Arkansas Digital Government Summit 2024 Banner

Overview

The Digital Government Summit brings together technology focused public-sector professionals with leading industry partners to connect on innovative approaches, get inspired and discover new technologies. Join us and let’s improve the future of government together!

A message from our Keynote Speaker


This will be our 15th annual Arkansas Digital Government summit with Government Technology. We keep coming back because it’s an important gathering where IT leaders can collaborate, network, learn about industry partner services and stay up to date on new developments in public sector technology. I hope you’ll join us!

- Jay Harton, Chief Operating Officer, Department of Information Systems, State of Arkansas

Speakers

Gary Vance

Gary Vance

Chief Information Security Officer, State of Arkansas

Gary Vance is an experienced Cyber Defense professional recognized for his expertise in establishing and leading global security operations to address risks across diverse industry verticals. With a proven track record, he is a trusted advisor in the data management and data services industries. Gary demonstrates a high level of proficiency in communicating risk management strategy to executive leaders and directors.
With a history of success, Gary has established an advanced level of skill in security risk management services, including physical and IT security, framework development, risk mitigation, executive and board governance, security organizational development, security compliance management, the crafting of security policy, and the design of technical security architecture.
As a business-focused risk leader and Cyber Defense professional, Gary has successfully worked from the executive levels all the way through operations to ensure cyber risk management protects the business and builds trust in the brand. Gary is a Cyber Defense professional ready to stand between businesses and threat actors. He remains a lifelong student of developments in threat detection and mitigation, affirming his ability and adeptness at assisting with every stage of cybersecurity management, from preventative measures to disaster mitigation and recovery.

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Scott Klososky

Scott Klososky

Technologist, Futurist, Humanist, Author and Consultant

As a founding partner of digital strategy firm, Future Point of View (FPOV), Scott lives on the leading edge of technology and innovative thinking. Scott speaks to large audiences worldwide about the intersection of humanity and the Digital Transformation. Through FPOV, Scott provides advisory work for clients including Fortune100, SMB’s and government entities. This work has driven him to develop unique concepts such as the HUMALOGY® Scale for measuring the amount of human or machine involved in a system or process, and the Rivers of Information® process for building learning eco-systems. He also pioneered a framework for looking accurately into the future of an industry sector in order to set organizational strategy: The High Beam process.
Scott co-founded Alkami Technology (ALKT), the developer of a second-generation online banking platform with innovative features non-existent in current systems. The company went public in 2021 at a $3billion valuation and is today headquartered in Dallas with over 350 employees.
Scott is recognized globally for his unique ability to accurately predict future digital trends and explain the logic behind why these will alter the current status quo of the economy and society. While business application of his insights is extremely valuable to leaders and companies, he is also motivated help improve the impact post Covid environments are having on people and their daily lives. Technology has been increasingly driving change and stress and recent events are amplifying this problem. He has a unique perspective on how to manage the personal toll technology is causing people, teams and organizations.
Even as a young child, Scott was destined to see the world through a Humalogy® lens. His father was a programmer for Boeing and his mother was a counselor who mixed many philosophies into her practice of helping people in life. To this day, he is a hybrid of a technologist and humanist who strives to find a hopeful future in blending the two.
Scott has the ability to entertain, inspire, and enlighten audiences, while helping them gain new perspectives about how technology is impacting us. Scott never does a canned presentation with the exact content across events. He sets himself apart from other speakers by architecting his content with the latest examples, current events and trends relevant for the keynote he is delivering.
He is equally adept at giving large stage keynotes, speaking to small boards of directors, facilitating half and full day workshops, and doing break-out sessions. As an added bonus of his presentations, attendees come away learning how to be a better facilitator, speaker or presenter by seeing Scott use different applications and technologies to engage audiences either in a virtual, hybrid or in person setting. The best measure of his ability to inspire and inform audiences is the high percentage of speaking clients who bring him back for follow up work with their audiences.
He produces a podcast titled “The Digital Optimist” in which he delivers ideas about the transformation of humanity through the impact of technology with a positive and hopeful lens. He also writes a blog titled Digital Awakening – both can be found at his website at www.klososky.com

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Jennifer Chilcoat

Jennifer Chilcoat

Director, Arkansas State Library, A Division of the Arkansas Department of Education 

Jennifer Chilcoat found her calling in connecting people with the information they need to make their desired impact on the world around them. In 2018, after 28 years of service in the Central Arkansas Library System, she came to the Arkansas State Library, where she enjoys being a part of the statewide conversation about information access.

