Jessica is a Public Participation Specialist with DTSC (Department of Toxic Substances Control). As a specialist, she serves as public liaison who engages communities, striving to involve people in DTSC’s policies, programs, and decisions that affect them. She ensures meaningful community engagement and promotes environmental justice and equity considerations in DTSC’s decision-making. She recognizes disparities in the distribution of environmental benefits and burdens across communities and seeks to meet individual and community needs. She is passionate about improving DTSC's community engagement through data, technology innovation, and plain language. Her goal is to promote timely and transparent communication between DTSC and stakeholders, while developing trust in the communities that DTSC serves.

Tiffany Angulo is a passionate self-advocate who leads by example. Native to Sacramento, CA. She graduated American River College and holds a Contract Management Certificate from Sacramento State. She began her government career in 1993. Currently appointed Deputy Director in the Office of Statewide Technology Procurement group within the State of California Department of Technology and maintains a statewide portfolio of IT and Telecommunication projects ranging up to 1 billion. She also recently served on the Board of Northern California National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP), as Treasure, a member of Next Level Purchasing Association (NLPA) and active member of the Sacramento chapter for Latinas in Tech. She aims to ensure conscious acceptance of diversity in the procurement community and continuously explores procurement methods that demonstrate innovation and ethically responsible advancement of public procurement. She has over 30 years of professional and management experience working within State government services and has extensive knowledge and partnerships with other governmental entities such as federal, local, and tribal organizations.

Win Chang began her career as a software engineer, developing financial application solutions at Texas Eastern Corporation. In 1990 she joined Oracle as a technical support manager providing exceptional customer support. Later, Win worked as an Applications Sales Consulting Manager for several years, managing a global Sales Consulting team. Siebel Systems and Hyperion also employed Ms. Chang before joining LogicalApps as the Customer Experience Vice President. She was responsible for several lines of businesses, including consulting services, customer success, education, and customer support. In 2008, Oracle acquired LogicalApps. Over the last few years, she has held several roles at Oracle, including Key Account Director, Support Account Director, and Cloud Accelerator Director. Today, she is an Oracle Solution Engineer Director.
Win was the recipient of the Oracle CEO's Cup Award for account management excellence in 2011, 2013, and 2014. She earned the 2014 YWCA Tribute to Women Award for contributing to Oracle and the community. In 2015, Win was honored with the Professional Business Women of California (PBWC) Industry Leader award for her leadership and involvement with Oracle Women's Leadership (OWL). Win received the 2016 Powerful Women of the Bay Area Award. In 2022, Ms. Chang was awarded the NAAAP Chairman award in recognition of her leadership and positive impact on the diversity and inclusion landscape for AAPIs at Oracle. She has served as the community leader for Oracle Women’s Leadership (OWL) Redwood Shores community since 2008. OWL is focused on giving back to the community, professional development, and empowering women to lead beyond. In 2016, she founded the Oracle Professional Asian Leadership (OPAL) Employee Resource Group, intended as a global employee resource network of professionals with an interest in Asian heritage, with its aim to inspire unity and leadership through professional development, mentorship, cultural awareness, and knowledge sharing. Win also serves as a board of director member for Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation. This organization collects and preserves thousands of immigrants' rich stories and personal journeys. It shares them with visitors and everyone living in America through education initiatives and public programs. In 2021, Win joined the ASCEND NorCAl board of director to support Asian American professionals develop their leadership and professional development skills.
Throughout her career, Ms. Chang earned the coveted reputation of a trusted advisor, strategic partner, and respected thought leader skilled at building consensus and strengthening relationships. She's had a life-long passion for mentoring, particularly on leadership-related topics.
Ms. Chang earned her Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Houston. Win was born in China, grew up in Miami, Florida, and now lives in Redwood Shores, California, with her husband, Mike Chang, and children, Nicholas, Madison, and Michael. She is fluent in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese.

