Claire Bailey is the Chief Security Advisor at Tanium, supporting U.S. State and Local Government & Education (SLED). Her more than 40 years of experience includes driving modernization, security, and transformation initiatives for federal, state and local governments, in both private and public sector leadership roles. Some of her most prominent positions include serving as Chief Technology Officer for the State of Arkansas, and several industry vice president and director roles at Veracode, KWR Strategies, and Compuware, among others. Bailey’s contributions to public service and innovation have earned her honors and recognition from several institutions including the Governor’s Quality Award (Arkansas), Government Technology, StateScoop, and the Arkansas Academy of Computing.

Mike Cook is a pioneering voice in the world of digital identity and fraud prevention. As Head of Fraud Insights at Socure, the leading platform for trust and identity verification, Cook draws on nearly 40 years of hands-on experience building data-first solutions that safeguard consumers and institutions alike. He’s helped shape fraud strategy for government agencies, regulators, startups, and Fortune 500 giants—delivering results at scale, with precision.
He’s best known as the co-founder and COO of ID Analytics, where he turned a startup concept into one of the most trusted identity risk engines in the country. Under his leadership, ID Analytics became a mission-critical partner to 280+ enterprise clients—including top banks, credit card issuers, and wireless carriers—before being acquired by LifeLock, and later by Symantec and LexisNexis.
Cook has consistently been ahead of the curve. In 2003, he identified a new, invisible form of fraud—and coined the term “synthetic identity fraud”, which is now a major focus for financial institutions and federal agencies. He also helped the Federal Reserve craft the industry’s first framework to combat it. His work has led to multiple patented technologies, and he’s built fraud, compliance, and credit scoring solutions that are now woven into the fabric of modern risk decisioning.
Cook is a strong believer in collaborative intelligence—pioneering the use of consortium data to help companies share insights and defeat fraudsters together. His innovative approaches have set industry standards and redefined how risk is measured in the digital age.
In the public sector, Cook has worked closely with federal agencies and testified before U.S. Congress on identity security. Following the 2006 breach at the Department of Veterans Affairs, which exposed 26.5 million veteran records, Cook didn’t just testify—he built and gifted technology to help VA detect misuse of the stolen data.
Earlier in his career, Cook held executive roles at American Express, Experian, Early Warning Services, and helped launch Consumer Credit Associates, which later became Innovis—the “fourth credit bureau.”
Today, Mike is a sought-after speaker on synthetic fraud, data sharing, public-private tech collaboration, and the future of digital identity governance. Whether on a stage, in a strategy room, or briefing a federal agency, Cook brings insight, urgency, and decades of experience solving the identity challenges that matter most.

Chief Ehlers is a 24-year veteran of the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and currently serves as the Department’s Chief Information Officer. As the CIO and leader of Information Management Division, he oversees the strategic direction, development, and management of technology systems that support one of the nation’s most respected and largest law enforcement agencies.
With a focus on innovation, cybersecurity, and operational efficiency, he leads a team responsible for ensuring the seamless delivery of mission-critical IT services, including communications infrastructure, data systems, and emerging technologies. His role bridges technology and public safety, ensuring officers and professional staff have the tools they need to serve and protect California’s communities effectively, efficiently, and safely. Chief Ehlers continues to focus on key areas that will modernize IT infrastructure to enhance operational performance, strengthening cybersecurity resilience to protect critical assets, develop data-driven solutions to improve public safety outcomes, and drives digital transformation to support the CHP’s evolving mission.
Prior to joining the Department, he attended the University of California, Davis where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science. Chief Ehlers holds a master’s degree in criminal justice from California State University, Sacramento, is a graduate of the Naval Post Graduate School, Executive Leaders Program, FBI National Academy, and is the past President of the FBI National Academy Associates California Chapter. Josh has been married for 22 years and has three children. Josh is an avid golfer and in his spare time volunteers in his community and is a youth sports coach.