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Charlie Collins

Charlie Collins

Commissioner of Revenue, Department of Finance and Administration, Revenue Division, State of Arkansas

Charlie Collins graduated from the US Naval Academy and served as a Naval Intelligence Officer aboard an Aircraft Carrier.  He then joined Procter & Gamble (P&G) and worked in headquarter Sales & Marketing roles.  P&G moved him to Arkansas in 1996 to work on the Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club business. More recently, Charlie served in the Arkansas state legislature for 8 years before joining state government with DFA as an employee in the Budget Office. He also worked as Chief Innovation Officer for the newly formed Transformation & Shared Services Department.  He was excited and honored to be selected to rejoin DFA as Commissioner of Revenue in late 2019.

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Jeff Dean

Jeff Dean

Chief Information Officer, Department of Human Services, State of Arkansas  

Jeff Dean is the Department of Human Services (DHS) Chief Information Officer (CIO).  Mr. Dean has over 30 years of experience in the information technology industry and 21 years of experience within the State of Arkansas.
Jeff began his IT career at IBM.  He worked in IBM AIX support, assisting in the startup of a national support center for the organization.  Upon his departure from IBM, he began an IT consulting business with two partners.  The business was mostly a service organization, which specialized in IBM midrange servers and enterprise solutions.  Jeff joined the Arkansas Department of Information Systems (DIS) state agency in 2003.  
In January 2016, Jeff accepted the DHS CIO position.  Where he is in the process of modernizing the agency’s legacy solutions, eliminating manual processes, and reducing duplicate solutions within

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Dan D’Orazio

Dan D’Orazio

Senior Solutions Architect, Amazon Web Services 

I try to approach the world with a high degree of curiosity, which has shaped my career in interesting ways. The variety of industries, organizations, and roles has allowed me to see data through many different lenses. This exposure to people at all levels and of varying interests has had the single most profound impact to becoming an effective leader.

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Elliot Flautt

Elliot Flautt

Director, State Data Solutions, Tyler Technologies

Elliot is a technical team leader behind Tyler Technologies' initiatives on behalf of high-profile government organizations to help them manage, share, and explain their data more effectively. Elliot is an expert on cross-organizational data sharing, data analytics and visualization, and data standards. He also brings deep experience using data visualizations to help non-data savvy users understand data, and he trains government employees, developers, and data scientists on how to use APIs and web visualization frameworks together.

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Larry Flaxman

Larry Flaxman

Chief Information Security Officer, Department of Human Services, State of Arkansas

Larry Flaxman is the Chief Information Security Officer for the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS), the state's largest agency. He oversees information security controls and compliance across all DHS divisions and offices.
As CISO, Larry designs and implements key security strategies and cyber frameworks to protect over 7,500 DHS employees and programs. He has been pivotal in developing policies and procedures for HIPAA and CJIS compliance, along with meeting state and federal security, privacy, audit, and monitoring requirements.
Larry also leads the DHS incident response team, tackling cybersecurity threats, and manages the information security training and awareness programs mandatory for all DHS staff.
Before joining DHS, Larry served in critical roles across state and federal agencies for over 24 years, bringing a wealth of experience in information technology, law enforcement, digital forensics, and cybersecurity defense.
Outside of work, Larry dedicates his time to his 501(c)(3) foundation, The Bridge of Compassion, and continues his work as a best-selling author and TV personality, known for applying analytical science to exploring fringe science topics.

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Fred Grigg

Fred Grigg

Chief Enterprise Architect, Arkansas Department of Transportation

Fred Grigg is an accomplished technology leader currently serving as the Chief Enterprise Architect for the Department of Transformation and Shared Services (TSS) Division of Information Systems (DIS) since January 2022. Fred also serves as the leader of the DIS Data Center Engineering team. Fred is responsible for defining the technical strategy for the core IT infrastructure and services provided by DIS to the state, and his team is responsible for supporting many of those technologies including on-premises and public cloud, backup and disaster recovery, and the state core and K-12 network.
Fred joined DIS in March 2021 as an Enterprise Cloud Strategist. Prior to joining DIS, Fred’s career includes over 26 years of experience in IT disciplines including software development, infrastructure architecture and transformation.
Fred holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Systems Engineering from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, where he studied from 1989 to 1994.