Pam Chueh was appointed as California’s first State Chief Equity Officer by Governor Gavin Newsom in August 2022. Pam is a collaborative leader with three decades of government and public service career in advancing equity for all Californians. As State Chief Equity Officer, Pam provides leadership and consultation on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility to all state departments, with a focus on those that have a direct impact on state operations, human resources, procurement, and information technology.
Driven by her personal experience as the parent of a child with multiple disabilities, Pam previously led non-profit, WarmLine Family Resource Center, as its Executive Director to serve families of children with disabilities. Prior to this role, Pam served the California Assembly and Sacramento State University as Director of the prestigious Jesse M. Unruh Assembly Fellowship Program for a decade. As its longest serving director overseeing 12 fellowship classes, Pam developed and mentored over 200 Assembly and Senate Fellows for leadership and public service careers to increase staff diversity within the Capitol.
Pam began her career as a welfare-to-work case manager and job developer for Los Angeles County’s Department of Public Social Services. This experience, coupled with her background as an immigrant, led her to various roles with the State Assembly, including serving as the first staff Consultant to the California Asian Pacific Legislative Caucus, Special Assistant to two Assembly Speakers, Legislative Assistant, and Field Representative.
Her other professional experiences include serving as a Legislative Advocate for Los Angeles County’s Department of Public Social Services and Community and Government Relations Manager for Kaiser San Jose. Pam holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of California, San Diego and resides in Sacramento with her family.

Anne Crew-Renzo is the Head of CalAcademy at the California Office of Data and Innovation. This is her first role in public service, and she brings more than twenty years of experience in the education and non-profit space as an educator, administrator, and leader.
Under her leadership, CalAcademy was founded in January 2024 and has helped train over 1000 state employees in innovation skills like plain language, human-centered design and product mindset in 7 short months.
She leads a team that designs and delivers high-quality training content to support ODI’s customer-facing projects and help state department partners attract, upskill and retain a future-ready workforce.
Anne has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Saint Mary’s College of California and a Master’s Degree from the University of Notre Dame.

Michael Crews is the Chief Information Officer (CIO) at the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and is responsible for leading the department's Information Technology Division.
He has over 25 years of service as an Information Technology leader in the private and public sectors. He started his state career as a program manager at Cal OES and later advanced to leadership roles as the Chief Information Security Officer and Data & Geospatial Branch Chief.
Before joining Cal OES, Michael was an IT consultant, leading several projects in telemedicine health, modeling & simulation, cybersecurity, and risk management. He served as an Intelligence Analyst/Operator in the U.S. Navy. Michael holds an MBA from Hawaii Pacific University, is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), and a California State University, Sacramento Leadership Development Program graduate. He serves on the California State Technology Council, led by the California Department of Technology.

Adam serves as the Director of the CalHHS Office of Technology and Solutions Integration (CalHHS OTSI – formerly OSI) as well as the Agency Chief Information Officer (AIO) for the California Health and Human Services Agency.  He brings with him a passion for government, service, and a focus on whole-person care.  Prior to this role, Adam spent five years as the Assistant Director of Horizontal Integration at the Department of Social Services.  In both positions, Adam has focused on integrating all Health and Human Service programs to provide the best overall experience and outcomes for the public. His extensive experience includes multiple roles across California government, including five years in the State Legislature and three years with the California Technology Agency.

Mike Driessen is a Vice President for Government Technology and the Publisher for Industry Insider.  He is responsible for managing the strategy and operations for all recurring revenue services including GovTech Industry Navigator, a market and sales intelligence tool for private-sector SLED teams, and GovTech Industry Insider which provides daily news and insights into gov tech markets.   
Mike brings over 30 years of experience in IT consulting and systems integration with firms like Accenture, Grant Thornton and Hitachi Consulting.  His experience covers sales and marketing leadership, advising on digital strategies, and managing enterprise application alliances and implementations.  He has managed both large global teams and led start-ups. Mike lives in Los Angeles, although he grew up in the Midwest, and graduated from Marquette University with a BS in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in Business Administration.

Jumbi Edulbehram oversees global business development for Smart Cities and Spaces at NVIDIA, where he is responsible for driving the adoption of AI solutions for spatial intelligence. Throughout his career, Jumbi has been on the forefront of technological advancements for enhancing safety and operational efficiency in our cities and large public spaces such as airports, seaports and stadiums. At NVIDIA he works with a large ecosystem of partners that provide a broad range of applications for instrumenting smarter cities and spaces. Jumbi is passionate about helping cities address efficiency, equity and sustainability by capitalizing on transformational AI technologies.

