Name: Bay Area Digital Government Summit 2026
Start: 2026-08-18T08:00
Location: Embassy Suites San Francisco Airport Waterfront

Overview

The Bay Area Digital Government Summit is where innovation meets impact!

Bringing together the brightest minds in state and local government, this summit empowers public-sector leaders to explore cutting-edge technologies, modernize operations, and solve pressing challenges. From cybersecurity and AI to data governance and digital service delivery, sessions are designed to spark insight, foster collaboration, and accelerate real-world results. Whether you're shaping strategy or implementing solutions, the Summit delivers valuable peer connections and actionable guidance to help move your mission forward.

A message from our Keynote Speaker

As CIO for the City of Newark, I see the Bay Area Digital Government Summit as an important opportunity for public sector technology leaders to come together, learn from one another and strengthen the partnerships that help all of our communities succeed. At a time when issues like artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and technology leadership are evolving so quickly, this summit creates space for meaningful conversations, shared learning and fresh ideas. I believe the collaboration and insight this event inspires are more important than ever, and it is truly an event not to be missed.

– Ed Miranda, Chief Information Officer, City of Newark

Speakers

Shawnee Delaney

CEO, Vaillance Group and Former Spy

Shawnee Delaney is co-host of the popular YouTube series, Control Room, founder and CEO of Vaillance Group and an award-winning globally recognized expert in human risk management. As a decorated former Case Officer with nearly a decade at the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), she conducted clandestine human intelligence (HUMINT) operations worldwide, including four combat zone tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, ultimately serving as both Detachment Chief and Supervisory Branch Chief. After leaving DIA, Shawnee supported the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in protecting U.S. critical infrastructure with the Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team (ICS-CERT) before leading the creation of insider threat programs at Fortune 500 companies such as Uber and Merck Pharmaceuticals. Shawnee has advised nation-states, multinational corporations, and startups alike on preventing, detecting, and managing insider threats and continues to be a highly sought-after keynote speaker and consultant on insider threat, cybersecurity, and risk management. She has written articles or been cited on Insider Threat in publications such as the Cipher Brief, USA Today, Fox Business, Yahoo Finance, Business Insider, the Hill, Spyscape, Associated Press, Benzinga, and the Financial Times, among other international periodicals. She holds master’s degrees in Counter-Terrorism & Counter-Proliferation and Cybersecurity.

Girum Awoke

Director of Engineering and Technology, Alameda County Water District

Girum Awoke has served as the Director of Engineering and Technology for the Alameda County Water District since September 2021. He brings more than two decades of professional experience in public works and utility engineering across both the public and private sectors. His executive leadership roles include Director of Public Works for the City of Vacaville, Public Works Director for the City of Gilroy, and Chief of Construction for Montgomery County, Maryland.
Mr. Awoke holds a Ph.D. and a master’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Maryland, along with multiple certifications in project management, alternative project delivery, and leadership. He also holds the Special District Manager certification from the Special District Leadership Foundation. An active member of numerous industry organizations, he contributes to committees within the Municipal Information Systems Association of California, American Water Works Association, Construction Management Association of America, Association of California Water Agencies, and California Urban Water Agencies. He is a Registered Professional Engineer in California and holds Water Treatment and Distribution Operator certifications. Dr. Awoke has also served as adjunct faculty at California State University, East Bay, Santa Clara University, and San José State University.

Gurinder Bains

Chief Information Officer, City of Vacaville

Gurinder Bains is the Chief Information Officer for the City of Vacaville, where he leads the City's technology strategy, cybersecurity, digital services, GIS, infrastructure, and enterprise applications. With more than 25 years of experience in public-sector information technology, he has led large-scale technology modernization initiatives, strengthened cybersecurity programs, and delivered innovative digital solutions that improve government operations and public service.
Prior to joining the City of Vacaville, Gurinder served in executive IT leadership roles with the City of Oakland and the California Student Aid Commission, where he successfully led complex modernization, cloud, cybersecurity, and enterprise transformation initiatives. He is a Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), and is passionate about leveraging technology, data governance, and artificial intelligence to help local governments deliver secure, efficient, and trusted services to their communities.

