Name: Dallas/Fort Worth Regional Digital Government Summit 2026
Start: 2026-10-15T08:00
Location: Grand Prairie Events & Convention Center

Overview

The Dallas/Fort Worth Regional Digital Government Summit is where innovation meets impact!

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

A message from our Keynote Speaker

I am excited to welcome everyone to this year’s Dallas/Ft. Worth Regional Digital Government Summit! This summit brings together an impressive community of public-sector leaders dedicated to improving government services through innovative technology. I look forward to exchanging ideas, exploring emerging technologies and building partnerships across the region with a shared purpose of empowering government to better serve our communities.

- Jeffrey Stovall, Chief Information Officer, City of Dallas

Speakers

Keshnel Penny

Chief Information Officer, Information Technology, City of Grand Prairie

Keshnel Penny is the Chief Information Officer for the City of Grand Prairie, Texas, with more than 20 years in IT and 15 years in municipal executive leadership. A U.S. Army veteran and Certified Government Chief Information Officer, Keshnel holds an MBA and an MHA from the University of Texas at Arlington. Keshnel’s work centers on cybersecurity and responsible AI in local government, with a focus on practical, ethical adoption. Keshnel leads efforts that improve security, expand digital access, and strengthen transparency in public services.

Anthony Huey

President, CSP

Anthony Huey, CSP, is a highly-rated international speaker who offers session attendees pragmatic communications tools, tips and techniques they can use immediately. Anthony has presented more than 3,500 paid communications workshops, seminars and speeches in his career, and was named a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) by The National Speakers Association, an honor awarded to less than 12% of its speakers worldwide. Anthony’s 25-year career includes tenures as a news reporter and senior editor, crisis management specialist, media relations consultant and executive speech coach. He owns Reputation Management, LLC, one of the nation’s leading communications training and crisis consulting companies. His past client work includes a wide variety of advertising, public relations and communications initiatives for hundreds of trade associations, municipalities and companies, including Nike, Victoria’s Secret, Eli Lilly, Nationwide Insurance, The Kroger Company, Procter & Gamble, and many more. Anthony holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from The Ohio State University.

Bryce Carter

Chief Information Security Officer, City of Arlington

Bryce Carter, Chief Information Security Officer for the City of Arlington, Texas, has spent 20 years putting innovation and technology to work where the stakes are highest. A high-energy collaborator, he builds momentum across organizational boundaries, envisions the future, drives innovation and efficiency, and takes pride in helping people rise. After founding several companies in his early teens, Bryce went on to build a career spanning technology leadership, entrepreneurship, and public service, serving as a CIO, CTO, and CISO across government and the private sector.
In Arlington, a city of more than 400,000 residents and 16 million annual visitors, he and his teams work across every City department, from water utilities to public safety, advancing AI, automation, cybersecurity, and critical infrastructure. When the 2026 FIFA World Cup brought nine matches to AT&T Stadium, Bryce's team led Arlington's cybersecurity preparation and collaboration across all host cities. His leadership has been recognized with the 2025 ORBIE Large Corporate Award, the 2026 C100 CISO Connect, and recognition among Cyber Defense Magazine's 2026 Top 100 CISOs.

Melissa Kraft

Chief Information Officer, City of Frisco

Melissa Kraft is the Chief Information Officer for the City of Frisco, one of the fastest-growing cities in Texas, where she oversees the city’s technology team and operations, including cybersecurity, data, and artificial intelligence initiatives. Previously, she served as CIO for Dallas County and has led major technology and infrastructure transformations, including applied data and analytics programs, a 911 quality assurance initiative, and the launch of the City of Denton’s first co-working space for technology startups. With over 20 years of leadership experience across the public and private sectors, Melissa is deeply committed to public service, including nearly nine years in the United States Army, where she directed network operations in Baghdad, Iraq. She is focused on delivering practical, scalable technology solutions, such as responsible AI and data-driven tools, that improve services for residents, businesses, and city staff.

Lt. Neal Landfield

Event Management Unit Commander, Arlington Police Department

Neal Landfield is a Lieutenant with the Arlington Police Department and Commander of the department’s Event Management Unit, where he oversees public-safety planning and operations for major events across Arlington’s entertainment district, including AT&T Stadium, Globe Life Field, and Choctaw Stadium. Lt. Landfield played a key leadership role in Arlington’s public-safety operations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, helping coordinate the personnel, technology, communications, transportation, and regional partnerships required to support nine matches at AT&T Stadium. His work focuses heavily on complex event operations, interagency coordination, and integrating real-time information and emerging technologies into public-safety decision-making.
During his career, Landfield has also served in leadership roles involving SWAT, unmanned aircraft systems, specialized enforcement teams, and traffic operations. He brings an operational perspective on how agencies and partners can build systems that perform under the demands of major international events—and continue delivering value long after the event is over.

Enrique Martinez, Jr.

Chief Information Officer, Information Technology, City of Arlington

With over 30 years of experience in government and private sector technology, Enrique leads with a collaborative approach in serving the City of Arlington. Prior to joining Arlington, he led the IT department for the City of El Paso, demonstrating strong leadership and strategic vision. His diverse career includes roles as a project manager for the City of El Paso, a defense contractor supporting the U.S. Army, and a Member of Technical Staff with Lucent Technologies – Bell Labs Innovations, where he contributed to cutting-edge technological advancements. A proud veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Enrique holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology and a Master of Science in Management Information Systems.

