Jeff Beck leads the VMware Public Sector Team with responsibility for state/local/tribal government, public health, utility, and education customers across California. He and his team work together with stakeholders to solve business initiatives and IT projects using the broad portfolio of VMware products and services that deliver any app from any cloud to any device in a secure fashion.

Thomas Boon is the Chief Information Officer of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). Boon leads the successful GO-Biz technology team known for the development of the California Business Portal, the California Competes Tax Credit Application, and the California Film and Television Tax Credit Application. Cloud First principles have enabled the GO-Biz technology team to be a leader in the modernization of digital services for Californians. The California Business Portal was developed with the California Information Technology Leadership Academy in 7 months. The California Competes Tax Credit Application and the California Film and Television Tax Credit Application are essential to the online submission, review, and award of over $500 million in tax incentives to businesses and film production companies in California. In 2018, Boon led GO-Biz to become one of the first State of California offices to implement cloud-based desktop computers for its entire staff. Being able to work from anywhere on any device proved to be very valuable during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Previously, Boon served as the Application Architect for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation from 2009 to 2013, where he was also a lead software developer from 2001 to 2009 and an associate programmer from 1997 – 2001. Boon earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from the University of San Diego and has served as a Program Coach and Program Advisor to the California Information Technology Leadership Academy.

Chad Bratton currently serves as the Chief Information Officer for the Office of Data & Innovation (ODI). As Chief Information Officer, he is responsible for IT and security operations for ODI's office and cloud platforms. Chad is passionate about improving service delivery within state IT operations, with over 10 years of IT experience in both the public and private sector. Chad was the co-founder of Survival Servers LLC, where he worked full time from 2012-2015 before joining the state.
Chad previously served as Head of Information Technology for ODI where he procured and implemented ODI's critical IT infrastructure and systems to support engineering and administrative operations for a brand new department. Chad led the implementation of Google Workspace and MacOS for ODI, bringing in a new and innovative approach to state IT operations. In a prior role as DevOps Engineer and Digital Services Consultant with the California Department of Technology, Chad implemented improvements for critical services and was focused primarily on establishing continuous integration and deployment pipelines, and high availability architecture for ca.gov and other state websites.
Chad is a graduate of California State University Sacramento, with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration: Management Information Systems and is a Certified Scrum Master (CSM).

Andrew Campbell is the leader of IBM’s Talent Transformation practice for Public Sector clients in the US. He is responsible for driving growth and value for clients’ digital transformation agendas, including Strategy, Process, Outsourcing and Systems Integration.
Andrew is an accomplished HR and Consulting Executive with strategic, global talent and transformation experience in government and other numerous industries. Andrew has led large Global HR Transformation programs for public sector and Fortune 100 companies, and is experienced in program management, change management, talent management and HR systems technology. Originally from Australia, Andrew has worked extensively in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific.

Gary leads the VMware pre-sales engineering team with responsibility for state/local/tribal government, public health, utility and education customers across California, Nevada, Arizona and Hawaii. He and his team work closely with client stakeholders to plan, design and deliver business aligned technology solutions leveraging the broad portfolio of VMware and partner capabilities. Gary and his team are seasoned hybrid/remote work practitioners and regularly provide expertise and guidance to clients in this area.

Kevin joined Covered California as Chief Information Officer in 2020, where he is responsible for the strategic direction for CalHEERS, California’s health benefit exchange platform, as well as Covered California’s enterprise technology and digital initiatives. Prior to Covered California, Kevin held multiple technology leadership roles in healthcare, higher education, and high tech across a diverse portfolio of private-sector companies. Kevin holds a bachelor’s degree in Human Information Processing from the University of California, San Diego.

Brenda Bridges Cruz was appointed by Governor Newsom in November 2022 as the Deputy Director over Special Projects at the California Department of Technology. In this role, she is part of the CDT Directorate and works closely with the State CIO and Deputy CIO on various initiatives that require statewide collaboration and involvement as well as CDT internal strategic efforts.
Ms. Bridges Cruz has 25 years of technology and management experience in the private and public sectors combined. She has worked at multiple state departments on large integration projects around legacy modernization, and enterprise initiatives related to application development, quality assurance, data management and analytics, project management, strategic planning and organizational change management.
Ms. Bridges Cruz has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Valdosta State University, Georgia along with various IT certifications. She is a graduate of the Sacramento State Continuing Education's Leadership for the Government Executive (LGE) program and is a CIO Academy IT Leadership Award recipient.

Chris Dainard is the Chief of the Selection Division at the California Department of Human Resources and has over 10 years of public sector experience in Human Resources. In his role, Chris oversees and establishes policy for the State's selection, testing, and recruitment programs, serving over 150 state departments. Chris led in many roles throughout his career in both the public and private sectors, as well as serving on boards for non-profit organizations, and believes investment in individuals is the best way to strengthen a workforce.

