Registration and Morning Refreshments in the Exhibit Area

Opening Remarks

Daniel Urquhart, Secretary of Information Technology, Chief Information Officer, State of Alabama

General Session – IT State of the State

A distinguished panel of Alabama IT leaders will deliver rapid-fire lightning talks showcasing the latest advances driving digital transformation across the state. Topics include:

This fast-paced session provides a concise, high-impact overview of Alabama’s most strategic technology efforts and their role in shaping a more secure, connected, and innovative future.

Daniel Urquhart, Secretary of Information Technology, Chief Information Officer, State of Alabama

Willie Fields, Deputy Secretary, Office of Information Technology, State of Alabama

Chad Smith, Chief Information Security Officer, Office of Information Technology, State of Alabama

Keynote – The Human Factor: A Spy’s Guide to Social Engineering and Insider Threats

This presentation will provide an overview on what the term "insider threat" actually encompasses, from unintentional acts to malicious acts, and everything in between. It will provide details and case studies on malicious insider acts, psychological motivations of a malicious actor, and the Critical Pathway. The Critical Pathway, as identified by Shaw and Sellers, explains how personal predispositions, stressors, and concerning behaviors can lead up to Insider Threat-like behaviors and/or malicious acts. Discover how human behavior, culture, and personal vulnerabilities can expose your organization to insider threats - and what you can do to strengthen your defenses.

Shawnee Delaney, Founder and CEO, Vaillance Group

Networking Break in the Exhibit Area

Concurrent Sessions

Preparing for AI: Practical Applications, Innovation & Risk

As AI and emerging technologies evolve at a rapid pace, state and local governments must balance innovation with practicality, governance, and risk. This session explores real-world AI applications, governance considerations, and budget-conscious approaches to adoption. Attendees will gain insights into distinguishing hype from impactful use cases, strengthening governance, and successful approaches to implement emerging technologies while maintaining operational stability and public trust.

Doing More with Less: Effective Modernization Strategies

Public-sector IT leaders are under increasing pressure to modernize systems with limited resources and budgets. This session will explore strategies to advance modernization in constrained environments, from stronger project management and streamlined development to effective systems integration. Discover how agencies are cutting costs, optimizing performance, and making effective build-versus-buy decisions to keep critical projects moving forward.

Alberick Manners, Senior Programmer Analyst, Department of Transportation, State of Alabama

Future-Ready Workforce

As the nature of work evolves rapidly, government IT organizations must proactively prepare their workforce by identifying skill gaps and developing targeted upskilling strategies that support employees across diverse experience levels. This session will explore workforce planning tools, effective training methods, and strategies to ensure readiness for ongoing technological change, including the new skills required in an era of AI. Learn how to build a resilient, future-ready workforce equipped to meet the demands of modern public service and adapt to emerging challenges.

From Fragmentation to Standardization: Strengthening the IT Enterprise

Government organizations often struggle with fragmented systems, siloed services, and overlapping technologies that create complexity, inefficiency, and security risks. This session will examine how standardization – through shared services, enterprise platforms, and stronger governance – can improve efficiency, strengthen security, and reduce duplication. Attendees will also explore practical strategies for implementing enterprise platforms and balancing shared versus specialized services to build a more secure, streamlined IT environment.

Sara Fenn, Director of Technology, Jefferson County School District

Lunch

General Session - Cyber Resources Unlocked: Tools, Funding, and Strategies for Success

Fortify your organization’s cybersecurity posture in this dynamic, information-packed session! Whether you’re a municipality or state agency, discover how to access and leverage available resources and grant funding for programs, training, and risk assessments. Gain practical strategies to strengthen cyber maturity, foster collaboration, and stay ahead of evolving threats with actionable insights your team can implement right away.

Short Break

Please proceed to the concurrent sessions.

Concurrent Sessions

Data Strategy in Action

Public-sector organizations increasingly recognize the power of data to improve decision-making and service delivery, yet many still struggle to unlock its full potential. How can fragmented government data be transformed into connected intelligence that drives better decisions, improves citizen services, and creates transparent, accountable governance? This session will explore data management strategies, including data readiness for AI and emerging technologies, strong data protection and quality practices, and effective approaches across the data lifecycle. Learn best practices for making data more manageable, discoverable, and actionable to drive meaningful impact.

Organizational Transformation: Balancing Innovation and Change

True transformation goes beyond adopting new technologies – it requires a culture ready to adapt, innovate, and grow. This session will explore strategies for fostering innovation, overcoming resistance, communicating change across all levels of the organization, and ensuring accountability. Attendees will gain practical tactics to help teams and business units navigate the evolving landscape of IT change management, leveraging people, processes, and technology to drive adoption and build flexible, resilient organizations.

Low Code, No Code and You

Low-code and no-code tools are transforming how applications are built, speeding delivery while reducing development barriers. Each approach has advantages and limitations depending on project scope, customization needs, organizational capacity, and most importantly, the business problem the application is meant to solve. This session will explore how to evaluate low-code and no-code options to determine which approach, or combination, is best suited to your organization’s needs.

Exclusive Briefing for Industry Partners

Hosted by: Daniel Urquhart, Secretary of Information Technology, Chief Information Officer, State of Alabama

Networking Break in the Exhibit Area

General Session - Alabama Medicaid’s Modernization Program: From Vision to Reality

Modernizing and integrating an agency’s IT enterprise is a complex effort requiring careful planning, governance, and execution to align systems with business goals and deliver a seamless user experience. The Alabama Medicaid Agency will share its multi-year journey to modernize its Medicaid Enterprise Systems (MES), highlighting organizational readiness, governance, enterprise architecture, certification, procurement, technical design, change management, and the use of AI to drive efficiency. Get an inside look at the strategies, processes, and solutions that transformed this vision into reality!

Mason Tanaka, Deputy Commissioner and Chief Information Officer, Alabama Medicaid Agency

General Session – AI 2025 – From Administrative Assistance to Agentic AI

As artificial intelligence rapidly evolves, organizations are moving beyond AI as a simple administrative assistant to leveraging more autonomous, decision-making "agentic AI." This session will explore the transition from task-based automation to AI systems capable of reasoning, adapting, and executing complex workflows with minimal human intervention. Attendees will gain insights into how governments can harness these advancements while ensuring transparency, control, and alignment with human goals. Whether you're an executive, technologist, or policymaker, this session will equip you with the knowledge to navigate the AI landscape of 2025 and beyond.

Bryan Langley, Senior Fellow, Center for Digital Government

Networking Reception in the Exhibit Area

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

End of Conference

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