Kory Fesliyan serves as California’s Statewide Risk Program Manager, where he leads the state’s third-party risk management efforts. In this role, Kory provides strategic guidance to leaders on policies, standards, and oversight mechanisms that safeguard California’s critical operations from vendor and supply chain vulnerabilities. By working across departments and with external partners, Kory ensures that state technology and business programs are supported by secure, resilient, and compliant third-party services.
With more than 10 years of experience in cybersecurity and compliance across both public and private sectors, Kory has been instrumental in building California’s risk management approach to managing vendor and supply chain risk. Under his leadership, the state has implemented enhanced governance and assessment frameworks that strengthen oversight of third-party providers, while also streamlining the process for state departments to adopt secure and innovative solutions.
Kory also plays a central role in advancing California’s resilience goals by ensuring third-party risk practices align with state priorities, federal regulations, and national standards such as NIST and FedRAMP. Through statewide training, policy development, and collaborative partnerships, Kory has helped foster a culture of accountability and transparency in the management of external service providers.
Before assuming this role, Kory held senior positions in cybersecurity operation center, information security, and compliance management, where he successfully led initiatives to modernize the States efforts to provide cybersecurity as a service and strengthen data protection practices. Drawing from this extensive background, Kory continues to advance California’s commitment to building a secure, forward-thinking government that protects the interests of all Californians.

Mr. Fogleman has over 30 years of Information Technology and Information Security Experience. He is both alumni and retired adjunct faculty in Computer Science and Information Security at California State University Sacramento, Los Rios Community College District, and Sierra College.
Mr. Fogleman’s career in Information Technology and Information Security spans the globe. As the Director of Global WAN Implementation with Lucent Technologies, Mr. Fogleman and his team were responsible for the deployment and securing of the broadband carrier networks for more than 25 countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
Prior to beginning his career in the State of California in 2006, Mr. Fogleman was the Chief Information Officer, Chief Technology Officer, and owner of three successful Information Technology and Information Security businesses, one of which operated the largest private wireless internet service provider in the United States.
Prior to his current role as the Information Security Officer for the Department of Technology where he and his team are responsible for the security of the enterprise network and data centers for many of the mission critical systems for the State of California, Mr. Fogleman was the Statewide Information Security Architect and has been a confidential advisor for three State of California departments. Mr. Fogleman is the recipient of numerous Director’s Awards, Superior Achievement Awards, private sector acknowledgments and media articles, a graduate of the State of California Information Technology Leadership Academy and is a regular contributor to the State of California Information Security Leadership Academy.

Matthew Forsberg is the Operations Branch Chief at the California Cybersecurity Integration Center (Cal-CSIC) with a background as a 35N Signals Intelligence Analyst and in state-level cyber operations. At Cal-CSIC, he architected and deployed the center’s core security systems before pivoting to focus on operational technology (OT) and industrial control systems (ICS). In this role, he has advanced Zero Trust–based network architecture and built an OT lab that delivers hands-on training and testing to strengthen the cybersecurity of critical infrastructure.

Strategic communications leader, award-winning author, researcher, publisher and podcast producer. Previously a freelance security journalist leading headline-making investigations that included the Symantec NAV source code leak, the mass compromise of US government agency account credentials, hacktivist the J35t3r’s Libyan psy-ops campaign and denial-of-service attack that took down WikiLeaks, the Heartland breach and more. Prior to that, an analyst working with Secondary and Capital markets divisions at the biggest banks around the world and had a front row seat to the bursting of the credit bubble in the late 2000’s.

John Hanafee is the Advisory Services Program Chief. He has spent 29 of his 33 years of working for the state of California in information technology. He spent 10 years as the operations section manager for the Secretary of State where he was responsible for networks, servers, helpdesk, telecommunications, databases, data-center management, and web/cloud systems. In this position he also served as the agency Technical Recovery Manager and the State Digital Signature Certificate Program Administrator. Prior to his tenure as section manager, he spent 15 years as a system administrator for several departments, with a focus on Active Directory, messaging, virtualization, and resiliency. Additionally, he spent several years as a fiscal and policy analyst in support of child protection programs, including the development and implementation of the original CWS/CMS system as the system’s first global administrator. John holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a Master of Public Administration degree from Cal State University, East Bay. He is a CISSP, CDPSE and is ITILv4 certified.