Charles Elliott is a Field CTO and Practice Lead within Google Cloud dedicated to empowering state, local, and education customers with cutting-edge AI solutions. His expertise lies in leveraging Google Cloud's vast capabilities to transform public services, accelerate research and scale development teams. With over 15 years of experience in Big Data, Analytics, and AI, Charles has a proven track record of helping clients design and implement innovative cloud-based solutions that streamline government operations, enhance community engagement, and optimize workloads.  Charles is also a trusted technical advisor to research institutions and actively champions the integration of cloud technologies in government and academic advisory boards.

Monica Erickson is Chief Deputy Director of the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR), the state agency responsible for human resource management of state employees, including issues related to employee salaries and benefits, job classifications, civil rights, training, exams, recruitment and retention. She has worked for over 30 years for the State of California and has served in fiscal and administrative roles including Deputy Director of Administration at the Department of Health Care Access and Information (2015 – 2023), Budget Officer at the Department of Social Services (2012 – 2015) and Principal Program Budget Analyst and Budget Analyst at the Department of Finance (1999 – 2012).

Ryan Estrellado is the Director of Data Programs at California’s Office of Cradle-to-Career Data. He leads the user centered design of data products that share actionable insights from the Cradle-to-Career Data System. Mr. Estrellado is the author of the book The K–12 Educator’s Data Guidebook: Reimagining Practical Data Use in Schools and a co-author of Data Science in Education Using R. He has over twenty years of experience working in public school education, and is an alumnus of the Strategic Data Project, a program of the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University.

For the past 27 years, Lauren Farese has been a dedicated member of Oracle, focusing on bringing Oracle technology to various public sector customers. She currently holds a prominent position as Group Vice President of Cloud Engineering for the Public Sector – SLED Sales organization, where she provides support to all State and Local governments and Higher Education institutions. Previously, she led the US Federal government and Canada public sector engineering teams. Additionally, she plays a crucial role in supporting key Systems Integrators and partners who work with SLED Government customers. Throughout her impressive career spanning 35 years, Lauren has been actively involved in planning, developing, and implementing technology solutions for a wide range of organizations, including government, utilities, pharmaceuticals, financial services, and commercial sectors.
Before joining Oracle, Lauren's experience was diverse, having served as a developer, trainer, senior consultant, and solution architect at esteemed companies such as Advanced Data Management, Digital Equipment Corporation, and Hewlett-Packard.
Lauren's passion for technology extends beyond her work at Oracle. She is an active member of the NASCIO Enterprise Architecture, AI/ML and Data Governance workgroups, contributing to the publication of several technology briefs on emerging technologies. Moreover, Lauren is a valued member of the Smart Cities Council, and she has presented and been a panelist on numerous Digital Government Technology Summits, Alliance and GovExec events on various topics, including Data Modernization, Cyber Security, SOA/Integration, Data Warehouse/Data Lakehouse, Data Management, Extending SaaS Applications, AI/ML for Government, Analytics for Education, Application and Data Center Modernization, and Cloud and Hybrid deployments.
Outside of her professional endeavors, Lauren resides in rural Hunterdon County, NJ, with her husband and rescued animals. She is deeply engaged in her church and community. Currently, Lauren volunteers at the local food bank/thrift shop and actively supports animal rescue and adoption initiatives in her region. Her dedication to both her professional and charitable endeavors reflects her commitment to making a positive impact on society.

Nancy Farias, a passionate and dedicated public servant with a remarkable career spanning several decades in state service, is at the helm of the California Employment Development Department (EDD). Her leadership has been instrumental in guiding the department through one of the most challenging periods in state history, including a 16 percent unemployment rate, unprecedented fraud attempts, and massive unemployment claims. Nancy’s resilience has breathed new life into the department, transforming it into a people-centered public service agency.
Overseeing nearly 10,000 employees and a fiscal year 2024-2025 budget of $24 billion, Nancy leads one of the largest public benefit systems in the nation. This includes the collection of approximately 40% of the state's general funds, making it the largest personal income tax collection entity in the U.S., second only to the IRS.
Nancy is known for her inspiring leadership, driven by a fundamental question: “But why?” Her commitment to a customer-focused EDD and her ability to rally support from both staff and public stakeholders have propelled EDDNext, one of California’s largest modernization initiatives. This project aims to overhaul outdated policies, procedures, and IT infrastructure to enhance service for Californians.
With extensive experience across the public and private sector, including labor, Nancy is a fervent advocate for working families. Her background includes roles in government relations for the state of California, the California and Massachusetts legislatures, as well as positions in lobbying and law firms.
Nancy earned her Juris Doctorate from Suffolk University Law School in Boston, Massachusetts, and is licensed to practice law in Massachusetts and before the Supreme Court of the United States.