Shulagna is a Senior Managing Director within Accenture’s Talent and Human Potential practice and leads the practice in the West region of Accenture. She partners with business leaders in defining and activating big, fast, complex and yet truly ‘human’ business transformations. She is passionate about helping businesses deliver on their purpose, supporting C-suite executives drive cultural change, using AI-based solutions to maximize workforce potential and making sure at the heart of every key transformation is authentic compassion.

David Derks is the Customer Service Chief, responsible for the Employment Development Department’s (EDD) ITB Service Desk, Request Fulfillment, and Field Operations lines of business.
In his current role, David’s teams are the face to voice of ITB, accountable to provide support to 8,000 internal EDD customers across 180+ locations. This support is critical to enable California’s Unemployment, Disability, Tax, IT, and Workforce Services programs to deliver critical services to California citizens.
Prior to his current role, David held various IT Leadership and technical roles in the health insurance, newspaper publishing, and federal government sectors. David also served in the United State Air Force for 8 years where he received his electronics, IT, and management training.
David is a proud supporter of the California Technology Agency’s Information Technology Leadership Academy (ITLA) and Sacramento State’s College of Continuing Education’s Government Leadership certificate programs.

Pooja Deshmukh is the Deputy Chief Information Officer for California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA). She is responsible for oversight of Infrastructure and Networks, Enterprise Application and IT operations (Project Management and procurement). Pooja has had many IT roles in her career and in her recent positions has been focused on strategic IT planning and direction and relationship management. Pooja is currently a member of the 2023 Information Technology Leadership Academy (ITLA) 30 cohort.

Mike Driessen joined Government Technology in 2021 as the VP of Subscription Services, where he is responsible for managing execution, strategy and operations for all recurring revenue services. He also oversees Navigator, a market and sales intelligence tool for private-sector SLED teams, and Techwire and Industry Insider – Texas Edition, each of which provide daily news and insights into the California and Texas GovTech markets.
Mike brings over 25 years of experience in the IT consulting and systems integration industry 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 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.

Don Foley comes to DTSC with over 25 years of experience in information technology from both private and public sectors. He most recently served as Chief over the Innovative Technology Solutions Branch at the Department of Social Services (CDSS), supporting enterprise applications and services. Prior to CDSS, Don worked for the Department of Water Resources (DWR) in various roles supporting the California Natural Resources Agency Multi-Tenant Data Center and State Water Project (SCADA) environments. He’s worked in various industries including health care, banking, and IT consulting, holding multiple positions such as Enterprise IT Project Director, Network and Security Manager and consultant. Over his career, Don obtained industry certifications such as PMP, ITIL, CSM, CCNP, CNA and MCSE.
Don is inspired daily by his family and the people around him. Don is native to Guam, USA and moved to Sacramento, CA in 1984. The people around Don will say he is a champion in the concept of “Teamwork makes the Dream work.” He focuses on culture and promotes collaboration and employee engagement.

Spencer currently serves as the Director of the Initiation and Planning Bureau at Franchise Tax Board (FTB), where he leads a diverse group of teams responsible for delivering enterprise services such as technology project management, release management, enterprise intake, and technology budgets and acquisitions. In his 30+ years of public service, Spencer has served in key technology leadership roles where his passion for strategic planning, process improvement, service delivery, and customer relations has resulted in the implementation of wide-ranging strategic initiatives, such as FTB’s single enterprise intake process for receiving, prioritizing, and scheduling all information technology system change requests and projects.
Spencer ensures the functions he oversees are optimized to achieve goals and meet customer needs, and under his leadership his teams have augmented and streamlined their service offerings in varied areas such as project management intake and mentorship, prioritization of critical information technology purchases, and monitoring the health of multiple concurrent enterprise software release cycles. His success is built on sustaining strong collaborative cross-program relationships between business and technology, building and refining efficient service delivery strategies, resolving multifaceted issues through effective data analysis and risk mitigation, eliciting diverse stakeholder insights, and providing strategic direction and innovative process improvement solutions.
Spencer is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP®), and he has led large software development projects to successful implementation. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from California State University, Sacramento, with a focus on public relations and digital media. Outside of work, Spencer enjoys trail running, travel, reading, and culinary experimentation.

Ajit has over 20 years of experience in Information Technology in both Public and private sector driving innovation and implementing large scale IT projects. Currently in EDD, he is playing a vital role in modernizing the mainframe systems, call center platform, document scanning and imaging solutions that are used to process millions of Unemployment Insurance and Disability Insurance claims.
Ajit has a bachelor’s degree in Electrical & Electronics Engineering and a master’s in Business Administration from University of Iowa. He is also a PMP, ITIL certified and a graduate of Information Technology Leadership Academy (ITLA XX).