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Rob Hicks

Rob Hicks

Enterprise IT Architect, Arkansas Department of Human Services

Rob Hicks is the Enterprise IT Architect for the Department of Human Services for the state of Arkansas. Mr. Hicks also serves as the supervisor of the IT Engineering department for DHS. Rob has over 30 years of experience in the information technology industry and 8 years of experience for the State of Arkansas.
Rob spent several years working in the corporate headquarters of large national retailers such as Dillard’s and Walmart. Rob then transitioned into healthcare IT working for Medical Office Systems. After leaving MOS, Rob worked as a consult for many medical practices throughout the states of Arkansas and Kansas assisting with the implementation of Electronic Health Records (EHR) systems.
Rob started at DHS in 2017 as a Senior IT Engineer. Along with his current duties as Lead Engineer Rob also serves as Chair of the Enterprise Architecture Board for DHS.

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Stephanie Isaacs

Stephanie Isaacs

Director, Office of Skills Development, Arkansas Department of Commerce

A native of Batesville Arkansas, Stephanie joined the Office of Skills Development as Associate Director in 2015 during its inception. She was instrumental in setting the mission and goals of this new agency. In her role as Associate Director, she managed the OSD training grants, and served as project manager for large scale workforce projects. In October of 2023, Secretary of Commerce Hugh McDonald appointed her as the Director of OSD. Her mission and the mission of OSD is to increase economic prosperity by developing a strong Arkansas workforce.

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Abdoul Kabaou

Abdoul Kabaou

Chief Information Officer, City of Little Rock

Keith Macedo

Keith Macedo

Information Technology Director, City of Fayetteville Arkansas  

Keith Macedo serves as the City of Fayetteville Arkansas’ Director of Information Technology, overseeing the City’s Technology and GIS Divisions. Keith received his Bachelor’s degree at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville and is also a Certified Government Chief Information Officer (CGCIO) through the University of North Carolina. Keith has extensive skills and experience in technology, project management, budget management, contract negotiations, contract management and customer service. Prior to Fayetteville he served as the Director of Internal Services for the City of Keller, Texas overseeing all internal services departments. Prior to this position he worked for over a decade as Keller’s Director of Information Services and the Information Services Manager. Prior to his work with the City of Keller, he worked in IT and GIS for the City of Hurst, Texas. His experience and expertise extend outside of his work and into an extensive volunteer spirit, including service as the membership committee chair for the Texas Association of Government Information Technology managers for three years and the 2024 inaugural president of GMIS Arkansas.

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Donnie Matthews

Donnie Matthews

Chief Customer Relations Officer, Department of Transformation and Shared Services, Division of Information Systems, State of Arkansas 

Experienced team leader in a client-facing structure and in leading technology projects from inception to completion. Successfully lead and coordinate multiple projects simultaneously while directing multiple resources to success within each project.  Extensive knowledge of state and local government and the information technology landscapes. Expertise in business development, project management, and working with both technical and non-technical leaders to present mutually beneficial solutions. Strong business insight with experience interacting with governmental stakeholders from executive level to technical specialist.

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Robert McGough

Robert McGough

Chief Data Officer, State of Arkansas

Robert McGough serves as the Chief Data Officer for the State of Arkansas, the chair of the Arkansas AI & Analytics Center of Excellence, and the chair of the Arkansas Data and Transparency Panel.  Robert holds a Master of Science in Information Quality and is currently an Information Science PhD candidate conducting design research on the practical application of information science for the public sector.  He is an active contributor to efforts by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the National Science Foundation, the Coleridge Initiative, U.S. Digital Response and others to modernize state and national data and analytics infrastructure for improved service to residents, employers, and communities.