Tony Batalla

Chief Information Officer & Director of Information Technology, City of Oakland, California

Tony leads a department of 90 full-time staff and a $45 million annual budget. He oversees technology strategy, IT infrastructure & cloud solutions, cybersecurity, enterprise business systems, and innovation initiatives, including AI and data governance. 
Tony brings extensive experience in public sector technology leadership, with a focus on building resilient systems, modernizing technology, and developing and driving strategic direction. He holds a bachelor’s degree in information systems from the University of San Francisco and an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Dr. Maurice Elkins

Director of ITS Enterprise Operations, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission

Dr. Maurice D. Elkins serves as the Director of Enterprise Operations for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, overseeing enterprise modernization efforts across essential operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) systems. He drives strategic planning, cybersecurity maturity, and infrastructure optimization for SCADA/ICS, telecommunications, data centers, and enterprise networks.
With more than 30 years of public sector technology leadership—including senior roles across Contra Costa County, L.A. County Fire, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Defense—Dr. Elkins has delivered complex modernization initiatives, multimillion dollar infrastructure programs, and organization wide technology transformation. Tasks at SFPUC under his jurisdiction include the creation of the agency's initial integrated OT/IT strategic plan, division reorganization, and targeted modernization initiatives aimed at enhancing resilience and eliminating unnecessary systems.
He is recognized for outstanding performance, decisive executive leadership, and advancing secure, modern, high-reliability technology operations.

Michael Makstman

City Chief Information Officer and Executive Director, Department of Technology, City and County of San Francisco

Michael Makstman is San Francisco’s Chief information Officer leading the Department of Technology (DT). DT servers City departments, staff, and San Francisco residents by providing secure, reliable, and innovative technology services. Michael has previously served as the City Chief Information Security Officer and founded the San Francisco Office of Cybersecurity. He has recently been selected as one of the top 25 technology doers, dreamers, and drivers in the nation by the Government Technology Magazine. 
Prior to joining the City and County of San Francisco, Michael served in executive roles at complex, regulated organizations in Healthcare, Finance and Technology industries for over 15 years. Michael is a founder and Co-Chair of Coalition of City CISOs (cityciso.org), an organization dedicated to promoting cybersecurity for local governments. He is a Fellow of the Information Systems Security Association (ISSA), the largest international organization of information security professionals, and holds Bachelor’s degree in Finance and IT from DePaul University and master’s degree in computer science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaig

Sean McSpaden

Principal Legislative IT Analyst & Committee Administrator, Joint Legislative Committee on Information Management and Technology, State of Oregon

Sean has served in Oregon State government for the past 28 years. In the executive branch, he served as Oregon’s Deputy State Chief Information Officer and in the legislative branch serves as Principal Legislative IT Analyst and as Committee Administrator for Oregon’s Joint Legislative Committee on Information Management and Technology. He serves as Oregon’s representative to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Taskforce on Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, and Privacy and is a Senior Fellow with the Center for Digital Government and Center for Public Sector AI. He is an author and frequent moderator and speaker for technology-related webinars and state and national forums across the United States. He holds a master’s degree in business administration, is an ISACA Certified Information Security Manager, and holds a Project Management Professional certification from the Project Management Institute.

Ganesh Nathan

Data Architect, Alameda County

Ganesh Nathan is a Principal Data and AI Architect with over 25 years of experience designing enterprise data platforms, cloud architectures, and AI-driven solutions across government and private sectors. He has led large-scale data modernization initiatives for organizations including Alameda County, Santa Clara County, UC Berkeley, and Fortune 500 companies. With a master’s degree in computer science specializing in Artificial Intelligence and an MBA, Ganesh combines deep technical expertise with strategic leadership to help organizations make practical decisions on AI adoption, data governance, and digital transformation. He is also a former university instructor and a frequent speaker on data architecture, cloud technologies, and artificial intelligence.

Ava Rassouli

Chief Information Security Officer, Marin County

Ava servers as the Information Security Manager for the County of Marin, where she has over nine years of experience supporting county technology, cybersecurity initiatives, and operational improvements. As CIO, Ava works closely with departments and leadership to strengthen security posture, enhance processes, and support a collaborative and secure environment for Marin County employees and community.
Ava also brings her background from the private sector, which gives her broader insight into different organizational cultures and approaches to security.
Ava is an active member of the CCISDA Security Group, where she participates in discussions, information sharing, and joint efforts to improve cybersecurity across California counties. She is also a member of Women in Trust, supporting initiatives that build visibility, empowerment, and trust-centered leadership for women in the cybersecurity field. Ava values being part of communities that focus on learning, collaboration, and elevating security practices across the public sector.

Nathan Sinclair

Chief Information Security Officer, City and County of San Francisco

Nathan Sinclair is the Chief Information Security Officer for the City and County of San Francisco, where he leads cybersecurity strategy and oversees critical technology functions that support secure and reliable City operations. His leadership portfolio spans cybersecurity, network services, unified communications, and cloud platform engineering, all of which play an essential role in protecting and enabling the digital services used by more than 30,000 City employees and the communities they serve.
Throughout his career, Nathan has been recognized for his ability to “do a lot with a little” while building strong teams, improving security outcomes, and advancing technology maturity in complex public-sector environments. He brings a people-centered perspective to leadership and is passionate about helping organizations strengthen resilience, reduce risk, and protect the communities they serve.