Mike Grigsby is a seasoned technology executive, having held multiple Chief Information Officer (CIO) roles in both the private and public sectors. He is a recognized practitioner and thought leader for smart cities solutions and digital transformation strategy. Prior to joining Lumen, Mike held CIO roles in public safety, public transportation, and municipal government agencies, as well as a business development and engagement leader for Cisco Systems' Smart+Connected Communities practice. He has more than 30 years of technology and industry experience and is a proud military and law enforcement veteran.

Marion Hughes has proudly served the public sector for over 30 years in a variety of technology leadership assignments including 12 years within application development and 12 within operations and infrastructure. She has sponsored and overseen many teams and technology projects to help ensure the Franchise Tax Board (FTB) has a healthy and reliable infrastructure to serve the needs of the department and Californians. Marion currently serves as FTB’s Chief Technology Officer where she leads innovation, establishes policy, standards, and frameworks for the department’s technology architecture. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resources Management from California State University, Sacramento and Marion plays an active role in FTB’s governance structure and mentoring and coaching program. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, writing, exercising, helping others find state employment, and serving as a jail minister.

Mike Hussey is an industry executive director for state and local strategy for Oracle Government and Education. Mike has 25 years of senior leadership experience with the State of Utah where he most recently served as CIO for the State of Utah and the executive director for the Department of Technology Services. While serving in this cabinet-level position, Mike was known as a collaborative and transformative leader who enjoys applying technological advances available in the market. Among some of his accomplishments while the state CIO, Mike led the state’s cloud journey and digital transformation efforts, created the state’s first cyber center, and formed the state’s first innovation fund.
Mike has been recognized as a “Top 25 Doer, Dreamer and Driver” in the public sector.

Ebony is a Partner in IBMs HR Talent Transformation organization and is currently accountable for the business development & delivery of our HR & Talent Transformation and Organizational Change Management and Effectiveness . She is an Executive Leader with 20 years of Business HR experience. Prior to joining IBM Ebony had the opportunity to lead several successful and profitable fortune 500 client relationships as well as 10 +years of her career in the HR Oil & Energy sector. Ebony is a relationship focused strategic thinker, a connector, innovator, change advocate and enthusiastic about driving a client and employee experience while delivering business results with a positive impact.

Tammy Irwin is an IT Manager II for the California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation (CDCR). Ms. Irwin began her State career with CDCR in 1995 and served in several business roles before settling into information technology in 2005. She leverages her vast business experience to lead teams in the delivery of valuable IT systems and support to CDCR customers. She has worked and managed IT areas including infrastructure services, customer service and field support, system/software development, and project and portfolio management.
Recognizing the growing impact of contraband in California's prisons, a new IT product line was needed to focus on technologies to interdict contraband that obstructs safe and rehabilitative environments. Tammy led the development of the new Contraband Interdiction & Safety Solution (CISS) product line responsible for several large projects critical to the security inside and outside California’s prison walls. The CISS current portfolio consists of several active projects that span multiple years with budgets in the tens and hundreds of millions of dollars. Current projects include a statewide deployment of video surveillance and the largest cellular management system in the United States.
Tammy holds a Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems from the University of San Francisco and is a graduate of the Sacramento State College of Continuing Education's Leadership for the Government Executive.

Gulzar has over 18 years of experience in Information Technology, both in private industry and with the State, including seven years with the California Department of Child Support Services (DCSS). Additionally, he holds a master’s degree in Computer Science from CSU Sacramento and graduated from the California Department of Technology, Information Technology Leadership Academy (ITLA-24).
Throughout his career, Gulzar has worked on a broad spectrum of technologies to deliver large, critical, and legislatively mandated projects successfully. As the Chief Information Security Officer at DCSS, Gulzar provides leadership and direction to the Information Security Office to secure DCSS information including Child Support Enforcement system, one of the state's largest IT systems. Additionally, Gulzar establishes strategic goals and direction for the Enterprise Architecture program and Project Management Office, to build better partnership with the program areas and drive business agility.

Todd Jerue is an Account Relationship Director for KPMG, focusing on California state government. Todd joined KPMG in September 2018.
Prior to joining KPMG, Todd spent nearly 22 years with the California Department of Finance as an analyst, Program Budget Manager, Chief Deputy Director, and Chief Operating Officer. In these various roles, Todd was widely known as a problem solver, was instrumental in various budget-related efficiencies, and played a key role in significant policy reforms such as 2011 Public Safety Realignment.
As the Chief Operating Officer, Todd was the Sponsor of the FI$Cal Project and Chair of the Executive Steering Committee from 2011 to 2018, providing guidance to the Project and business partners as the Project implemented budget, accounting, procurement, and cash management functionality.