Crystal Holcomb is the Deputy Director for the Office of Professional Development at the CA Department of Technology (CDT). With 25 years of state government experience, and more than 20 years in technology, Crystal has led multiple high performing teams always focused on providing top notch customer service. Her leadership experience includes workforce development, customer engagement, change management, project management, application development, Service Desk, and IT procurement. She is passionate about making a positive impact and serving others.
Crystal has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the CA State University, Sacramento. She is also a proud graduate of ITLA Class 22. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family at sporting events, or anything outdoors.

Jon is an innovative cybersecurity leader with over 20 years of experience shaping security strategies across some of the most complex IT/OT environments. He has driven transformation in diverse industries, including technology, energy, healthcare, finance, and state and federal government, bringing a broad, practical perspective to modern security challenges. Specializing in Zero Trust readiness and maturity assessments, Jon partners with executives to design scalable programs that reduce risk, ensure compliance, and align security priorities with organizational objectives. Known for translating technical depth into clear, actionable strategies, he has led cross-functional teams through enterprise transformations that strengthen resilience and enable innovation. Jon holds CISSP, CISM, GPEN, and PMP certifications, along with a BS in Cyber Security from Colorado Technical University.

Dr. Kizilelma is a business-driven IT/Cybersecurity Governance, Risk, Compliance (GRC) leader with three decades of experience covering Education, Healthcare, Research, Government, and Private sectors. He is currently serving as the Chief Cybersecurity Compliance Officer at CalSTA. He is also the founding Director of the business focused Masters in Cybersecurity program and teaches online Cybersecurity GRC courses as an Associate Professor of Cybersecurity in the Barowsky School of Business at Dominican University of California. Dr. Kizilelma also served as the Chief Information Security Officer for multiple University of California campuses, and as the Information Security Officer for the top Sutter Health hospitals in the Bay Area. He has more than 50 industry certifications, is an accredited ISACA trainer for all the major certifications, has a B.S. degree in Computer Engineering, an MBA, and a Ph.D. focusing on information security, patient safety and quality management systems. He volunteers for various non-profit organizations as a board member focusing on education, awareness, training, and community outreach efforts. He is the president of FBI Sacramento Citizens Academy Alumni Association and ISACA Sacramento Chapter.
His contribution to the cybersecurity community was recognized with the 2022 C100 Award – Top 100 CISOs by CISOs Connect. 

As the Chief Information Security Officer, Ken Kojima is responsible for overseeing the information security program at the CA Department of Corrections and rehabilitation.  As a member of CDCR’s IT executive leadership team, Ken is directly responsible for the department's information security governance, risk, and compliance programs as well as security engineering and the intelligence and operations center.
Currently based out of the Sacramento region and with over 16 years of experience with his current department.  Prior to being appointed to his current position, Ken has served in various capacities including, but not limited to, cybersecurity operations, security engineering, info sec auditing, technology recovery, and IT change management.
Ken is also and advisor for the CA Dept of Technology's Information Security Leadership Academy and sits on the CA Cybersecurity Taskforce’s Workforce Development team.
Ken graduated from the University of California at Davis with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering.

Nithya Krishna is the Agency Information Security Officer at the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency, with extensive experience in IT leadership, security, risk management, and information governance. She holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Cal State East Bay and certifications including PMP, CSM, CISM, and CISSP.

Abdullah works at the Office of Information Security - California Department of Technology with the Risk Management team, as part of the Security, Risk, and Governance unit. His team focuses on assisting State Entities with Risk Management Oversight, Compliance Monitoring, and Information Security Program Development & Operations. He has worked in both the private and public sectors, utilizing his experience in GRC, Incident Management, Policy, and GenAI Risk Assessments. Abdullah is passionate about strengthening California's security posture through facilitating collaboration across agencies, safeguarding information integrity, and delivering secure technological services.

Gerard works at the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES). Gerard serves as both the Chief of Information Technology Operations (CITO) and as the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). He has worked in various roles in security: CISO, ISO, Cal-CSIC Cyber Operations Branch Chief, Compromise Forensics, and Malware Reverse Engineer. He has over 25 years of experience in the IT industry. He has a CISSP and numerous ISACA and GIAC certifications, a BS in Computer Science, and an MS in Business Administration.

