Jaime Bloom is Accenture's Managing Director that specializes in enhancing the way public sector clients interact with and communicate to their residents. With more than twenty-five years of expertise in marketing and communications, coupled with a dedication to human-centered research and design thinking, she understands the subtleties of diverse audiences. Leading a team that blends creative, technical, and analytical expertise, she aids government agencies in adopting data-driven and innovative methods to boost audience engagement. Her work emphasizes efficiency, empathy, and analytical accuracy, contributing to positive outcomes for the residents they serve.

Vinod Brahmapuram is Senior Director of Security for state and local government and education markets at Lumen Technologies. With more than 25 years of information technology experience, Vinod has held cybersecurity leadership positions in three states, advising governors and legislators on key cyber issues. Before joining Lumen, he served as the State Chief Information Security Officer for the State of Washington.

William Chumley, who joined OIT in 2011, is a veteran of technology team management with numerous customer relationship accomplishments in both public and private sectors. His 23 years prior to OIT service included work in small and large profit and not-for-profit organizations, and corporate and personal business environments. In his initial role at OIT as the Deputy IT Director supporting the Department of Revenue, he helped improve overall service delivery to the department while implementing project management and intake processes in collaboration with agency partners. 
In a subsequent appointment as Deputy Director of Enterprise Applications, William established an entirely new organizational structure and process flow for that team while emphasizing improved customer delivery on application support and enhancement. He also served as the business portfolio director within the OIT Customer Office before becoming Chief Customer Officer (CCO) in 2014 and as interim Chief Information Security Officer in 2022, leading security directors and the OIS team through assessment and evolution of service catalog, operating model, role clarification and process engineering to increase efficiency of delivery and to reduce silos across the organization. 
Having started his career as an assembly language programmer for United Airlines, William quickly became an influential leader and moved to Sabre/Travelocity. At Sabre, William established application development centers in a variety of international locations while supervising and leading a matrixed team of developers, business analysts, infrastructure teams, architects, and managers. William is adept at transitioning teams from current state into innovative and successful new approaches. 
As CCO at OIT, William has transformed the role of the IT director into a true strategic partnership with our customer agencies to advance strategy through collaboration, balance business priorities and enterprise technology goals, secure funding, and ensure operational consistency. William and his team leverage resources and equip OIT to extend values, vision, and mission throughout the organization. They respond in real time to fast-changing customer preferences and ever-changing IT alternatives, expedite strategy, system and process modernization to improve process efficiency, and boost operational performance. He also partnered with the OIT executive team on the initial IT roadmaps, helping the Colorado General Assembly provide us with technology advancement and emergency funds. These roadmaps led to the work OIT achieved securing technology debt modernization funds in 2022. 
William’s passion is analyzing the goals and objectives of an organization, determining reality, and then establishing a plan to connect reality to the ultimate vision. One of his core strengths is discovering the key talents of individuals and teams and leveraging those strengths to meet business objectives, while also managing personal growth and development of every employee and each team. 
William brings a calm, centered, clear, collaborative, and comfortable approach to his job. He has a bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems and a master’s degree in Business Administration. William balances his work life with significant participation with local marching bands, color guards, and dance teams, serving as a consultant and judge for numerous events. William loves living in Colorado and shares his life with his wife, Lisa. 

Matthew Dietz is the Government National Security Strategist for the Global Industry Solutions Group concentrating on state and local governments. Having previously held the role of CIO for a government in Indiana, he has an expertise for developing and implementing emerging technology with the expansive needs of government agencies. Harnessing his ability to effectively convey complex technical solutions to non-technical audiences, he has been able to create easily consumable and inclusive strategies that drive innovative advancements across dynamic environments. Matthew holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Business Operations from the University of Ball State.

A retired Air Force Space and Missille officer turned Cyber geek.  After earning his Master of Science in Information Assurance degree from Regis University he developed the Cyber Intelligence capability for the Colorado Information Analysis Center, our State Fusion Center.  His work with the Colorado National Guard, DHS CISA and Fusion Centers across the nation supported the development of new support and response models for cyber incidents impacting State and local governments.  Currently he uses his graduate certificate in incident response from SANS University to serve the City of Colorado Springs as a Senior Cyber Analyst.  As a veteran of some notable incidents such as the CDOT SamSam event and more recently the Great CrowdStrike conundrum he continues to focus on incident response, threat intelligence and policy where RBAC is often considered a four-letter word.