Jake Johnson is Deputy Director and Chief Information Officer (CIO) for Department of Rehabilitation (DOR). He serves as a voice for assistive technology, digital accessibility, employment, and independence, in the information technology arena. He provides executive oversight to DOR’s Information Technology Division, leading its managers and staff to deliver value to customers and stakeholders through effective provision of technology services and timely delivery of strategic technology product and services investment and development.
Jake has been legally blind since birth and is a former consumer DOR’s employment services. He has been with DOR since 2012. Prior to taking on the role of Deputy Director and CIO, he held roles managing Customer Service and Administration, Applications Development, Software Quality Assurance, Web Services, and Accessible Technology Services. Before joining DOR, Jake worked for Franchise Tax Board as an Information Security Specialist and for the Department of Finance as Enterprise Budget Systems Technical Lead. Jake has a bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in Linguistics, a master’s degree in Education, and is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional. He is a graduate of the California IT Leadership Academy and Sierra Health Foundation Leadership Program. He has served as President of the Association of California State Employees with Disabilities (ACSED) and is active in the State’s civil rights community as a member of ACSED and the Asian Pacific State Employees Association.

Marcie Kahbody currently serves as the Agency Chief Information Officer (AIO) for the California Transportation Agency (CalSTA). In this capacity, Marcie oversees information technology (IT) responsibilities for all of CalSTA’s Boards, Offices, Commissions, and Departments (including DMV, Caltrans, CHP, High Speed Rail, and others). With over 31 years of public sector experience in IT, Marcie possesses a record of proven outcomes as a collaborative leader, directing highly technical teams and successfully implementing enterprise transformation initiatives and programs. Marcie focuses on fostering collaboration, building effective teams, encouraging two-way communication, and providing mentorship. She believes in the strength of diversity, building relationships, finding innovative approaches to updating policies, and is passionate about cultivating up and coming leaders. Marcie believes that success begins with a People First foundation and has championed it throughout her career.

Latonia Knox is a global business executive who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience across multiple functions including information technology, program management, business transformation and DEI. She has served in various corporate, public, and non-profit organizations, transforming and modernizing systems, and business and operational processes. While working with these organizations, Latonia’s passion for valuing individuals led her to take on DEI leadership roles along the way; advocating for those in underrepresented groups to have equitable access to opportunity, development, and pay.
Latonia joined Google in May of 2022, where she leads Diversity, Equity and Inclusion strategy and delivery for Google Cloud. Prior to joining Google, Latonia led efforts to build the first DEI organization for Flex, a global electronics manufacturing company. Before that she led global teams to deliver cutting edge technology solutions to customers spanning various industries for companies such as Rackspace, Xerox and IBM.
Outside of work, Latonia is a wife and mother of 2 beautiful daughters, ages 16 and 21. Originally from Alexandria, LA, she and her family currently reside in Cedar Park, TX, a small suburb in the Austin, TX metropolitan area. Latonia loves to travel with her family, cook her favorite creole and cajun dishes and listen to music. She is active in her community and internationally, supporting programs for youth and women from underserved populations. Latonia also serves as Vice President of the National Society of Black Engineers Austin Professionals Chapter and is a member of The Links, Incorporated and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

As a civil servant for the last 16 years, Kendall has worked with partners at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), the California Department of Rehabilitation (DOR), and the California Department of State Hospitals (DSH) to create or capitalize on opportunities to better serve Californians. Kendall has always been interested in the space where humans and technology meet. In his role as chief of Enterprise Applications at DSH, Kendall regularly allies with clinical, forensic, and administrative partners to advance technical solutions that provide behavioral health services. Kendall is also an enthusiastic member of the 2023 Information Technology Leadership Academy (ITLA) Cohort 30. Kendall aspires to read all the comic books with his daughter.

David Krause is the Deputy Chief Information Officer for Covered California. He is responsible for oversight of Enterprise Applications, Program and Project Management, Enterprise Data and Analytics, and the CalHEERS product team. David has had many IT roles in his career, but he has been focused on business relationship management, strategic planning, and process improvement in recent positions. Having earned an English degree from Sacramento State, David also brings a love of storytelling to his roles as a means to communicate with IT audiences more effectively.

As DCSS CIO and the Technology Services Division Deputy Director, Catherine Lanzaro is directly responsible for all Information Technology (IT) activities within the Department. By putting people first, she strives to inspire DCSS Information Technology experts to create secure, unique, and customer-centric automated solutions that drive the Child Support Program forward and achieve the Department’s mission.
Ms. Lanzaro has 35 years of technology, business, and management experience for the State of California, and is a graduate of the California Department of Technology, Information Technology Leadership Academy (ITLA-21). Working with her talented teams, her most notable accomplishment is the 2021 Cloud Migration Project which moved DCSS’ most complex application, the Child Support Enforcement System (CSE) from a legacy platform to a modern cloud-based environment. CSE is one of the state’s largest IT systems, serving 1.2 million customers with a user community of over 7,000 child support professionals.
In June 2022, Ms. Lanzaro was awarded CIO of the Year from the California Public Sector CIO Academy.
An especially important aspect of Ms. Lanzaro’s life is family and community; she is devoted to her husband of 34 years, children, and grandchildren. Ms. Lanzaro has also spent the past 25 years volunteering as a costume designer and master seamstress, creating costumes for local theaters and high school performing arts productions. She enjoys listening to music and is a big fan of Disney.