Reza Fazlollahi is the Equinix Client Director for the State of California, where he is dedicated to delivering innovative and tailored data center and interconnection solutions that meet the unique needs of state, local and education organizations.
With over 25+ years in the SLED market, Reza leverages his expertise in public sector data center operations, cloud services, and network infrastructure to provide strategic guidance and support to key State of CA accounts. His focus is on understanding client requirements, identifying opportunities for value creation, and ensuring the successful implementation of Equinix’s solutions to enhance operational efficiency and connectivity.
Reza’s career is marked by his strong commitment to client success and his ability to navigate the complex landscape of IT and telecommunications. His experience encompasses a blend of technical knowledge from such companies as AT&T, Cisco Systems, NetApp, VMware and Dell Technologies, enabling him to effectively address client challenges and drive impactful outcomes through all levels of the client’s network infrastructure environment.

Hayley Figeroid is the Head of Government Relations for the California Office of Data and Innovation and she also serves as the ODI generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) lead. ODI is a Government-to-Government (G2G) department, driving statewide innovation through human-centered design and data-informed decision making. 
A high school English teacher by trade, Hayley began her public sector career in 2015 and has spent the past 9 years collaborating with industry experts across multiple sectors (including health insurance and construction) to translate complex technical problems into streamlined, human-centered solutions. She envisions a future where every state department prioritizes the customer experience of both the Californians they serve and their staff, and works to improve that CX alongside program delivery. 
She holds an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership & Administration from Concordia University Portland, and an M.A. in English Literature from Sacramento State.

Sarah Gessler has worked in the human resources field in both the public and private sectors for 24 years. She is the Chief of the Workforce Development Division at the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) and leads the statewide Workforce Planning, Succession Management, Organizational Development, and Learning and Development programs that support state departments in their efforts to attract, develop, and retain a talented and diverse workforce to achieve their mission critical business goals.  In addition to her previous role as the Statewide Workforce Planning and Recruitment Manager at CalHR, she has eleven years of experience in recruitment, examinations, classification, performance management, and employee development with the California Public Employees’ Retirement System.  Sarah is a University of California at Davis graduate and her work experience prior to starting her human resources career includes wildlife education.

Ajay Gupta was appointed Chief Digital Transformation Officer in February 2020. Gupta leads business and technology transformation efforts for the DMV to become a modern enterprise. Gupta has served as a special advisor to the DMV Director since 2019.
Before joining state service, Gupta worked as a managing director at KPMG, where he led the delivery of legacy transformation, technology innovation, and managed services for State departments nationally. Gupta brings more than 23 years of public sector experience to the DMV. He served State departments in California, Texas, and Hawaii while working for CGI Inc., Visionary Integration Professional Inc., Deloitte LLP, and Tata Consulting Services.
Gupta has a B.E. in Electrical Engineering from Delhi College of Engineering and an MBA in Marketing and Information Technology from UC Davis. Gupta is also certified as a PMP, PSM, PSPO, Cloud Practitioner, and Enterprise Architect.

Asim’s role as CTO is fueled by his vast experience in security, storage, and resilience. In his most recent roles he was integral to the implementation for The Common Application and complete migration of Harvard Business Review’s Primary and DR data center to AWS. He maintains a strong personal interest in frictionless technical designs focused on end-user happiness and employee satisfaction, still thinks that ‘Data Availability Architect’ (from his early days working with HPE) is the coolest certification title ever and is an ex-CISSP.

James started working for Toxic Substances Control as a Research Writer during California’s Green Chemistry Initiative in 2008. He later became the Operations Manager for the resulting Safer Consumer Products program. He has also worked in the Department as an IT Project Manager and a Research Specialist in Pollution Prevention. Currently he serves in the Department’s Communications Office working on special projects and managing operations.