Khaled Tawfik

Chief Information Officer, City of San José, California

Khaled Tawfik is the Chief Information Officer for the City of San José, where he leads a wide-ranging civic technology portfolio, including the City’s AI and innovation initiatives and its customer service platform, San José 311. As a founding member and board chair of the GovAI Coalition, Khaled champions responsible and inclusive uses of artificial intelligence in government. With more than 20 years of experience in both the public and private sectors, his work focuses on innovation, digital equity, and operational excellence in one of the nation’s most tech-forward cities.

Tammie Weigl

Chief Information Officer, City of Santa Cruz

Tammie Weigl is the IT Director/CIO for Santa Cruz County, bringing more than 25 years of experience in government technology leadership. Over the course of her career, Tammie has led major initiatives in technology infrastructure, information security, process improvement, and service delivery. Prior to her current role, she served as the County’s Assistant Director of Technology Infrastructure and as Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). She is known for fostering collaboration, driving innovation, and strengthening public services through modern, resilient, and people focused technology solutions.

Monica Wilson

Councilwoman, City of Antioch

Monica E. Wilson is the current City Councilmember representing District 4 in Antioch, California, serving her fourth term, and is a regional leader in public policy, innovation, and responsible governance. She currently serves as Board Chair of Delta Diablo, helping oversee critical water and wastewater infrastructure for eastern Contra Costa County, and is a former member of the Tri Delta Transit Board of Directors.
Monica is committed to helping local governments embrace innovation while maintaining transparency, public trust, and accountability. She has championed the responsible use of artificial intelligence in local government, with a focus on ethical governance, workforce impacts, and improving public services.
With more than 15 years of leadership spanning local government, nonprofit organizations, and community advocacy, Monica brings a collaborative approach to solving complex challenges and building partnerships that strengthen communities. She serves as moderator for today's discussion on strengthening resilience across the public sector.