Cheryl Larson joined California Correctional Health Care Services (CCHCS) in 2008 and has served as Director of the Information Technology Services Division (ITSD) since 2014. With 35 years of public service, she provides strategic IT direction enabling CCHCS to deliver medical, dental, and mental health services for patients at the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s 33 adult correctional institutions located across the state.

Lloyd Levine is a former member of the California State Legislature where he served as Chair of the Assembly Committee on Utilities and Commerce. Currently, Mr. Levine serves as T-Mobile for Government’s National Senior Executive for State Government Strategy and is a Senior Policy Fellow at the University of California, Riverside School of Public Policy.
As a Legislator, Mr. Levine established himself as one of California’s leading experts in energy, telecommunications, and technology policy. Mr. Levine’s desire to accelerate the deployment of broadband technology led him to author and pass the Digital Infrastructure and Video Competition Act (DIVCA), which changed the way video and telecommunications companies were regulated, bringing statutes into par with the current technologies. He also successfully authored legislation streamlining and expediting the process of siting high-speed communications equipment on state property, and legislation changing the way school districts can procure technology.
Mr. Levine served as a member of Governor Schwarzenegger’s Broadband Taskforce and was a Founding Member of the Board of Directors of the California Emerging Technology Fund. Mr. Levine currently serves as a Founding Member of the Advisory Board for the UC Riverside School of Public Policy, where he and the school’s Dean, Anil Deolalikar, co-founded the Center for Technology, Policy and Society.
Through his work and academic publications, Mr. Levine has earned a reputation as a nationally recognized leader in government technology and policy, including recently being named “one of the 40 most thought-provoking innovators in New York city and state” by the prestigious New York City & State magazine. Mr. Levine has appeared on television and radio programs across the country and has been published and cited widely in print media, with articles published in everything from daily newspapers to legal publications. Mr. Levine has also served as a panelist and keynote speaker at energy, and technology conferences around the world, and been a guest lecturer in many universities and law schools.
As a Senior Policy Fellow, Mr. Levine has multiple peer reviewed articles and book chapters on technology, utiliites, broadband and the digital divide and the intersection with government. Currently, Mr. Levine working on an edited book volume on the intersection of technology and government. Titled, “Technology vs. Government: The Irresistible Force Meets the Immovable Object it will be out later this year.
Mr. Levine currently resides in Sacramento with his wife, Emmy award winning KCRA Anchorwoman Edie Lambert and their two children.

Stephenson Loveson currently serves as the Interim Chief Information Officer at CalPERS. He manages the administration and direction of CalPERS' information technology (IT) services and strategy, and provides leadership and counsel to the board and executive team. Prior to his appointment as Interim CIO, he held several leadership positions within CalPERS ITSB. Stephenson is a graduate of ITLA Cohort 25. Stephenson joined CalPERS in 2010. Prior to joining state service, he was a consultant at a multinational consulting firm.

As the Associate Director of Verizon’s Public Sector West region, Ha Le Ly started in IT by accident. Straight out of college, she needed a job to sustain her love of traveling and trying new experiences. It wasn’t until she attended a predominantly male technology event that she realized she must encourage more females to consider IT as a career. With 25+ years in the Telecom/Technology industry and an advocate for women leadership, Ha Le is passionate about engaging young minds in STEM programs.

Scott MacDonald joined the California Department of Technology (CDT) in October 2014 where he currently serves as the Deputy State Chief Technology Officer. Scott provides day-to-day operational leadership and direction to coordinate the infrastructure and service delivery of telecommunications, cloud/virtual computing, storage which enable state entities to operate and manage their IT business needs.
Scott’s experience and diverse background extends over 30 years of service in public and private sector covering various aspects of Information technology that ranges from application development, enterprise architecture, telecommunications, server administration, and information security. Prior to coming to the CDT in 2014, Scott was the Agency Information Security Officer at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for over 6 years.