Coleen is a forward-thinking senior manager with over 15 years in the education, learning, and talent development industries. Her accomplishments include the successful management of critical knowledge, training, and change management efforts for high-impact software implementations, such as Salesforce and Workday, as well as organizational development initiatives, such as Future of Work and the introduction of new GenAI tools. Notably, she has established and promoted key organizational change networks, working with key stakeholders and partners to identify strategies for addressing adoption risks and resistance. Her strategic vision, operational expertise, and enthusiasm for building collaborative and adaptable teams while fostering a culture of continuous learning make her an ideal moderator for the "Building Tomorrow's Workforce" panel, promising insightful discussions on developing a future-ready public sector workforce.

Jeff is currently responsible for Palo Alto Network's Security Operations Technology for California government.  He's specifically focused on helping security teams understand key metrics and adopt technology that reduces complexity and increases efficiency.  For the past 20 years, he's assisted governments with prioritizing project decisions, securing infrastructure and creating efficient systems.  One of his most proud accomplishments is helping secure one of the largest water systems from cyber attacks.

As a seasoned Information Technology professional with soon to be 17 years of dedicated service at CalPERS, I've had the privilege of witnessing and contributing to the transformative power of technology in the public sector. My journey in IT has been driven by a relentless pursuit of knowledge, a commitment to excellence, and a deep belief in the value of public service.
Beyond my professional endeavors, my life is profoundly shaped by my faith in Jesus Christ, which guides my principles, ethics, and interactions. This foundation inspires me to approach challenges with integrity, lead with compassion, and serve with a purpose that transcends the conventional metrics of success.
As a father, husband, and grandfather, I'm blessed with a vibrant wife and family that keeps me grounded and reminds me daily of the importance of legacy. The lessons learned from parenting and grandparenting are invaluable, enriching my perspectives on leadership, mentorship, and the enduring impact of our actions.
A lifelong learner at heart, I'm continuously exploring new technologies, methodologies, and frameworks to not only enhance my skill set but also to contribute more effectively to my team and the broader community at CalPERS. My career is a testament to the belief that personal growth and professional development are inextricably linked, and that being a lifelong learner and staying curious is key to navigating the ever-evolving landscape of information technology.
I'm grateful for the journey so far and excited about the opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals who are passionate about leveraging technology for meaningful impact. Let's explore how we can make a difference together.

Loree Levy was appointed Deputy Director of the Public Affairs Branch at the California Employment Development Department in November 2002. The Public Affairs Branch has evolved significantly over that time to now feature a Customer Experience division along with Strategic Communications division that includes various media, public education and outreach, website, social media, graphic development, Spanish translation, and Voice of the Customer related operations.
Levy’s operation manages the EDD brand, conducting public education campaigns, providing plain language training, measuring customer experience with real-time data and actionable insights, and leading the department in its customer-centric commitment to putting customer needs and expectations front and center in modernization efforts and communications.
Prior to her appointment with EDD, Levy spent 15 years in television news. In the Sacramento area, she was an on-air reporter for NBC-affiliate KCRA-TV Channel 3 and a news anchor for “Good Day Sacramento” at KPWB-TV Channel 31. Levy is a native of Sacramento and holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from California State University, Sacramento.

Ines Livingston was appointed the Learning and Development Branch (LDB) Chief for California’s Department Motor Vehicles in 2019. As the Branch Chief, Ines oversees all aspects of training for the department and it’s 14,000+ team member and 1,500+ team leads. Under her leadership, LDB transitioned from 100% face to face learning to 95% virtual learning – increasing total learning hours by 1050%.
Prior to DMV, Ines was the Chief Learning Officer at the California Air Resource Board (CARB). While at CARB she oversaw the implementation of their Learning Management System. Ines also created and delivered facilitation to support healthy communication and collaboration across classifications. Ines rebranded the Employee Assistance Program resulting in an increased utilization by 75%.
Before her tenure with the State Ines had an extensive career in education, and non-profit executive management. She previously led a team of 100+ individuals that provided holistic education services to over 2000 families daily across the Greater Sacramento region.
Ines has a B.A. in History from Fayetteville State University, a historically Black College. She is a former middle school teacher and a Crucial Conversation Master Facilitator, and she is certified as a trainer in multiple Franklin Covey curricula.

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 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.