Anthony Fisher leads the Department of Revenue's Data Governance program and the strategic deployment of Data Management strategies across the department. He is also a subject matter expert within Data Sharing, Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence. Complementary to his duties with the Department of Revenue, he holds board member roles with Public Sector Network, GovAI Coalition, and Government Data Advisory Board. In addition, he holds office as the President of the Rocky Mountain Rugby Union and is an avid rugby player.
The Department of Revenue (DOR) has over 1,500 employees that provide services to the people of Colorado through the Colorado Lottery, Division of Motor Vehicles, Marijuana Enforcement Division, Specialized Business Group (Tobacco, Racing, Gaming, and Liquor and Tobacco Enforcement), and Taxation Division.
Public Sector Network is an accredited B Corporation and social learning platform, created to improve the life of public sector employees - and the citizens they serve. Our platform is only open to government professionals who want to learn through best practice and example, in a safe, secure network.
The GovAI Coalition is composed of over 600 public servants from over 250 local, county, and state governments that represent over 150 million Americans across the nation united in our mission to promote responsible and purposeful AI in the public sector.
The Government Data Advisory Board (GDAB) is representative of all State of Colorado agencies and government offices. We work collaboratively to promote the use of good data to serve Coloradans. We are working to align our respective agencies to create common understandings and efficiencies and then develop resources that can be taken by agencies and adopted for use, such as guides and policies.
Established in 2014 as the successor to the Eastern Rockies Rugby Football Union (founded 1967), Rocky Mountain Rugby boasts a rich history within USA Rugby. Encompassing one of the nation's most historic rugby regions, Rocky Mountain member clubs have achieved remarkable success, capturing over 40 national championships (including at least 30 at the highest levels) and appearing in over 60 national championship finals since 1979. The union currently fosters a thriving rugby community with 24 senior men's clubs, 8 senior women's clubs, and an additional 18 programs currently in development.

With over 20 successful years in a leadership capacity, Desmond Grant has focused on driving technological transformation and fostering agile teams. As the Chief Information Officer for Littleton Public Schools, he is dedicated to creating adaptable, innovation-driven environments where teaching and learning can thrive. His leadership is centered on empowering teams, forging strong partnerships, and leveraging technology to promote continuous growth and student achievement.
Desmond’s career spans significant contributions to municipalities, higher education, and K-12 institutions. From leading cloud infrastructure transitions at the University of Colorado and advancing service delivery program management at the City and County of Denver to modernizing the technical framework at Aurora Public Schools and the Pueblo City-County Library District, he has consistently championed change and innovation. Desmond holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science from the University of Northern Colorado and a MBA from the University of Colorado. When not working, he enjoys spending time with his family, golfing, and riding the open roads on his motorcycle.

Strategic and out-of-the-box thinking, along with a passion for innovative technology define CTO Noel Hara. Noel’s innate curiosity and problem-solving skills make him the go-to resource for government organizations wanting to solve the toughest problems. As Chief Technology Officer with NTT DATA, he blends over two decades of experience in the public and private sector with an encyclopedic knowledge of technology and applications. Noel has played an key role in the adaptation of the company’s offering portfolio to support clients in shifting to hybrid work and learning along with bringing AI to the forefront of their business. He also continues to support constituents through the expansion of digital government and cloud modernization services.
Noel has been instrumental in leading NTT DATA’s efforts to improve school safety through the Smart School Safety project, which leverages cutting-edge technology to create a safe education environment for students. He is also a highly sought-after public speaker and panelist at numerous industry events and regularly publishes thought leadership in industry trade publications.
As a cancer survivor, Noel combines his passion for technology and personal experience to support healthcare missions in advancing access to healthcare through telemedicine, data analytics, AI, and the deployment of Digital Humans.
Outside of work, Noel sits on the board of the Israel Cancer Research Fund and regularly practices yoga and spinning.

With over 20 years of experience in Technical Delivery Management roles, Shermaine Haymer is no newcomer to the world of Enterprise Content Management. She has extensive expertise in ECM, software development and systems implementations. As a Technical Project Manager with Access Sciences, her goal is to drive efficient delivery of right outcomes for the customer and organization using proven methodologies.
Shermaine has delivered solutions for State Farm, Lockheed Martin at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility, the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s office and LASERS. Most recently, Shermaine’s Access Sciences team worked with Louisiana OTS & DOTD to replace Content Manager with the FileNet Enterprise Architecture platform. She enjoys the challenge of solving complex, recurring problems that are rooted in organizational culture and ways of working. 

