on accessible design. Curious about technology integration, and human-centered solutions, driven by their possibilities together.

                Theresa Jurisch

                Theresa Jurisch brings over 25 years of technology, software, and security experience to Datasite. She has focused roles leading the App Sec program, and the Sec Ops team, and has also provided marked improvement with Vendor Security process and Policy review and updates. Her skill in bringing business units together has led to greater responsibilities. Theresa holds a Masters in Security Management, and has had her CISSP since 2017.

                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!

                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.

                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 Consulting
                • 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