Tuesday, August 18
8:00 am Pacific	Registration and Morning Refreshments in the Exhibit Area Ambassador Ballroom and Ambassador Foyer
9:00 am Pacific	Welcome and Opening Remarks Embassy Ballroom Ed Miranda, Chief Information Officer, City of Newark
9:15 am Pacific	Keynote – Spy vs. AI: Defending Against Artificial Intelligence's Threats to Your Life, Loved Ones and Livelihood Embassy Ballroom Have you heard of a deep fake? Would you or your family fall for one? Dive into the dynamic world of artificial intelligence and its intricate relationship with the insider threat landscape. As AI continues to reshape industries, it simultaneously introduces new dimensions of vulnerabilities within organizations that insiders can exploit. In this engaging and insightful keynote, we’ll explore the evolving threats of AI, from deepfakes to voice cloning, and how they can impact individuals, families, and businesses. With real-world examples and case studies, we'll break down the tactics malicious actors use and, more importantly, provide practical tips on how to protect yourself and your loved ones from these emerging dangers. By the end, you'll not only understand the risks but walk away empowered with actionable strategies to safeguard your digital lives in an increasingly AI-driven world. Shawnee Delaney. CEO, Vaillance Group
10:15 am Pacific	Networking Break in the Exhibit Area Ambassador Ballroom and Ambassador Foyer
10:45 am Pacific	Concurrent Sessions From Hype to Impact: AI Implementation Strategies for Government Solano Artificial intelligence is rapidly moving from experimentation to real-world application across government. How should agencies decide when to build solutions in-house, purchase new technology or leverage emerging AI capabilities offered by existing vendor partners? Explore practical use cases, lessons learned and strategies for staying current on new tools while using AI as a talent multiplier through collaboration and team augmentation. Moderator: Khaled Tawfik, Chief Information Officer, City of San Jose Tania Jogesh, AI Engineer, City and County of San Francisco Ganesh Nathan, Data Architect, Alameda County Smart Modernization: Planning, Funding, Reducing Technical Debt Diplomat A Strategic planning and disciplined investment are essential to modernizing legacy systems and reducing technical debt. How can agencies prioritize initiatives, align budgets, and phase out outdated technologies while planning for future needs? Explore practical approaches to long-term modernization, including funding strategies, prioritization frameworks, and sustainable paths to evolving IT environments. Moderator: Sean McSpaden, Senior Fellow, Center for Digital Government Sean Bugler, Principal Innovation Lead, Bay Area Metropolitan Transportation Commission Subrat Sharma, Chief Technology Officer, Department of Housing and Community Development, State of California Connected Data, Strong Governance Diplomat B Data-driven decision-making is only as strong as the governance and trust that support it. How can agencies securely share, integrate, and manage data across departments and with external partners while preserving accuracy and accountability? Examine best practices for data governance, system integrity, and building a trusted foundation for cross-agency collaboration. Moderator: Tony Batalla, Chief Information Officer, City of Oakland Ahsan Baig, Chief Information Officer, Department of Innovation and Technology, Alameda-Contra Costa Transit Gurinder Bains, Chief Information Officer, City of Vacaville Don Ingle, Industry Executive Advisor, SAP Tammie Weigl, Chief Information Officer, City of Santa Cruz
11:45 am Pacific	Lunch Embassy Ballroom
12:45 pm Pacific	Bits and Bytes Embassy Ballroom In these two lightening talks, we’ll hear from Bay Area IT leadership on essential trends and topics at the forefront of public sector IT. Michael Makstman, City Chief Information Officer and Executive Director, Department of Technology, City and County of San Francisco Tim Flannigan, Chief Information Officer, County of Solano Amy Hall, HR Manager, Information Technology Department, Alameda County
1:15 pm Pacific	Short Break Please proceed to the concurrent sessions.
1:30 pm Pacific	Concurrent Sessions AI and Cybersecurity: Risks and Rewards Diplomat A & B As AI capabilities expand, so do the opportunities for both defense and exploitation. How can public sector organizations leverage AI to strengthen cybersecurity while addressing new risks introduced by adversarial use? Gain insight into emerging tools, threat trends, and strategies to build a more adaptive and secure environment. Moderator: Darren Numoto, Chief Information Officer, City of Palo Alto Ava Rassouli, Chief Information Security Officer, Marin County Nathan Sinclair, Chief Information Security Officer, City and County of San Francisco Future-Proofing Public Sector IT: Strategies for Resilience Solano In today’s unpredictable world, continuity of government services in a disaster is critical: the safeguarding of digital infrastructure and data is essential. Public sector orgs must collaborate to build resilience against diverse disruptions such as natural disasters and cyber threats. What lessons have we learned from past incidents that can be applied to future preparedness? This session will highlight best practices in incident response and recovery. Moderator: Monica Wilson, Councilwoman, City of Antioch Girum Awoke, Director of Engineering and Technology, Alameda County Water District Dr. Maurice Elkins, Director of ITS Enterprise Operations, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Exclusive Briefing for Industry Partners Waterfront Hosted by: A Panel of Bay Area IT Leaders
2:30 pm Pacific	Networking Break in the Exhibit Area Ambassador Ballroom and Ambassador Foyer
3:00 pm Pacific	General Session – 25 Years of Digital Government 'The Eras Tour': How Technology, Policy and Public Service Evolved - and What Comes Next Embassy Ballroom In 2001, "digital government" meant moving paper forms to static PDF downloads. Today, it means real-time, AI-driven resident services, "whole-of-state" cybersecurity, and cloud-native infrastructure that never sleeps. As the Center for Digital Government (CDG) celebrates its 25th anniversary, we invite you to a high-energy retrospective and a forward-looking strategy session that tracks the evolution of the public sector’s digital DNA. We will walk through the "waves" of transformation we’ve navigated together and will provide a roadmap for the next quarter-century of innovation. Sean McSpaden, Senior Fellow, Center for Digital Government
3:45 pm Pacific	Networking Reception in the Exhibit Area Ambassador Ballroom and Ambassador Foyer Network with your colleagues and discuss technology solutions with the event exhibitors.
4:15 pm Pacific	End of Conference Conference times, agenda, and speakers are subject to change.

Embassy Suites San Francisco Airport Waterfront

150 Anza Boulevard
Burlingame, CA 94010
650.342.4600

Get Directions To
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Advisory Board

Government Representatives

Ali Amanth Mir
Deputy Chief Information Officer
City and County of San Francisco

Naveed Ashraf
Chief Innovation Officer and IT Director
City of Vallejo

Ahsan Baig
Chief Information Officer
Department of Innovation and Technology
Alameda Contra-Costa Transit

Tony Batalla
Chief Technology Officer
City of Oakland

Kathleen Boutte Foster
Chief Information Officer
City of Sunnyvale

Herman Brown
Chief Information Officer
District Attorney's Office
City & County of San Francisco