As the Western Regional Executive for State Government Strategy with T-Mobile, Gary works with elected officials and state agency and department executives to demonstrate T-Mobile’s commitment to serving the public sector. Gary engages with state government leaders to help them understand how T-Mobile’s 5G network – now the nation’s largest and fastest 5G network– can be leveraged for the benefit of their states and constituents.

With a decade of experience in cybersecurity across manufacturing, healthcare, and higher education, Blake is passionate about building and leading effective cybersecurity programs. Currently the Director of Information Security at Aims Community College, Blake is dedicated to safeguarding the college community and nurturing the next generation of cyber practitioners and leaders. He leads an effective security program focused on risk reduction and supporting the institution’s mission and strategic goals. His role involves overseeing all aspects of the cybersecurity program, including security strategy, risk management, security compliance, threat detection and response, identity management, and promoting a culture of security awareness.

Olga Klinger is an agilist senior operations manager, currently working in the Governor’s Office of Information Technology (OIT). She has been instrumental in driving the success of the myColorado app, which serves as the state’s official mobile application. This app allows residents to securely access a range of government services, including the Colorado digital ID. For her work on this effort, she earned the State Up and Comer of the Year 2020 StateScoop 50 award, a recognition that highlights her leadership and impact on advancing digital technology within state government.
Klinger has been with the State of Colorado since 2013, advocating for and implementing agile and scrum methodologies as part of the software development life cycle (SDLC). Recently, she championed the WCAG 2.2 and AA criteria accessibility audit and remediation efforts of the myColorado app. Her steadfast commitment to continuous process improvement and lean management, led her to early adoption of DevOps to improve efficiency, flexibility and team empowerment. She drove culture changes and mentoring efforts with an agile and scrum mindset that resulted in the creation of high performing teams while achieving the delivery of shippable products in a two-week sprint cadence. Her expertise in agile and scrum technologies and her ability to foster collaboration across various teams have made her a key figure in Colorado's digital transformation efforts. 

Drew Levanway is the Account Director of Tyler Colorado, a subsidiary of Tyler Technologies. With 13 years of eGovernment experience, Drew leads the team that has helped the State of Colorado deliver over 1,000 digital government solutions, providing citizens an efficient and secure way to engage agencies, departments, local, and state government. Tyler’s robust payment processing platform processes $3 billion annually on behalf of Colorado government entities and their constituents.

Jiles McCoy is an accomplished professional with extensive experience in technology leadership and innovation. Currently serving as the Chief Innovation and Technology Officer for the City of Golden, Colorado, he has been driving technology strategy and operations there for over 5 years. Jiles is responsible for leading a full stack technology organization, overseeing all aspects of technology operations, service delivery, innovation, and community-wide programs. He has successfully implemented disruptive technologies, improved efficiency, and enhanced customer service through process improvement and relationship management. 
Prior to his current role, Jiles held various positions where he demonstrated his expertise in technology and strategic services. As the Director of M&A Technology and Strategic Technology Services at Envision Healthcare, he played a pivotal role leading technology integration planning for mergers and acquisition and leading technology integration efforts. Jiles also served as the Director of IT Operations and Infrastructure, where he managed the shared services enterprise infrastructure ecosystem, oversaw ITSM strategy and lead all data center operation.  
With a strong focus on information security and compliance, Jiles has served as the Director of Information Technology Security, ensuring HIPAA and SOX compliance at EVHC. He also has experience managing field technology operations, system engineering, and providing IT support in previous roles. 
In addition to his professional roles, Jiles is a self-employed entrepreneur. He manages social media and creates content for the Jiles McCoy catalog of social media channels, catering to the Hi-Fi, Home Theater, and Technology markets. 
Jiles holds an MBA and a BA in Computer Science. He is known for his ability to drive technology innovation, streamline operations, and make data-driven decisions. With a proven track record of successful leadership and implementation of transformative technology solutions, Jiles continues to make significant contributions to innovation and operational excellence. 

Theresa received her Bachelor of Science degree in 1985 from Colorado State University and subsequent Business Application Programming degree, from Denver Metro.  Her graduate studies continue at DU.
Her first career (for 3 years) was as an Account Executive at Dean Witter World Trade Center NY.
She moved onto Software Engineer at US West and remained there for 23 years and held positions as software Engineer, Change Manager, Project Manager PMP/CSM.
She was asked to apply for a job with the state as an Accessibility Coordinator in 2017.  It was just her and now with the support of Governor Polis and Legislators, she has a funded Program with 9 accessibility experts on the Technical Accessibility Program.
Her goal is to make all state services accessible to all people with disabilities, "One Colorado for all".

