Registration and Morning Refreshments

Welcome

Robert Osmond, Chief Information Officer, Virginia Information Technologies Agency, Commonwealth of Virginia

The Honorable Lyn McDermid, Secretary of Administration, Commonwealth of Virginia

Keynote – The Art of Espionage: Understanding the Fundamentals of Spycraft

Espionage isn't just a plot in thrillers; it's a real and present danger. Doubtful you could be enticed into the world of spying? Think again. Our speaker, a former Case Officer (spy), will unveil her methods for identifying and recruiting individuals across various industries—revealing tactics from casual conversations at airport lounges to sophisticated surveillance operations. This insightful presentation dives deep into the clandestine world of espionage and its implications for your organization. Explore the intricate realms of industrial, corporate, and foreign espionage, as we dissect their motivations, the financial stakes involved, recruitment strategies, and provide vivid case studies of threat actors. Learn about the espionage toolkit, which blends traditional human intelligence methods with cutting-edge cyber security tactics. This talk will illuminate how today's adversaries, including hackers, nation-states, and organized crime rings, employ espionage techniques reminiscent of those used by spies. Equip yourself with the knowledge to detect and defend against espionage, whether you're facing a human operative or a cyber threat.

Shawnee Delaney, Founder and CEO, Vaillance Group

Networking Break

Concurrent Sessions

The Data Journey: From Governance to Impactful Decision-Making

In the public sector, data is more than just numbers - it’s the foundation for informed policy, resource allocation, and service improvements. But how do state and local governments ensure they’re collecting, governing, and utilizing data effectively to drive better decision-making? This session will explore the full lifecycle of data - governance, cleansing, and strategy - leading to a North Star of data-driven decision-making. Panelists from state and local governments will share real-world examples of how they have leveraged data to shape policy, improve service delivery, set the foundation for AI, and demonstrate ROI.

Talent on Tap – Unlocking Certification and Upskilling Paths

Virginia is sharpening its focus on building a strong pipeline from higher education into public service by investing in certifications, apprenticeships, and skill-based learning models designed to meet real-world IT demands. As agencies across the Commonwealth face increasing pressure to fill critical technology and business roles, forward-thinking leaders are partnering with colleges, workforce boards, and training providers to create clear, accelerated pathways into government careers. This session will explore Virginia's strategies for bridging the gap between classroom and career - highlighting how certification programs, hands-on internships, and public-private collaboration are helping students transition from graduation to immediate impact in the public sector.

Shadow IT: From Saying No to Knowing More

In today’s fast-paced, tool-saturated environment, Shadow IT is no longer just a risk—it’s a reality. Well-meaning teams often turn to unsanctioned apps and platforms to get work done faster, creating blind spots in security, compliance, and data governance. But the answer isn’t always “no”—it’s “know.” This session explores how public-sector IT leaders can shift from a culture of restriction to one of visibility, education, and enablement. Learn how to uncover what’s being used, why teams are bypassing official channels, and how to respond with flexible, secure solutions that meet evolving business needs without sacrificing control. It’s time to turn Shadow IT into smarter IT.

The Cost of Innovation – Economic Forces, Budgets and Smarter Procurement

With shifting policies, state and local governments in North Carolina must adapt their IT strategies to align with evolving economic conditions and funding landscapes. Can we better leverage contracts, agile sourcing and vendor partnerships that deliver great value? Can we find creative ways to do less with more? This session will explore key economic trends, investment priorities, procurement strategy and how IT can collaborate to maximize value and accelerate modernization.

Managing Change: Practical Strategies for People Transformation

Change is never easy – especially when organizational and business transformations must move forward with limited resources and outdated processes. This session will explore practical strategies for change management, including managing expectations, engaging cross-functional teams, and maintaining continuity through transitions. Government IT leaders will learn how to foster a culture of adaptability, manage risk, optimize resources, and balance investments in people and technology to ensure long-term organizational readiness.