Sharon Mandell is the Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer leading Juniper’s global information technology team. In this role, she leads the ongoing enhancement of the company’s IT infrastructure and applications architectures to support the growth objectives of the company. She and her team are also responsible for showcasing Juniper’s use of its technologies to the world.
Prior to joining Juniper in 2020, Mandell was the Chief Information Officer for TIBCO Software and previously developed her leadership strategy at Harmonic, Black Arrow (now Cadent), Knight Ridder and the Tribune Company. Throughout her career, Mandell developed a level of expertise in cybersecurity and compliance, enterprise architecture and road mapping, data and analytics, digital transformation and customer service. She is passionate about supporting women in STEM careers and in her free time Mandell serves on various arts and education related boards. She also proudly serves on the computer science advisory board at Temple University.
Mandell holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Temple University and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Jeffery currently serves as the Deputy Director, Chief Strategist at the California Office of Data and Innovation, where he leads the Strategy, Partnerships, and Training teams. He was appointed by Governor Newsom to this role in October 2022 after serving as ODI’s Deputy Director of Service Innovation. He began his work in state service as a volunteer, leading the Governor’s Data Insights Working Group as part of the administration’s COVID response team, eventually joining ODI permanently as the Insights Program Manager.
Jeffery’s work at ODI is focused on helping state departments develop innovative ways to engage with underserved communities and improve the customer experience for all Californians when interacting with their government. He played a pivotal role in developing a direct engagement and digital analytics model that increased the equitable delivery of the COVID-19 vaccine, and his team has shipped many examples of user-centered government services, including most recently with the launch of abortion.ca.gov.
Prior to answering the call to public service, Jeffery served under two chief economists, developing data communications and thought leadership programs at Redfin and ZipRecruiter. In addition to his leadership roles in recruitment-tech and prop-tech, Jeffery is also a seasoned data journalist, known for his coverage of the housing crisis and the socio-economic legacy of the Great Recession. His work has appeared in the LA Times, Business Insider, and FastCompany, among other notable publications.
A proud graduate of two California state universities, Jeffery has a Master’s degree in critical theory and comparative literature from University of California, Santa Cruz. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and his young son.

Kristin Montgomery currently serves as Director, Enterprise Information Services for California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). She provides leadership for the continued development and management of an innovative, robust, and secure information technology environment throughout CDCR. Prior to taking the role of Director she was the Deputy Director of Operations and Support at CDCR. In this role she managed all the enterprise infrastructure functions including: network services, storage/server services, telephony management, radio management, and active directory management.
Prior to CDCR, Kristin served as Controller at California Public Employees Retirement Fund (CalPERS). She managed all functions in the Financial Reporting and Accounting Services Division which included: accounts payable, accounts receivable, cashiering, pension and health accounting, investment accounting, financial reporting, and treasury management.
Ms. Montgomery has more than 20 years of experience in the investment, financial, and pension industries. Before joining CalPERS she worked as a consultant, providing technology and change management services for accounting, investment, and enterprise-wide pension projects.

Joseph Morris is the deputy chief innovation officer for the Center for Digital Government and a national keynote speaker on issues, trends and drivers impacting state and local government and education. He has authored publications and reports on funding streams, technology investment areas and public-sector priorities, and has led roundtables, projects and initiatives focused on issues within the public sector. Joe has conducted state and local government research with e.Republic since 2007 and knows the ins and outs of government on all levels. He received his Bachelor of Arts in government and international relations from the California State University, Sacramento.

Dennis Noone is Executive Editor of Industry Insider. He is a career journalist, having worked as a reporter and editor at small-town newspapers and major metropolitan dailies in California, Nevada, Texas and Virginia, including as an editor with USA Today in Washington, D.C. He lives in Northern California.

David Noronha is the Chief Information Officer (CIO), at the California Department of Insurance, a position he has held since December 2010 – just over half of his 23 years in State service. Prior to joining CDI, David was Deputy CIO for Clinical Information Systems at California Prison Health Care Services and was the Chief Enterprise Architect at the California Public Employees Retirement System. David spent the first six years of his State service at the Department of General Services as an IT Manager over the Commercial Technologies Section and IT supervisor at the Division of the state Architect. In the private sector, David held engineering positions at the Public Health Institute, Beta One Systems Corp and Fortress Systems Inc. David has a Bachelor of Engineering degree from the NED Engineering University and a Master of Science degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from California State University Sacramento. David holds Project Management Professional, Certified Scrum Master and Stanford Certified Project Manager credentials.

Associate Director of Public Sector Solutions in CA & HI with 20+ yrs telecom/tech experience. Connecting State/Local gov, educators and non-profits with tech solutions that make all of our lives better. Passionate about Digital Inclusion, sales coaching, people leading & food!

Jason Piccione was appointed in November 2015. As chief information officer, he oversees Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA), Office of Information Services as well as sets direction for information technology and coordinates infrastructure and service delivery across DCA. Prior to his appointment, Piccione served as DCA’s chief technology officer. He has held various positions at the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education and the Contractors State License Board. Piccione has worked more than 15 years in public service. He obtained a bachelor of arts degree from the University of California, Davis.