Karen Pellegrin is the Senior Program Manager for Technology Accessibility Program (TAP) at the Colorado Governor’s Office of Information Technology. Since June 2022, she has been leading a team of accessibility professionals in guiding Colorado state agencies and local government entities in operationalizing accessibility within their organization and meeting the state's requirements for digital accessibility. Before coming to the State of Colorado, Karen served for over 7 years as the City and County of Denver's digital accessibility coordinator and 10 years as senior web administrator. She has worked with over 75 government agencies and departments as well as multiple non-profits and Fortune 500 companies to build and standardize accessibility processes, systems, guidelines, and training programs.

For more than thirty years, Michael Penny has exemplified the ideals of leadership, collaboration, partnership, and teamwork as the administrative manager for large and small municipalities across Colorado. His passion and dedication to building robust communities that address the critical needs of citizens, businesses, and industry are evidenced by the strong footprint Michael has left in each community he has touched.
Michael’s career path is marked with success through significant contributions to local government as a municipal manager, consultant, and private sector strategist. Since 2018, Michael has served as the City Manager for the City of Castle Pines.
His prior experience includes roles as the Vice President of Client Services for Brown and Caldwell (2016 to 2017), City Manager for the City of Littleton, Colorado (2011 to 2016), Town Manager for the Town of Frisco, Colorado (2004 to 2011) and City Manager for the City of Ouray, Colorado (2002 to 2004).

Melissa “Mel” Peterson is a seasoned Talent Acquisition professional with over 20 years of experience. Her leadership background spans 15 years of supporting highly productive recruiting teams and 12 years of recruiting technology solutioning and implementations, including 4 years with Workday.
At the City and County of Denver’s Department of Safety, Mel has led teams to make significant contributions that impact our community by bringing the 911 Operations Center to staff and an increase in hiring at the Denver Sheriff Department.  Mel is an advocate of innovation through technology which drove her success through her 14-year tenure with Randstad, North America where she served as a Recruiting Technology Leader.

As an executive government advisor, Carlos is a public sector data practice subject matter expert who specializes in helping organizations leverage data to make informed, actionable decisions. He also works with Chief Data Officers, Geospatial Information Officers, and other data leaders to develop mission-driven data programs.
Prior to joining Amazon Web Services (AWS), Carlos gained 27 years of experience in federal and state government and higher education. Carlos was the first Chief Data Officer for the Commonwealth of Virginia. During his tenure, he helped former-Governor Northam, his executive team, and public health and emergency management professionals respond to the COVID-19 pandemic by leveraging data-driven intelligence products to help keep Virginians safe.
In Virginia, Carlos developed a statewide data program that leveraged the data trust as the legal framework to facilitate data sharing across public and private entities. The data program featured a secure cloud-based data sharing platform as the technical implementation of the data trust. He also established a centralized entity resolution service mapping individuals across multiple data systems supporting longitudinal studies. Carlos also provided an enterprise reporting system to facilitate the development and delivery of data-driven intelligence products to internal and external stakeholders. Lastly, he implemented the governance structure which facilitated engagement among leaders across the organization from agency data stewards to state senators in the data conversation.
Carlos also served as Chief Data Officer and Chief Enterprise Architect for the US Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration in Washington, D.C. Prior to these roles, Rivero worked at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Southeast Fisheries Science Center in Miami, Florida, as a physical scientist and as a research associate at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. This is where he developed a passion for geospatial information systems, ecological modeling, and data.
Carlos earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Studies from Florida International University. He received a Master of Science in Business Intelligence and Analytics from Saint Joseph’s University, focusing on database design, data management, business intelligence, big data, and data analytics.
Carlos enjoys traveling the US with his wife, daughter, and dogs in their RV and participates in outdoor activities everywhere he goes.

Jimmy Rogers is the Director of Information Technology at the Colorado Department of Higher Education where he is responsible for managing the IT operations for his entire state agency. This has meant bringing enterprise solutions to address cybersecurity threats within the public sector, transforming endpoint management for a hybrid workplace environment, improving staff training and awareness, and collaborating with local K12 school systems, institutions of higher education, industry leaders, and other state and local governments.
He received his MBA and BSBA in Computer Information Systems from Western Carolina University. Over the past 20+ years he has held IT positions with increasing more responsibilities in healthcare, education, construction, non-profit, and for the past three years the public sector.
When Jimmy is not traveling for work or helping reset a password, you can find him hiking with his family, spending time cooking up something tasty, or scuba diving with his wife alongside sharks and through shipwrecks.