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Sean McSpaden

Sean McSpaden

Senior Fellow, Center for Digital Government

Sean McSpaden is an executive level information technology professional with over 30 years of experience in the private, non-profit, and public sectors. His background includes the start-up and management of several small businesses and he has served on the Board of Directors or in Executive Director positions for several 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations. Sean’s public service experience includes progressively responsible positions as an IT analyst, and in statewide coordination, management and leadership positions within the Executive and Legislative branches of Oregon state government. From June 2008 to September 2013, served as the state of Oregon’s Deputy State Chief Information Officer.
Throughout his 25-year tenure in Oregon state government, Sean and the teams he has led have received several state, regional and national recognitions and awards. In addition, Sean has represented the state of Oregon on numerous state, regional and national project steering committees, task forces, governing boards, committees, commissions and associations, and has presented on various topics at local, state, regional, national, and international meetings and conferences.
Sean earned his Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree and Certificate of Public Management from the Willamette University, Atkinson Graduate School of Management. Sean is an ISACA Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) and holds a PMI Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. Sean also holds a Secret level clearance granted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

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Harsha Musunuru

Harsha Musunuru

Manager Director, Government and Public Services, AI, Deloitte

Harsha Musunuru is a Managing Director in Deloitte Consulting’s Strategy and Analytics practice, bringing over 18 years of experience in delivering enterprise data platforms, mission analytics, and AI for State Government and Commercial clients. He currently leads the data modernization, enterprise analytics, and AI initiatives for the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS). Harsha leverages his extensive expertise in Health and Human Services (HHS) and State Health domains to help state governments utilize enterprise data and AI to drive organizational transformation, foster innovative projects, enhance operational efficiencies, and improve service delivery. His passion lies in assisting clients in achieving interoperable and connected governance, helping them effectively harness the power of data and AI for transformative outcomes.

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Grace Peck

Grace Peck

Cyber Security Analyst, Transformation and Shared Services, Division of Information Systems, State of Arkansas

Grace Peck is a cybersecurity analyst with the Arkansas Division of Information Systems. She has been with the state for five years and originally started out on the DIS Microsoft 365 team before moving to the State Cyber Security Office last year. Grace’s primary focuses are incident response and anything Microsoft Security related.

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Mike Rogers

Mike Rogers

Chief Workforce Officer, Office of Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Arkansas State Capitol

Mike Rogers is the Chief Workforce Officer for Arkansas. He chairs the governor’s workforce cabinet, which consists of the departments of commerce, corrections, education, human services, labor and licensing, transformation and shared services, and veteran affairs. Formerly, Mike taught high school, adult apprenticeship, and worked in the poultry industry.

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Heather Saco

Heather Saco

Chief Enterprise Services Officer, State of Arkansas

Heather Saco is the Chief Enterprise Services Officer for the TSS DIS Arkansas Data Office (ARData), where she leads a whole-of-government approach to digital transformation and service delivery. With eight years of public sector experience, Heather has led programs in environmental policy, emergency management, and digital transformation. A graduate of the University of Central Arkansas, she holds both bachelor's and master's degrees in biology. In her current role, she ensures that data is securely leveraged to optimize user experience in the development of technology and digital solutions, enhancing how Arkansas serves its citizens. She also facilitates a shared services approach to the sharing, integration, and use of data to align digital strategies with public needs.

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Kristen Shryock

Kristen Shryock

Chief Skills Strategy Officer, State Of Arkansas 

Kristen is a people, process, and data enthusiast with a passion for blending logic with human connections. A southern native, she has lived in MS, AR, and NC, and returned to Arkansas last year as the state's first Chief Skills Strategy Officer for the Department of Transformation and Shared Services.
Her career began as a Mainframe, Web, and BI Developer at Dillard’s Inc., before transitioning to IT Recruiting, Hiring, and Training. In 2020, after becoming a #militaryspouse, she joined the Arkansas Center for Data Sciences, managing workforce development programs that reskilled unemployed Arkansans through IT internships and apprenticeships.
In her current role, Kristen is advancing skills-based learning, hiring, and credential transparency across Arkansas. By championing interoperability and learning and employment records, she is helping to build a stronger, more dynamic workforce for the state.