Enrique Parker is the Chief Information Officer (CIO) at the California Department of Human Resources, leading the organization’s IT strategy and operations with over two decades of experience. He has a proven track record in driving innovation and transformation and improving operational efficiencies. Enrique holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a Master’s in Information Assurance. At CalHR, he focuses on advancing digital transformation, enhancing cybersecurity, and fostering continuous improvement, ensuring that CalHR delivers on its mission.

Dr. Diana E. Ramos is a renowned public health leader and California’s second Surgeon General and first Latina Surgeon General. As California’s Doctor, she is the leading spokesperson on the most pressing public health issues of the time within the State of California. Her mission is to advance the health and wellbeing of all Californians.
Raised in South Central Los Angeles, Dr. Ramos received her medical degree from the Keck University of Southern California School of Medicine and completed her residency training in obstetrics and gynecology at Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center. She also holds a Master of Public Health degree from UCLA and a Master of Business Administration degree from UC Irvine Paul Merage School of Business.
Over the past three decades, Dr. Ramos has provided reproductive care to thousands of Californians as an Obstetrician Gynecologist at Southern California Kaiser Permanente.
Dr. Ramos’ leadership spans from the local level in Los Angeles County where she previously served as the Director for Reproductive Health, State leadership as the prior chair for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist, California & Ecuador (IX) District, Nationally on the Women’s Preventive Service Initiative, American Medical Association Foundation board, as a prior executive board member for the National Hispanic Medical Association, and many others. Prior to her appointment as the California Surgeon General, she served as the Assistant Deputy Director of Chronic Disease Prevention for the California Department of Public Health.
Within the academic sector, she has served as an adjunct Associate Professor at the Keck University of Southern California School of Medicine for many years.
Dr. Ramos has written and contributed numerous articles to the obstetrics and gynecology and public health literature and has lectured in Spanish and English, locally, nationally and internationally.
In 2024, the California Latino Legislative Caucus awarded Dr. Ramos with the Latino Spirit Ward for Achievement in Public Service and Health.

James Regan was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to Government Operations Agency in 2023. Prior to his appointment, Regan served as the Assistant Deputy Director of Health Workforce Development at the Department of Health Care Access and Information where he helped manage a billion-dollar portfolio of programs to support and build the health workforce across California.  He also led several population health initiatives and COVID-19 response efforts with the California Department of Public Health, including initiatives to support operational efficiency, policy development, and strategic use of data. Prior to joining state service, he managed a variety of community-based health promotion efforts in California’s Central Valley.

Katie Regan currently serves as the State Data Services Manager within the California Department of Technology (CDT). CDT’s Data Services team includes geospatial services and is dedicated to sustainable and accessible data sharing, elevating data management standards, leading various centers of excellence, and providing support to strategic data initiatives. Before joining the state, Katie led the creation of the Office of Performance and Data Analytics at the City of Stockton, which focused on performance management, data governance, open data, and operationalizing analytics for equitable service delivery to residents. Prior to joining public service, Katie consulted for medical device and pharmaceutical clients where she led program implementations, streamlined business processes, and risk assessed regulatory compliance. Katie has a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of Puget Sound and a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law.

John Sanborn is the Chief Learning Officer for the State of California. In this role, John oversees statewide learning and development programs and leads a team of talent development and operations specialists.
His program areas include the California Leadership, Lean, and HR Academies, as well as the CalLearns platform, which provides over 130 competency-based training products for state civil service employees. John’s programs deliver nearly 500,000 training hours annually, engaging the state’s 250,000 civil service employees with a variety of content and services. He is also the executive sponsor for the California Network of Learning Professionals and co-created the Chief Learning Officer Consortium for state department learning leaders across the United States.
Prior to joining state service in 2018, John spent nearly a decade as a Learning and Development Manager and HR Consultant for Walmart, where he worked closely with innovation, operations, and employee experience programs. He also served in the U.S. Navy and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Washington State University.