Rich Schliep is the Chief Information Officer (CIO) at the Colorado Department of State and previously served as the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Chief Technology Officer (CTO). He leads the Colorado Secretary of State's teams building a strong technology vision with security built-in from the ground up.  
Mr. Schliep is responsible for supporting Development and Operations initiatives to increase visibility, build trust, and encourage learning across the organization. He participates in multiple groups to support cybersecurity and data initiatives across the State including the Government Data Advisory Board (GDAB) and Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC). Rich is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional, Lean Six-Sigma Black Belt, and Certified Incident Handler. 

Nichole Sterling is the Mayor Pro Tem of Nederland, CO, where she has been instrumental in advancing affordable housing initiatives and shaping the municipality's strategic vision. Alongside her public service, Nichole is a serial startup operator and the co-founder of Women Defining AI, a community focused on bridging the gender gap in AI usage. She is also developing innovative AI technologies as she leads a stealth company specializing in digital twins for municipal government operations. A fervent advocate for equity in tech, she is dedicated to fostering ethical and inclusive technology. Outside of her professional life, Nichole enjoys growing vertical gardens, avoiding the moose in her backyard, and spending time with her three boys and husband.

As Chief Data Officer at the City of Boulder, Richard is responsible for data analytics, data governance, data infrastructure and data communities that further the City's policy and operational goals. He was previously Data Analytics Lead for the City of Seattle; prior to this he worked in the consulting and investment banking sectors.
Richard earned his master's degrees in data science from the University of Washington and in public administration from Princeton University. He read philosophy, politics and economics as an undergraduate at the University of Oxford. Wittgenstein convinced him to take that interest no further.

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.

Jamie Trujillo serves as the Chief Information Officer for GOAL Academy. Jamie joined GOAL in 2016 after a successful 10 year leadership role as the Director of Information Technology for Doss Aviation (now CAE Initial Flight Training) based in Colorado Springs and Pueblo, CO.
In his current role at GOAL, Jamie is directly responsible for leading GOAL’s Technology efforts, including infrastructure management, application development, and cybersecurity protections. In addition, Jamie is passionate about student success, encouraging the technology division to prepare students for a life centered around technology. Jamie partners closely with all departments at GOAL to ensure technology initiatives are aligned with GOAL’s mission to Develop Productive Members of Society.
Jamie is a 25 year veteran of the Tech industry. He earned his Bachelor’s of Science in IT Administration from Western Governors University. He possesses 13 technical operation and technical management certifications. Born and raised in Western Colorado, Jamie is a fifth-generation Colorado native and is proud to champion technology that supports student learning in every part of Colorado.
Jamie is a proud member of the Microsoft Showcase School Global Advisory Board, an active member of the Colorado Association of Leaders in Educational Technology (CALET), a high school basketball official, and a proud husband and father to two wonderful sons. In his free time, Jamie enjoys spending time with his family in the outdoors of Colorado and on the golf course, mentoring the next generation of tech leaders, and networking and sharing ideas with other technology professionals across Colorado.

As the CIO for the City of Colorado Springs, Mary is passionate about delivering results and resilient technology that is easy to use, allowing the City to keep pace with the growth of the region.  Much of her career was in the private sector with EDS and HP and then she joined the City in 2013.  Her vision is to empower City departments to be transparent, approachable, and proactive in serving the Colorado Springs community. 

Heather Weir, MPH, RD, is the Senior Director of the Strategy, Performance and Administration Office at the Colorado Governor’s Office of Information Technology, a role she started in April 2021. Prior to that, she was with the Office of Planning, Partnerships and Improvement and the Office of Strategy and Performance at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), where she began work in February 2015 and previously worked with Denver Public Health as the Performance Improvement Manager. She has twenty years of experience working in healthcare, public health and local and state government, and has been working with multidisciplinary teams in organizational improvement efforts since 2008. Prior to moving to Colorado, Weir worked with Providence Health & Services in Portland, Oregon as a registered dietitian (RD) and diabetes educator and later worked in Eugene, Oregon with Lane County Public Health and was the Quality Improvement Coordinator for the Community Health Centers of Lane County. She received her bachelor’s degree in health and human development from Montana State University; her dietetic internship from Oregon Health & Science University; and master’s degree in public health from Portland State University.