Savita Chaudhary
City Manager
Office of the City Manager
City of Vacaville

Tim Flanagan
Chief Information Officer
County of Solano

Teri Gerhardt
Chief Technology Officer
City of Cupertino

Sue Hartman
Director of Information Technology
City of Richmond

Donald Hester
Cybersecurity Advisor Region 9
Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency
US Department of Homeland Security

Adam Kostrzak
Chief Information Officer
City of Santa Clara

Michael Makstman
Chief Information Officer & Head of Department of Technology
Department of Technology
City and County of San Francisco

Miriam Mehari
Chief Information Security Officer
City of Oakland

Shamin Miller
IT Manager
City of Novato

Ed Miranda
Chief Information Officer and IT Director
City of Newark

Darren Numoto
Chief Information Officer
City of Palo Alto

Khaled Tawfik
Chief Information Officer
City of San Jose

Made Possible by Our Corporate Sponsors

Registration Information / Contact Us

Event Date: August 18, 2026

Open to Public Sector only.

Registration - Free

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

This event is open to all individuals who meet the eligibility criteria, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, age, disability, or any other protected class. We are committed to fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment for all participants.

Contact Information

Need help registering, or have general event questions? Contact:

Kathy Simpson
Government Technology
A division of e.Republic
Phone: (916) 932-1394
E-mail: ksimpson@erepublic.com

Already a sponsor, but need a hand? Reach out to:

Mireya Gaton
Government Technology
A division of e.Republic
Phone:(916) 296-2617
E-Mail: mgaton@erepublic.com

Want to sponsor and stand out? Reach out to explore opportunities!

Heather Earney
Government Technology
A division of e.Republic
Phone: (916) 365-2308
E-mail: heather.earney@erepublic.com

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Bay Area Digital Government Summit 2026

Overview

A message from our Keynote Speaker

Speakers

Shawnee Delaney

CEO, Vaillance Group and Former Spy

Girum Awoke

Director of Engineering and Technology, Alameda County Water District

Gurinder Bains

Chief Information Officer, City of Vacaville

Tony Batalla

Chief Information Officer & Director of Information Technology, City of Oakland, California

Dr. Maurice Elkins

Director of ITS Enterprise Operations, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission

Michael Makstman

City Chief Information Officer and Executive Director, Department of Technology, City and County of San Francisco

Sean McSpaden

Principal Legislative IT Analyst & Committee Administrator, Joint Legislative Committee on Information Management and Technology, State of Oregon

Ganesh Nathan

Data Architect, Alameda County

Ava Rassouli

Chief Information Security Officer, Marin County

Nathan Sinclair

Chief Information Security Officer, City and County of San Francisco

Khaled Tawfik

Chief Information Officer, City of San José, California

Tammie Weigl

Chief Information Officer, City of Santa Cruz

Monica Wilson

Councilwoman, City of Antioch

Agenda

Tuesday, August 18

8:00 am Pacific

Registration and Morning Refreshments in the Exhibit Area

Ambassador Ballroom and Ambassador Foyer

9:00 am Pacific

Welcome and Opening Remarks

Embassy Ballroom

9:15 am Pacific

Keynote – Spy vs. AI: Defending Against Artificial Intelligence's Threats to Your Life, Loved Ones and Livelihood

Embassy Ballroom

10:15 am Pacific

Networking Break in the Exhibit Area

Ambassador Ballroom and Ambassador Foyer

10:45 am Pacific

Concurrent Sessions

From Hype to Impact: AI Implementation Strategies for Government

Solano

Smart Modernization: Planning, Funding, Reducing Technical Debt

Diplomat A

Connected Data, Strong Governance

Diplomat B

11:45 am Pacific

Lunch

Embassy Ballroom

12:45 pm Pacific

Bits and Bytes

Embassy Ballroom

1:15 pm Pacific

Short Break

1:30 pm Pacific

Concurrent Sessions

AI and Cybersecurity: Risks and Rewards

Diplomat A & B

Future-Proofing Public Sector IT: Strategies for Resilience

Solano

Exclusive Briefing for Industry Partners

Waterfront

2:30 pm Pacific

Networking Break in the Exhibit Area

Ambassador Ballroom and Ambassador Foyer

3:00 pm Pacific

General Session – 25 Years of Digital Government 'The Eras Tour': How Technology, Policy and Public Service Evolved - and What Comes Next

Embassy Ballroom

3:45 pm Pacific

Networking Reception in the Exhibit Area

Ambassador Ballroom and Ambassador Foyer

4:15 pm Pacific

End of Conference

Embassy Suites San Francisco Airport Waterfront