Nathaniel Le entered on duty as a special agent of the FBI in 2005. He has taken on a variety of assignments during his career, both domestically and internationally, with a specialty in cyber and high-tech crimes. He is an experienced leader of interdisciplinary teams responsible for complex cyber investigations, cyber threat intelligence, and digital forensic examinations.

Shobha Mallarapu is the President and CEO of Anvaya Solutions, Inc., a multi-award-winning, woman-owned cybersecurity and information assurance firm she founded in 2007 after a decade at Intel Corporation. With over two decades of experience, Shobha has led her team in delivering services ranging from risk and vulnerability assessments, penetration testing, advisory and incident management to developing innovative risk management solutions that have protected hundreds of millions of records nationwide. She holds a master’s degree in electronics engineering, is a certified PMP and CISA, and has earned recognition from the Small Business Administration, NAWBO, Enterprising Women Magazine, and the Sacramento Business Journal. Shobha is also an inventor, holding 11 U.S. patents in circuit design and security engineering. Beyond her professional achievements, she is a passionate advocate for STEM education, mentoring students, supporting robotics teams, and providing pro-bono cybersecurity training for small businesses.  

Thea Man is the Chief Information Security Officer at the California Office of Data and Innovation (ODI), where she serves as the department’s first CISO. She leads the strategic direction, oversight and development of ODI’s information security program, bringing over 25 years of experience in various technology roles across both corporate and public sectors—with the last 16 years focusing on cybersecurity.
Thea is recognized for her broad expertise across security domains and her role as a trusted advisor to executive leadership and stakeholders on cybersecurity risk strategy and governance. Among her accomplishments,Thea successfully led information security program audits resulting in minimal findings and was named IT Employee of the Year in 2009 at the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) for leading a major data center migration.
She is a graduate of the inaugural Information Security Leadership Academy (ISLA 2018), established by the California Department of Technology and was recently honored with the IT Leadership Award at the 2025 California Public Sector CIO Academy.

Mike Marshall assumed the role of CalEPA’s Agency Information Officer (AIO) in January of 2024, following his tenure as the Agency Information Security Officer (AISO) beginning in December 2017. With a wealth of experience in information security, Mike significantly contributed to CalEPA’s cyber resilience during his time as AISO.
Prior to his role at CalEPA, Mike dedicated nearly a decade to various information security roles at the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) from 2008 to 2017. His extensive experience at CalPERS equipped him with a deep understanding of information security principles and practices, which he has applied effectively in his leadership roles at CalEPA.
With his proven track record of leadership and expertise in information security, Mike continues to play a pivotal role in safeguarding CalEPA’s information assets and advancing its technological capabilities to meet the evolving needs of the agency and its stakeholders.
Mike earned his Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

Robert Mayorga is Franchise Tax Board’s Chief Security Officer and Director of FTB’s Privacy, Security and Disclosure Bureau. At FTB he is responsible for the strategic direction of the department’s cybersecurity, privacy and physical security programs. In his role with the Government Operations agency, he advises the Secretary and GovOps staff on Information Security matters and assists with cybersecurity strategy for the GovOps departments. 
Robert received a Bachelor of Science in Business with a concentration in Finance from California State University, Sacramento. Robert is a Certified Information Security Systems Professional (CISSP) and is a graduate of the Information Security Leadership Academy Cohort 2 (ISLA 2019).

Steve Meyer, Senior Security Consultant at World Wide Technology, brings over 20 years of cybersecurity expertise. He specializes in building strong teams, developing risk mitigation strategies, and guiding organizations through crises with confidence. At WWT, he enables state and local governments, as well as K-12 and higher education, by delivering cybersecurity solutions and serving as a trusted subject matter expert. Previously, Mr. Meyer spent 21 years with the State of Missouri, where he served as CISO and established the state’s Security Operations Center, the security awareness program, and enterprise-wide security strategies.

Matt’s California state service, which has encompassed both the Judicial and Executive branches, began in 2005. His service started at Yolo Superior Court and, later, at the Judicial Council of California. It was at the Judicial Council that he initiated and established the Office of Information Security and assisted all levels of court with security efforts.  In 2021, Matt joined the California Department of Technology Office of Information Security and, recently, accepted the role of Chief Cybersecurity Risk Officer for the California State Transportation Agency.  The Agency team works with the state’s transportation departments―some of the largest departments in the state―to mature governance, risk, and compliance programs in accordance with CA strategy, governance, and initiatives.