Lunch

General session - DMV

General session - TAX

Networking Break

Concurrent Sessions

Threatscape 2025: Preparing for What’s Next in Cybersecurity

The cyber threat landscape is evolving faster than ever—and so must our defenses. As ransomware grows more targeted, AI tools are weaponized by bad actors, and critical infrastructure faces escalating risks, government agencies must stay ahead of the curve. This session explores the latest wave of emerging threats, from deepfakes and phishing-as-a-service to supply chain vulnerabilities and cloud-based exploits. Hear how public-sector organizations are adapting with zero trust architectures, advanced threat detection, and cross-sector collaboration.

Stronger Together: Breaking Silos and Building Smarter Through Collaboration

Why reinvent the wheel when another agency already built it? Across all levels of government, agencies are facing similar challenges—but too often tackling them in isolation. This session explores the power of cross-agency collaboration, shared services, and knowledge exchange to accelerate innovation, reduce duplication, and deliver better outcomes for the public. From replicating successful pilots to adopting common frameworks, we’ll look at real-world examples of how collaboration—across cities, counties, and states—is saving time, maximizing resources, and creating scalable solutions. Learn how to tap into the collective brainpower of government to move faster, smarter, and with greater impact.

Advancing Digital Accessibility

As digital services expand, governments must address challenges related to infrastructure, platform usability, and compliance with standards such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 to meet accessibility requirements. This session explores practical approaches to enhancing digital access, ensuring web and application accessibility, and promoting user success. We'll spotlight how Virginia is advancing these efforts through improved connectivity and user-centered technology design.

Smarter, Faster, Connected: Unlocking the Power of IoT and Mobility

From smart traffic lights and connected sensors to mobile inspections and real-time public safety alerts, the convergence of IoT and mobility is reshaping how government serves and responds. This session explores how public-sector agencies are leveraging connected devices and mobile platforms to improve decision-making, streamline operations, and deliver services at the speed of need. We’ll dive into use cases that span transportation, infrastructure, emergency management, and citizen engagement - while also addressing key challenges like data security, interoperability, and network scalability.

Executive Briefing for Industry Partners

Hosted by: Robert Osmond, Chief Information Officer, Virginia Information Technologies Agency, Commonwealth of Virginia

Networking Break

General Session – The Government Experience Revolution – Reimagining Personalized Government Delivery

Constituents today expect the same level of seamless, personalized service from government that they receive in the private sector. The Government Experience Revolution is transforming how agencies deliver services - moving from one-size-fits-all approaches to data-driven, user-centric experiences. This session, presented by the Center for Digital Government, will explore how governments are leveraging AI, digital identity, and advanced analytics to anticipate citizen needs, streamline interactions, and build trust through personalization.

Barry Condrey, Senior Fellow, Center for Digital Government

Commonwealth Technology Awards

Networking Reception

Network with your colleagues and discuss technology solutions with the event exhibitors.

End of Day One

Registration and Morning Refreshments

Welcome

Robert Osmond, Chief Information Officer, Virginia Information Technologies Agency, Commonwealth of Virginia

Keynote - Think Like a Futurist: Turning Trends into Opportunities

Leaders must embrace futures thinking to see the signals and trends shaping our world, and to anticipate how we can transform and uncover new opportunities. This session helps you develop foresight to address the most common challenges facing the public sector: evolving constituent expectations, emerging tech, sustainability, misinformation, privacy, security, global megatrends, and domestic shifts in economies, workforces, and societal movements. Nikolas Badminton will guide you through futurist tools and techniques, teaching you to identify signals and trends, harness strategic foresight, and unlock resiliency by shifting your perspective from what is to WHAT IF

Nik Badminton, Chief Futurist and Hope Engineer

General Session - OGDA Spotlight

Networking Break

Concurrent Sessions

Designed for Impact: Bringing Human-Centered Design to Government Services

Technology works best when it works for everyone - and that starts with design. Human-centered design (HCD) puts people, not processes, at the core of digital transformation, ensuring services are intuitive, accessible, and truly meet the needs of those they serve. In this session, we’ll explore how public-sector teams are using HCD to build trust, reduce friction, and improve outcomes across programs and platforms. From inclusive research and journey mapping to prototyping and user testing, discover practical strategies for embedding empathy and usability into every phase of service delivery.