Angela Shell was appointed Deputy Director of the Procurement Division at the Department of General Services and Chief Procurement Officer for the State of California on Nov. 1, 2017. In her current role, Angela is responsible for overseeing the State’s purchase of goods and services vital to state department operations that serve the needs of California. This includes developing and awarding statewide leveraged procurement agreements, delegating purchasing authority, developing statewide policy and training, identifying sustainable procurement methods and products, and certifying Small and Disabled Veteran Business enterprises.
Angela has more than 26 years of service to the State of California including 19 years at the Department of Transportation (Caltrans) from 1998 to 2017 serving as the Division Chief and Chief Procurement Officer for the Division of Procurement and Contracts, Assistant Director for the Office of Business and Economic Opportunity, Chief of the Office of Construction Support, and Labor Compliance Program Manager.
Angela has also worked for the Contractors State License Board and Department of Insurance and has extensive experience working with the small and disabled veteran business communities, state and federal government stakeholders and vendor community representatives to develop innovative solutions to California’s contracting and procurement needs.

As the Global Head of Technology, Data, and AI Strategy at IBM, Brent leads a team of experts who help our clients leverage the power of AI and modern technologies to transform their businesses and agencies to deliver higher value to customers and citizens. We partner with senior executives and public sector leaders across industries and regions to design and execute innovative solutions that combine cloud, data, AI, IOT, and AR/VR. Brent?s work has enabled some of the most impactful and transformative programs with his clients in government as well as commercial industries. 
Brent has over 25 years of experience in the technology sector, spanning consulting, product engineering, and entrepreneurship. He has a passion for strategy, analytics, AI, & technology and enjoys solving complex problems that require deep technical knowledge, structured thinking, stakeholder management, and executive communication. Brent also loves developing and mentoring the next generation of technology strategists and has seen many of his mentees become industry leaders. Before joining IBM, Brent was the North America Head of Cloud Strategy and Advisory at Accenture and a Partner at McKinsey and Company, where he led the IT Infrastructure practice for many years. He also founded and served as the CTO of Natural Messaging, a tech startup that pioneered a new way of interacting with software using natural language.

Christina Spagnoli was appointed Assistant Chief Deputy Director at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in February of 2024. In her role, she oversees department governance, innovative process improvement, performance management, change management, and most importantly, seeks to improve the DMV employee and customer experience. She brings more than 17 years of experience working in politics, policy, and the public sector. Before joining the DMV, Spagnoli served as Senior Advisor to the Secretary and as Deputy Secretary of Legislative Affairs, at the Government Operations Agency. Spagnoli previously worked in the State Capitol as personal staff to multiple Legislators, as the select committee consultant on domestic violence and as an advocate for two nonprofit trade associations. >br />Spagnoli earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Sacramento State and is alumni of the Panetta Institute for Public Policy as well as the Jesse M. Unruh Assembly Fellowship.

Erica’s mission is to make complex systems easier to understand, navigate, and access. At the California Office of Data and Innovation (ODI), she has empowered state departments to put people’s needs first through human-centered design. She’s worked on projects with the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), and the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC). Erica lives in San Francisco and is originally from Texas.

Michael joined the California Office of Data and Innovation (ODI) in 2020. He focuses on improving service delivery through content. Michael was on the team that wrote California's plain language equity standard. He then helped make training to help state staff use plain language in their work. To date, over 1,000 people have taken this training. He has worked on high-profile state websites like covid19.ca.gov and climateaction.ca.gov.
Michael has been a content designer for the last decade. He began his public service at UC San Diego. He wrote about educational technology for faculty, students, and staff. He also worked at TurboTax writing in-product help content.

Serenity Thompson is the Deputy Director of the Digital Services Division at the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom. The Digital Services Division was created as a key function for modernizing the way in which Californians conduct their DMV business. In her role, Deputy Thompson sets the direction for the design, development, content, usability, and optimization DMVs digital channels: dmv.ca.gov, intranet, CA DMV mobile app, kiosks, chatbots and other commercial and government interfaces.
Prior to joining the leadership team at DMV, Thompson was the Chief of Engagement and Retention Marketing at the California Lottery where she led a team contributing to the California Lottery surpassing ten historic all-time sales records, including the highest revenue-generating fiscal year in the Lottery’s 30-year history, providing $2 billion in profit to California public education. Before transitioning to California State leadership, she was an accomplished technology executive with a 20-year track record of successfully achieving objectives and key results within rapid innovation environments for the Global 2000 and Series C startups. Working with executive teams, thought leaders, data stewards, analysts, designers, content creators, developers, and engineers, Thompson excels at unlocking growth opportunities and bringing them to life through value-driven digital services and omnichannel experiences built with modern and emerging technologies. Thompson’s private sector leadership has supported five funding events and three acquisitions by Fortune 500 companies.
Thompson earned her MBA with Honors summa cum laude from the University of San Francisco and continues her affiliation as a mentor to graduate students. She earned her BA from the University of California at Santa Cruz. Beyond business, she is an incurable road tripper.

