Kelli Black, I am the current Director of the Auctioneers Licensing Board and The Board of Registration for Professional Geologists under the Department of Labor and Licensing. I have been in state government going on 16 years. I started my career as an investigator at the State Board of Collection Agencies when it included check cashiers. I then moved onto the Appraiser Licensing Board as an administrative assistant and then as the Executive Assistant to the Director. I was born and raised in Little Rock and graduated from Parkview Arts & Science Magnet High School. At the end of a long day, I enjoy spending time with my family, coloring and enjoying my dogs.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Harsha Musunuru is a Senior Manager with Deloitte Consulting – Strategy and Analytics practice. He has over 17 years of experience delivering enterprise data platforms and mission analytics for State Government and Commercial clients. Harsha also serves as the enterprise data and analytics manager for the Arkansas Department of Human Services (ARDHS). Harsha incorporates his extensive knowledge in Health and Human Services (HHS) and State Health domains to assist state governments in harnessing enterprise data and AI for the purpose of catalyzing organizational transformation, fostering the development of innovative business ventures, enhancing operational efficiencies, and refining service delivery.

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.

Shane Phillips is a Statewide Procurement Coordinator with the Office of State Procurement (OSP). He has been in public procurement for over thirteen years. He originally joined OSP in 2016 as part of the IT Procurement Team and took over as Coordinator in 2022. His team still specializes in IT procurements but handles other services and commodities as well.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.