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Matthew Sparks

Matthew Sparks

Technology Manager, Department of Transformation and Shared Services, State of Arkansas   

Matthew Sparks is the Technology Manager for the TSS DIS Arkansas Data Office (ARData). He holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology from Arkansas Tech University as well as multiple industry certifications. Matthew manages several shared services technology projects supporting various state initiatives. In his role, he ensures that data is effectively and securely utilized to improve user experience in creating technology and digital solutions, enhancing the way Arkansas delivers services to its citizens. He is also responsible for implementing and maintaining the Arkansas Data Hub, which facilitates the secure and compliant sharing, integration, and use of statewide data, and includes business efficiency tools to streamline operations across state agencies

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James Turner

James Turner

Director of Information Technology, Benton County 

James Turner is the Director of Information Technology For Benton County Government. He has been with the County for 17 years in various technology roles. James has over 30 years of experience in technology with a background in software development and database administration.

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Jeff Winter

Jeff Winter

City and County Information Systems Director, City of Hot Springs

Jeff holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Arkansas. He has dedicated 33 years of service to the City, where he began his career as an Engineer and GIS Manager. For the past 26 years, Jeff has served as the Information Systems Director. Under his leadership, the City has been providing IT services to Garland County for the last 15 years. His IS team supports around 1,100 employees, manages 1,000 PCs, 50 servers, and oversees networking and security across 40 locations.

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Mike Wyatt

Mike Wyatt

Partner\Principal, Deloitte

Mike Wyatt is a Principal in Deloitte’s Government and Public Sector (GPS) practice. Mike has over 30 years of professional experience and serves as the Cyber leader for Deloitte’s State Local and Higher Education Practice as well as serving as the Cyber leader for the states of Arkansas and Texas. In addition, Mike serves as an adjunct professor for public policy at the University of Texas in the Master of Science in Information Security and Privacy (MSISP) program. At Deloitte, Mike led statewide breach remediation and information security program design and implementation for the states of Utah and South Carolina. He has led the design and delivery of numerous complex cybersecurity projects across multiple industries including state government, higher education, financial services, and healthcare.

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Agenda

Tuesday, October 29

8:00 am Central

Registration and Morning Refreshments in the Exhibit Area

Grand Ballroom A/B Foyer

9:00 am Central

Opening Remarks

Grand Ballroom A/B Foyer

Mike Rogers, Chief Workforce Officer, Office of Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Arkansas State Capitol

9:20 am Central

Keynote – The Age of Digital Disruption: Moving Forward, Faster

Grand Ballroom A/B

Technology advancements continue to disrupt at a swifter pace than ever before. 2023 witnessed the impact of AI in all sectors, and this year the public sector is required to adapt and adopt at a speed unheard of in the past. For the rest of our careers, intelligence will be built into all devices, applications, and processes. This changes how we must think about the use of data and the integration of humans and machines. What are the crucial strategies for adapting to and maximizing the benefits of these advancements? This session will have you ready to move forward at high speed as it paints a vibrant picture showing how synthetic intelligence can amplify current systems and our workforce.

Scott Klososky, Technologist, Futurist, Humanist, Author, and Consultant

10:20 am Central

Networking Break in the Exhibit Area

Grand Ballroom A/B Foyer

10:50 am Central

Concurrent Sessions

The Next Chapter in Cybersecurity Modernization

Conway Room (Lower Level 2)

Public Sector organizations face ever-evolving cyber threats that require proactive measures. How robust is your incident response plan? What future risks are on the horizon? In this session our panelists will outline practical steps to prepare your team, update your incident response plans, and foster resource sharing across agencies. Join us to discover how collaboration and strategic planning can fortify your organization and help modernize your cybersecurity strategy.

Moderator: Sean McSpaden, Senior Fellow, Center for Digital Government

Larry Flaxman, Chief Information Security Officer, Department of Human Services, State of Arkansas

Grace Peck, Cyber Security Analyst, Transformation and Shared Services, Division of Information Systems, State of Arkansas

Gary Vance, Chief Information Security Officer, State of Arkansas

Leveraging Data Initiatives

White Oak Room (Lower Level 2)

Big data is a big issue, and we’ll cover the essentials of data privacy policies including retention, access, compliance, and transparency. How will the Arkansas Data Hub initiative support government entities? How will this legislative led initiative help constituents? In this session we’ll discuss best practices and new resources provided by the Data Hub, including cataloging, sharing, integration and protection.