Virginia’s Cloud Evolution

Virginia’s cloud journey has evolved from an ambitious cloud-first mandate into a strategic, cloud-smart approach focused on optimization, security, and service delivery. After virtualizing 94% of infrastructure and retiring its legacy data center, the state has embraced hybrid environments, expanded enterprise network capacity by 1,500%, and implemented a flexible multi-vendor model. Now, the focus is on sustaining this momentum through workforce reskilling - equipping teams with the cloud-native skills, cybersecurity knowledge, and agile practices needed to support modern government. This session explores how the Commonwealth is aligning infrastructure, governance, and talent to deliver a secure, efficient, and future-ready digital experience for all Virginians.

Coexisting with Technology: Optimizing the Workforce for a New Era

Emerging technologies are transforming the public sector workforce by streamlining operations, enhancing decision-making, and redefining job roles. As government agencies adopt new tools and automation, the challenge lies in balancing technological innovation with workforce optimization. How can IT leaders ensure a smooth transition, empower employees with new skills, and foster effective collaboration? This session will delve into strategies for seamlessly integrating emerging technologies into government operations while cultivating a culture that is resilient.

Rethinking Identity and Access Management in Government

As the threat landscape evolves and digital services expand, identity and access management (IAM) has become the cornerstone of cybersecurity in government. Gone are the days of perimeter-based defenses -today, securing the “front door” means ensuring the right individuals have the right access at the right time, for the right reasons. This session explores how agencies are modernizing IAM strategies to support zero trust architectures, streamline user provisioning, and manage complex access across hybrid environments and multiple identity sources.

Lunch

General Session – Local Government Innovation Spotlight

Innovation is alive and well at the local level in Virginia, where cities, counties, and towns are finding creative ways to serve their communities more effectively. This session highlights how local governments are pushing boundaries, testing new ideas, and building solutions that meet real-world needs - often with limited resources and a deep understanding of their constituents.

General Session - Elements of a Baseline Cybersecurity Program

Every public agency - regardless of size or mission - needs a strong cybersecurity foundation. But where do you begin? This session walks through the core components of an effective cybersecurity program. We’ll cover essential building blocks such as risk assessments, access controls, incident response planning, employee training, and policy development. Attendees will learn how to align with frameworks like NIST, build a culture of security awareness, and prioritize limited resources for maximum impact.

Networking Break

Concurrent Sessions

AI and RPA Use Cases That Are Redefining Government Work

Artificial Intelligence and Robotic Process Automation (RPA) are no longer experimental—they’re delivering real results across government. This session highlights proven use cases where these technologies are streamlining operations, reducing manual workloads, and enabling staff to focus on more strategic tasks. From automating back-office processes like invoice approvals and data entry to deploying AI for customer service, fraud detection, and infrastructure monitoring, these tools are transforming how work gets done.

Citizen Development Governance: Building a Low Code Framework That Works

As citizen development gains momentum across the public sector, agencies are increasingly turning to low-code platforms to empower staff, streamline operations, and accelerate innovation. But without the right guardrails, these efforts can quickly lead to fragmentation, data risks, and unmanageable sprawl. This session offers a practical look at how to establish a sustainable governance framework to support non-technical developers - covering key pillars like enforcing data loss prevention (DLP) policies, setting standards for solution components, and building a peer-driven support model. Whether you're just getting started or looking to strengthen an existing program, you'll walk away with actionable strategies, lessons learned, and a clearer path to enabling secure, scalable citizen development.

Bridging the Gap Between Business and IT

Despite sharing common goals, business and IT teams often speak different languages—leading to misaligned priorities, communication breakdowns, and missed opportunities. As digital transformation accelerates, successful public-sector organizations are rethinking how to foster collaboration, build trust, and align strategy across both sides of the aisle. This session will explore practical ways to close the communication gap between business and IT leaders. From translating technical concepts into business value to building shared roadmaps and inclusive governance structures, we’ll examine proven strategies for creating a culture of partnership.

Networking Reception

End of Conference

Conference times, agenda, and speakers are subject to change.