I currently work as the Assistant Deputy Director of the Office of Professional Development at the California Department of Technology (CDT). Before CDT, I worked at the Franchise Tax Board as an analyst, supervisor and manager in IT. My assignments have included work as a project manager, introducing new technology to tax processing, communications, marketing, change management, web development and currently, training. Prior to joining state service, I worked in the electronics industry in Silicon Valley and for FedEx. I have a BS in Business Administration from California State University, Sacramento.

Steve Towns is director of content strategy for the Center for Digital Government. He is the former editor of Government Technology and has spent more than 25 years covering technology in the state and local government market.
Steve joined e.Republic in 1996. During his tenure, e.Republic’s print and electronic media have received many awards for editorial excellence, including “Magazine of the Year” from ASBPE for Emergency Management in 2013, “Best New Web Site” from ASBPE for emergencymgmt.com in 2009, ”Best Overall Publication” at the Maggie awards for Government Technology in 2008 and “Magazine of the Year” from ASBPE for Public CIO in 2007.

Daniel Villaseñor serves as Deputy Director of Communications for California Governor Gavin Newsom. During his time with the Newsom Administration, he has organized whole-of-government crisis communications strategy in the face of natural disasters, helped secure victory for key Administration priorities, managed multi-million-dollar website builds and advanced the Governor's goal to reinvent government communications to better serve the people of California.
Previously, he was Communications Director for California Senate Majority Leader Emeritus Robert M. Hertzberg. Prior to working for Senator Hertzberg, Daniel launched and led the digital practice at Randle Communications, a leading public affairs and public relations firm in Sacramento. At Randle, he managed accounts spanning statewide associations confronting the top issues facing California including health care, behavioral health and housing.

California Conservation Corps (CCC) Career Pathways Deputy Director Melanie Wallace is responsible for expanding opportunities for Corpsmembers to pursue their dream careers. Prior to this role, Melanie served as the equal employment opportunity officer at the California Public Utilities Commission where she managed workplace investigations and advised executive leadership on matters concerning equal employment opportunity, diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility. Prior to that, Melanie served in several capacities at the CCC, including in the region and executive offices, as well as in equal employment opportunity. Melanie is proud to have started her career with the CCC as an AmeriCorps Volunteer in Service to America (VISTA), and to have the honor of serving the State of California for more than 10 years.

David White is Vice President of Security Solutions Engineering at Comcast Corporation. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing the full range of cybersecurity engineering functions including endpoint and network security, security data science and analytics, data loss prevention, VPN, DDoS protection for Comcast and Comcast Business customers, and operations of the security products. 
David joined Comcast after a 25-year career at Sandia National Laboratories.  While at Sandia David served in a variety of positions including Chief Information Security Officer, Director for Cyber R&D, and Deputy Associate Lab Director for National Security Programs.  David served as a Cyber Board member of Zion’s Bank.
David received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Engineering from Brigham Young University, and his Ph.D. in Engineering with an emphasis on Computational Geometry and Computational Mechanics from Carnegie Mellon University. In 2013, David was named a National Security Fellow by Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, where he conducted research on defending the U.S. electric grid from cyberattack.

Jake Wolf is a proven leader in emergency management and sustainability, with over 23 years of diverse and progressive experience in fire, EMS, public health, education, and private sectors. He currently serves as the Assistant Secretary of Emergency Services and Sustainability at the California Government Operations Agency (CA GOV OPS), where he navigates the strategic frontiers of emergency response and sustainability initiatives for the state, specifically continuity efforts for a state agency of over 22,000 employees.
In his role, Jake orchestrates the development of California Emergency Support Functions 3: Construction and Engineering and 7: Resources, as well as supporting sustainability efforts within the agency, with a keen focus on building alliances across a spectrum of public and private stakeholders. He leverages his credentials as a paramedic, a National Emergency Management Advanced Academy (NEMAA) graduate, and an EOC Type II Director to innovate emergency management, continuity, and sustainability policy development.