Moderator: James Turner, Director, Information Technology, Benton County

Jeff Dean, Chief Information Officer, Department of Human Services, State of Arkansas

Dan D’Orazio, Senior Solutions Architect, Amazon Web Services

Harsha Musunuru, Managing Director, Deloitte Consulting LLP

Matthew Sparks, Technology Manager, Department of Transformation and Shared Services, State of Arkansas

Embracing Trends and Challenges of Digital Identity

Harris Brake Room (Lower Level 2)

Digital Identity is more than a tool, there are legal aspects and controls to consider. What is digital identity and what does it mean for cities and towns? How do you balance security needs with user friendly solutions? Our panel will delve into critical components while looking at use cases. We’ll discuss alignment of best practices with legal guidelines for effective governance.

Moderator: Donnie Matthews, Chief Customer Relations Officer, Department of Transformation and Shared Services, Division of Information Systems, State of Arkansas

Charlie Collins, Commissioner of Revenue, Department of Finance and Administration, Revenue Division, State of Arkansas

Rob Hicks, IT Enterprise IT Architect, Office of Information Technology, State of Arkansas

Jeff Winter, City and County Information Systems Director, City of Hot Springs

11:50 am Central

Lunch

Grand Ballroom A/B

12:50 pm Central

Bits and Bytes – Procurement Reform Strategies

Grand Ballroom A/B

This session will dive into the need and plans for procurement reform in the state with a focus on IT acquisitions. We’ll learn about strategies to streamline procurement processes, enhance transparency and improve effectiveness.

Moderator: Sean McSpaden, Senior Fellow, Center for Digital Government

Abdoul Kabaou, Chief Information Officer, City of Little Rock

Keith Macedo, Information Technology Director, City of Fayetteville Arkansas

1:20 pm Central

Short Break

Please proceed to the concurrent sessions

1:30 pm Central

Concurrent Sessions

Navigating AI Policy, Governance and Practical Implementation

Conway Room (Lower Level 2)

Leveraging AI for delivery of constituent services is a multifaceted topic. How does your organization balance automation with human expertise? How do developers ensure code quality and security in AI-driven systems? In this session, we’ll discuss AI policy and governance within the public sector. Our expert panel will investigate critical aspects of AI adoption including cybersecurity considerations, impact on code development, ethical questions, and budget implications.

Moderator: Heather Saco, Chief Enterprise Services Officer, State of Arkansas

Robert McGough, Chief Data Officer, Arkansas Department of Transformation & Shared Services, Division of Information Systems, State of Arkansas

Elliot Flautt, Director, State Data Solutions, Tyler Technologies

Mike Wyatt, Partner/Principal, Deloitte

Empowering Your Workforce with Learning Paths and Skill Development

White Oak Room (Lower Level 2)

There’s no doubt that technology has a transformative impact on the workforce. Workforce enablement has multiple angles including upskilling and training. What’s the best way to align skill development with organizational goals? In this session we’ll discuss training methodologies, customized learning experiences, leveraging interactive content, along with nurturing a learning focused culture. We’ll explore the Arkansas Workforce Strategy, and the role technology will play.

Moderator: Fred Grigg, Chief Enterprise Officer, Division of Information Systems, State of Arkansas

Jennifer Chilcoat, Director, Arkansas State Library, A Division of the Arkansas Department of Education

Stephanie Isaacs, Director, Office of Skills Development, Arkansas Department of Commerce

Kristen Shryock, Chief Skills Strategy Officer, State Of Arkansas

Exclusive Briefing for Industry Partners

Harris Brake Room (Lower Level 2)

Hosted by Jay Harton, Chief Operating Officer, Department of Transformation and Shared Services, Division of Information Systems, State of Arkansas

2:30 pm Central

Networking Break in the Exhibit Area

Grand Ballroom A/B Foyer

3:00 pm Central

General Session – The State of AI in GovTech: Exploring the Future

Grand Ballroom A/B

Presented by the Center for Public Sector AI, this keynote presentation delves into the present status of Artificial Intelligence in the GovTech sector, offering a detailed examination of AI's applications within state and local governments. We will explore AI's potential future paths in GovTech, highlighting emerging trends and discussing how technology and policy leaders can prepare for AI's impact on service delivery. We will address starting points for AI implementation, stressing the importance of collaboration, ethical considerations, and equitable technology access. This forward-looking talk will equip attendees with a thorough understanding of AI's trajectory in GovTech, providing practical insights to effectively leverage AI for public sector innovation and advancement.