Aaron Robertson was named DTSC’s Deputy Director of Administration in July 2021. He has a varied and extensive background in administrative programs, serving in executive and senior leadership positions in private and public sector, including as Deputy Director of Administration for DTSC from 2010 to 2012, and Deputy Director of Administration and Chief Deputy Director for the Department of Parks and Recreation from 2012 through 2015. Aaron previously served as Corporate Development and Strategic Planning Manager for VSP Vision Care and most recently as the Director of Finance and Operations with the Pacific Forest and Watershed Lands Stewardship Council. Aaron also served in the United States Marine Corps for nearly thirty years, retiring in 2015 as Lieutenant Colonel.

Cathilea is Chief Executive Officer of e.Republic, where she oversees operations for the company’s award-winning media platforms: Governing, Government Technology and Emergency Management. Cathilea also oversees e.Republic’s websites, conferences and events, and its national research and advisory groups: the Center for Digital Government, the Center for Digital Education and the Governing Institute.
In 2014 Cathilea directed the launch of the Governing Institute’s Women in Government Leadership Program, an innovative initiative that encourages future generations of women to participate in public service.
Cathilea is a frequent speaker for government and education organizations worldwide, including the United Nations, Harvard University, the State Legislative Leaders' Foundation, the National Conference of State Legislatures, the Council of State Governments, and the World Congress on Information Technology. She has been quoted frequently in publications including the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, Forbes and others.
Cathilea is a recipient of NASCIO’s National Technology Champion Award for her outstanding contributions to advance public sector information technology innovation. She is also the winner of an Outstanding Women Leadership Award from the Sacramento Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners and is a Greater Sacramento Business Hall of Fame Laureate.

Seon Rockwell is a leader in Deloitte’s Government and Public Services (GPS) health transformation practice. Seon is passionate about leading transformational change that delivers sustainable value. She collaborates with State and Federal health agencies to effectively drive cross-functional alignment to achieve agency goals. Recently, Seon is leading public health transformation in response to the infrastructure needs identified through the COVID-19 response. Seon brings a broad range of experiences in designing ecosystem governance structures and processes to meet the dynamic needs of government agencies.

As the Assistant Vice President, Mark leads all AT&T business activities serving the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, overseeing a highly skilled sales and technical support team delivering strategic technology solutions and services focused on network transformation, infrastructure modernization, wireless communications, and advanced cyber capabilities. Mark has held various leadership positions within AT&T since joining the company in 2007. Prior to AT&T, Mark spent 16 years in the telecommunications industry with various companies, supporting retail, finance, and public sector clients.
With over twenty-five years of state and local government and industry experience, Mark is focused on ensuring customers have the information, technology, and infrastructure necessary to effectively execute their missions.

John Roussel is the current Chief Information Officer (CIO) for California Department of Public Health (CDPH). He is responsible for IT leadership and defining the strategies to execute the technology vision for California’s modern public health landscape and services. John has been instrumental in leading critical efforts such as the Digital COVID-19 Vaccine Record and most recently the Future of Public Health to advance the department’s technology services, data science, and informatics framework for a 21st century public health system.
John is a business and IT professional with expertise in setting enterprise vision and strategies that drive transformational technical solutions to solve real world problems driven by business outcomes. He has over 20-year in State service as a strategic thought leader but started his technology career in the mid 90’s. John worked in the Bay Area private sector’s vendor community as an IT consultant in addition to moonlighting as a Multimedia Instructor at the University of California Davis Extension (1996-1998). After John started with the State in 1999 he has been a part of many of the State’s most complex, transformative, and innovative IT efforts and has held several critical senior management and executive leadership positions throughout his career including a member of California Franchise Tax Board’s Enterprise Architecture Council, California Health and Human Services Agency’s Chief Enterprise Architect, California State Lottery as the Chief Innovation Officer, and his most recent assignment as the Chief Information Officer for California Department of Public Health.

Patty Roze serves as Vice President; Public Sector Sales focused on state, local, and education markets for the Verizon Business Group, part of Verizon Communications.
In this role, she leads a nationwide team responsible for developing solutions to address the complex requirements of state government, local government, and education clients. Patty and her team oversee the seamless delivery of integrated solutions across Verizon’s industry-leading portfolio, including best-in-class wireless mobility services, cloud and information technology, security, strategic networking, and advanced communications offerings to meet the needs of the Public Sector and the citizens they serve.
Patty previously served as Director, Global Enterprise Sales for the Transportation, Distribution, and Construction vertical practice for the Verizon Business Group. Patty and her team served the top most influential multi-national corporations to identify, create and deliver solutions to meet the unique traditional and emerging business needs of the industry. She began her career with the company in 2000 as a wireless account executive in Houston and has held roles of increasing responsibility ever since. Patty has led teams across the United States responsible for selling Intelligent Global IP Networks, Dynamic Cloud, Security Solutions, Mobility, and M2M Solutions. Roze’s 22-year career at Verizon includes extensive work in large enterprise sales, consulting, and leadership positions supporting F500 clients throughout the United States.
Patty earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Ashford University in San Diego, CA.