Jamie Parker is the Regional Senior Manager for Google's Threat Intelligence Services for Government. Leveraging extensive experience from a distinguished career in the U.S. Government, he leads a team dedicated to providing actionable threat intelligence to help public sector partners defend against sophisticated cyber threats.

Jared Paulsen is a highly experienced professional with a robust background in cybersecurity and network infrastructure. As a Senior Solutions Consultant at Palo Alto Networks, he specializes in cyber strategy and the implementation of Zero Trust. His role aligns directly with Palo Alto Networks' strategic commitment to Zero Trust, which focuses on eliminating implicit trust and continuously validating every stage of digital interaction across an organization. With over six years at Palo Alto Networks, including significant time as a Systems Engineer for State, Local, and Education (SLED) accounts, Jared has been pivotal in advancing security solutions across California.He guides customers in adopting this holistic security model, ensuring 'security by design' across users, applications, and infrastructure, ultimately simplifying risk management and enhancing overall security posture.He guides customers in adopting this holistic security model, ensuring 'security by design' across users, applications, and infrastructure, ultimately simplifying risk management and enhancing overall security posture.

Dylan Pletcher, recently appointed CalSTRS Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), brings his motto of “Yes, securely” to life while protecting the largest educator-only retirement system in the world. With over 25 years of security-related roles, including ten years as CISO of the California Department of State Hospitals and nearly a decade as the lead security architect at the California Highway Patrol, Dylan has employed strong engagement with business at all levels to promote a culture of security.  Dylan is an active member of the State of California Information Security community, participating regularly in workgroups, mentoring current and future professionals, and championing positive change across all disciplines.

Bradley Ponce has been working in enterprise Information Technology and Cybersecurity since 2000 to present – strategically planning and managing security oversight in risk management, governance and compliance, security operations and managed and secured many different types of systems, applications, and network methodologies throughout his IT career.   As a security leader, Bradley is currently the Chief Information Security Officer of the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation.   From 2022 to 2023, Brad had been OIS’s Advisory Services Program’s vCISO Manager helping support agency security programs ISA and audit preparations.  From 2017 to 2022, Brad had been OIS’s Security Operations Center Manager where he and the SOC established and baselined the staffing, security controls, compliance, process, and procedures the SOC uses today.”

With over 23 years of experience, Jay is a cybersecurity expert specializing in cross-platform computing architectures. He has a proven track record of leading high-performing technical teams and developing client-centric solutions that mitigate risk and enhance business value. Jay excels at translating complex technical information for diverse audiences, ensuring security strategies are clearly understood and effectively implemented.

Jason Thompson is a skilled Security Specialist with Comcast Business. Currently working out of the Los Angeles area, he has over a decade of experience in the cybersecurity vertical and has worked with businesses of all sizes to align security solutions with their strategic objectives. Throughout his career, Jason has held support, solution engineering and specialist’s roles at leading cybersecurity companies, including Rapid7, Varonis, Forcepoint, BlackBerry Cylance and Arctic Wolf. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems from Hampton University and continues to pay it forward by helping people launch their own careers in the cybersecurity industry.

Laura Walls is an Education Programs Consultant at the California Department of Education and Coordinator of the California Career Resources Network (CalCRN). With a background in science instruction and academy development, Laura brings a unique lens to cybersecurity education—connecting STEM foundations with career readiness. She previously supported the development of the California Science Test and now works to expand access to high-quality career resources across the state.

Michael Wyatt is a Cyber Principal in Deloitte & Touche LLP with over 30 years of professional experience in cybersecurity, privacy, and systems engineering. He 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 Texas, Arkansas, and North Carolina. Previously, Michael led Deloitte’s Global Identity Management practice and led Deloitte’s US Identity practice. In addition, Michael 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 identity management and cybersecurity projects across multiple industries including state government, higher education, financial services, media, energy, aerospace and defense, and healthcare. In addition, Michael serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Texas in the Master of Science in Information Security and Privacy (MSISP) program where he focused on how to influence public policy.