Sean McSpaden, Senior Fellow, Center for Digital Government

4:00 pm Central

Networking Reception in the Exhibit Area

Grand Ballroom A/B Foyer

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

4:30 pm Central

End of Conference

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

Little Rock Marriott

3 Statehouse Plaza
Little Rock, AR 72201
(501) 906-4000

Get Directions To
Little Rock Marriott

Advisory Board

Government Representatives

Ken Anderson
Chief Information Officer
Department of Labor and Licensing
State of Arkansas

Clay Causey
Chief Customer Relations Officer
Department of Transformation and Shared Services, Division of Information Systems
State of Arkansas

Jennifer Chilcoat
Director
Arkansas State Library, Department of Education
State of Arkansas

Jeff Dean
Chief Information Officer
Department of Human Services
State of Arkansas

Allen Fitzgerald
Chief Information Officer
Department of Public Safety
State of Arkansas

Larry Flaxman
Chief Information Security Officer
Department of Human Services
State of Arkansas

Jay Harton
Chief Operating Officer
Department of Transformation and Shared Services, Division of Information Systems
State of Arkansas

Abdoul Kabaou
Chief Information Officer
Department of Information Technology
City of Little Rock

Keith Macedo
Director
Information Technology
City of Fayetteville

Donnie Matthews
Chief Customer Relations Officer
Department of Transformation and Shared Services, Division of Information Systems
State of Arkansas

Robert McGough
Chief Analytics Officer
Department of Transformation and Shared Services, Division of Information Systems, ARDATA
State of Arkansas

Brian Melton
Chief Information Officer
Department of the Military
State of Arkansas

John Menefee
Customer Account Representative
Department of Transformation and Shared Services, Division of Information Systems
State of Arkansas

Missy Morehart
Chief Information Officer
Arkansas Department of Commerce
State of Arkansas

Phillip Norton
Director, Information Technology
Public Employees Retirement System
State of Arkansas

Rhonda Patterson
Chief Information Officer
Department of Correction
State of Arkansas

Dan Pearson
Chief Information Officer
Department of Environmental Quality
State of Arkansas

Jeffery Powell
Chief Information Officer
Department of Agriculture
State of Arkansas

Mark Rago
Chief Information Officer
Department of Finance and Administration
State of Arkansas

Jason Ratliff
Director
Information Services
City of Jonesboro

Arijit Sarkar
CIO and Director
Department of Education, Office of IT
State of Arkansas

James Turner
Director
Information Technology
Benton County

Gary Vance
Chief Information Security Officer
Department of Transformation and Shared Services, Division of Information Systems
State of Arkansas

Jeff Winter
City/County Information Systems Director
City of Hot Springs Arkansas
Garland County

John Wright
Customer Account Representative
Department of Transformation and Shared Services, Division of Information Systems
State of Arkansas

Industry Representatives

Christy Williams
General Manager
Tyler Technologies

Eric Wippo
Senior Account Manager
Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Registration Information / Contact Us

Event Date: October 29, 2024

Open to Public Sector only.

Registration - Free

If you represent a Private Sector organization and are interested in Sponsorship Opportunities, please contact Heather Earney.

Contact Information

For registration and general assistance contact:

Lauren Schoenberger
Government Technology
Phone: (916) 932-1408
E-mail: lschoenberger@erepublic.com

For assistance or questions concerning Sponsor Logos or Logistics please contact:

Mireya Gaton
Government Technology
Phone: (916) 296-2617
E-Mail: mgaton@govtech.com

Sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, contact:

Heather Earney
Government Technology
Phone: (916) 932-1339
E-mail: heather.earney@erepublic.com

Venue

Little Rock Marriott

3 Statehouse Plaza
Little Rock, AR 72201
(501) 906-4000

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Parking

Valet parking only: $18 for day visitors; $30 for overnight parking
Garage height clearance 6’, 8”
https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/litpb-little-rock-marriott/overview/

Accommodations

Government Technology has a group block established at the Marriott. Please reference the “Arkansas Digital Government Summit” when making your room reservations.
Rate: $179.00 per night
Phone: (877) 759-6290
Cut-off date: 9/27/24
Rooms are on a first come first served basis. Please note, once the room block is full you will need to make other arrangements for your accommodation with the hotel directly or a nearby hotel.