Roseville is a Full Service Chartered City with Population of ~150,000. Sae Represents CIO & Information Technology Leaders from 350 Agencies and ~1600 Members of California Local Government & Special Districts.
A Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Executive, Member of Sacramento CIO/CTO Leadership Forum, California State CIO Advisory Workgroup, Honor Graduate of Certified Government Chief Information Officer Program (CGCIO) from Rutgers University. 30 years of high-performing business leadership role as CIO and IT-Director for City of Irving-TX, City of Farmers Branch-TX, TX-MHMR, National Medical Enterprise & Other Private Industries.

Todd Sax is the Deputy Director of the Site Mitigation and Restoration Program. He was appointed to the position by Governor Gavin Newsom on October 25, 2022.
Todd has worked to protect public health and the environment throughout his 27-year career in government, the private sector, academia, and consulting. Prior to joining DTSC, Todd served as chief of the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) Enforcement Division, where he oversaw implementation of enforcement programs involving vehicles, engines, consumer products, and industrial sources. In this role, Todd focused on ensuring a fair, consistent, and level playing field for industry; providing transparency and accountability to both regulated parties and the public; and prioritizing work to advance environmental justice.
In previous positions during his 20-years at CARB, Todd worked to manage and implement scientific testing and modeling studies, regulations, and incentive programs. Earlier in his career, Todd worked in the private sector, both as a consultant and an engineer, implementing air quality, hazardous waste, health risk assessment, chemical hygiene, and safety programs.
Todd lectures in the Environmental Studies Program at California State University, Sacramento, and volunteered for 10 years as chair of the Mother Lode Chapter of the Air and Waste Management Association. Todd has a doctorate in Environmental Science and Engineering and a master’s degree in Environmental Health Science from the UCLA School of Public Health. Todd has a bachelor’s degree in The Environment, Economics, and Politics from Claremont McKenna College.

Subrat is the Chief of Enterprise Application and Information Services (EAIS) at the California Department of Housing and Community Development. Subrat has more than 25 years of leadership experience in the information technology sector serving in private sector and public sector. In his current role as leader of the EAIS team, he is driving department’s transition to cloud technology using SAAS/PAAS, low-code platforms and data warehouse. Subrat is a participant of the 2023 Information Technology Leadership Academy (ITLA) Cohort 30.

As chief of FTB's Technology Services Division, Nadean leads a division of over 1,000 IT professionals responsible for the applications, systems, and services used to support the department’s current and future business needs. She establishes IT direction, sets policy in consensus with the Governance Council, and helps develop long-term strategies while making sure technology is best used to meet those strategic objectives. Nadean provides oversight to ensure the effective deployment of technology, including the Enterprise Data to Revenue 2 Project.
Nadean has been with FTB for more than twenty-five years, including 17 years in leadership roles. Prior to her CIO role, she served as FTB’s Chief Security Officer. In this role, she managed the physical security of FTB’s central office campus and twelve field offices, cyber security, and the Privacy and Disclosure Programs. In addition, she was the Agency Information Security Officer (AISO) for Government Operations Agency where she developed state-wide cyber security strategies and policies. Nadean’s previous roles in the Technology Services Division include managing FTB’s Data Center and other information technology systems and applications such as: external Internet, call center platform, human resource systems, the intranet, and three major compliance systems, in addition to several smaller systems.

Jefferson Willoughby serves as the Chief Information Officer at the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board. His tenure has benefitted from over 25 years of technical experience in network, data center and managed service development prior to joining California State government. Under his leadership, CUIAB recently undertook and launched a major modernization project for appeals processing. Jefferson received his Master’s degree from Sacramento State University and has served as both class coach and advisor for the IT Leadership Academy.

Wright began his career with the state in 1994 as an IT manager for the Department of Motor Vehicles, a position he held for 24 years, with one two-year break. In 2005, he left DMV and moved to CDT. He worked at what was then Teale Data Center until 2007, returning to the DMV in 2007 and remaining until his promotion to the deputy directorship for IT for the Office of Traffic Safety in 2018. In May 2018, Wright was named Deputy Director and CIO for Technology and Administration for the Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), whose mission is “to effectively and efficiently administer traffic safety grants while fostering partnerships to deliver innovative programs that reduce traffic deaths, injuries and economic losses.” Wright held that position for just under two years before being named to the CDT position in March. Wright has held various positions in Enterprise Architecture, Program Supervisory, and IT Technical and Management classifications. He is also a graduate of the 25th Information Technology Leadership Academy (ITLA), one of several career-development programs that the state offers. He’s also a member of the Sacramento Blockchain Code Forum.