Eric Matthews

Chief Information Officer, City of Allen

Eric Matthews serves as the Chief Information Officer for the City of Allen, Texas. With over 30 years of experience in both public and private sectors, Eric has built excellent teams, hundreds of applications, taught programming, written articles and helped build a tech startup. Eric and his wife Jill have twin college grads, a younger son at home, as well as two dogs and a robot vacuum named Takita.

James McAmis

Deputy Fire Chief, City of Fort Worth

James McAmis serves as Deputy Chief of Logistics for the Fort Worth Fire Department, bringing 26 years of experience with the department. He began his career as a firefighter and spent his early years in Operations before advancing through the ranks.
As a Captain, McAmis served as the department’s hiring administrator, overseeing recruitment and hiring processes. As a Battalion Chief, he held several key leadership roles, including Chief Training Officer, Safety Chief, Internal Affairs, and Public Information Officer.
For the past three years, McAmis has served as Deputy Chief of Logistics, overseeing critical logistical functions supporting the department’s personnel and operations to include the Air Shop, Fire Supply, Fire Alarm Office, Fire Vehicle Services, Building Maintenance, and EMS Logistics. Throughout 2024 and 2025, he played an integral role in the successful integration of the ambulance service into the Fort Worth Fire Department.
Deputy Fire Chief, City of Fort Worth
James McAmis serves as Deputy Chief of Logistics for the Fort Worth Fire Department, bringing 26 years of experience with the department. He began his career as a firefighter and spent his early years in Operations before advancing through the ranks.
As a Captain, McAmis served as the department’s hiring administrator, overseeing recruitment and hiring processes. As a Battalion Chief, he held several key leadership roles, including Chief Training Officer, Safety Chief, Internal Affairs, and Public Information Officer.
For the past three years, McAmis has served as Deputy Chief of Logistics, overseeing critical logistical functions supporting the department’s personnel and operations to include the Air Shop, Fire Supply, Fire Alarm Office, Fire Vehicle Services, Building Maintenance, and EMS Logistics. Throughout 2024 and 2025, he played an integral role in the successful integration of the ambulance service into the Fort Worth Fire Department.

Andre Mendes

Chief Information and Artificial Intelligence Officer, Tarrant County

André Mendes, Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa), MBA, currently serves as the Chief Information and Artificial Intelligence Officer for Tarrant County, Texas overseeing the County’s entire IT ecosystem. His portfolio spans the county’s Criminal Justice system, law enforcement and first responder infrastructure, and the back-office operations supporting all county functions.
Prior to this role, Mr. Mendes served as the Chief Information Officer and Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer at the U.S. Department of Commerce from August 2019 to December 2023. He was responsible for the oversight and strategic direction of all technology systems across the United States Department of Commerce (DOC) and its associated Bureaus, managing a fiscal year 2020 budget of $3.8 billion.
Mr. Mendes also spent eight years at the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) in various executive roles including CEO, COO, CIO, CTO, and CFO. He led an ambitious agency-wide transformation that resulted in $360 million in savings between 2010 and 2018 through aggressive global technology and facilities optimization. Projected 10-year savings exceed $503 million. Under his leadership, global weekly audiences grew by 78%, from 165 million to 278 million.
He was inducted into the CIO Hall of Fame (Class of 2021) and is the Chairman of the Capitol Technology University Board of Trustees. His numerous accolades include:
MIT Award for IT Innovation
2023 Public Sector CIO of the Year (Global Leadership Institute)
2023 Federal IT Icon Award (ATARC)
2023 CyberScoop Golden Government Award
2021 Top 150 Global Transformation Executives (Constellation Research)
FedScoop 50 Federal Leadership Awards (2020, 2021, 2022)
50 Best Bosses in Federal IT (2020–2022)
Technology Leadership Award (Broadcasting and Cable Magazine, 2005)
Top 100 Hispanic Executives in IT (2009–2019)
Milton F. Clogg Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award (Montgomery College, 2011)

Deborah Moore

IT Manager, Assistant Director of Enterprise Solutions, City of Arlington

Deborah Moore is an IT leader with more than two decades of experience in digital transformation, enterprise technology, and team leadership. As Assistant Director of Enterprise Solutions for the City of Arlington, she leads enterprise applications and technology initiatives focused on delivering business value. Deborah led the creation of Arlington’s Technology Governance framework, including Enterprise Architecture governance, and chairs the Enterprise Architecture Committee. She is passionate about building high-performing teams, developing leaders, and aligning technology strategy with organizational priorities.

Tariq Shah

Senior Account Executive, Twilio

With over 20 years of faith based, non-profit, and commercial enterprise experience, Tariq provides leadership health, rigor, and growth to organizations. His breath of experience spans from U.S. Army Infantry and Counterintelligence to non-profit board leadership, and technology sales. Since 2016, he has pivoted into the enterprise technology space, working with many of the largest and globally complex companies.
Tariq holds a B.S. Degree in Organizational Management and a certification in Leadership Growth and Change Management. His passion is for helping individuals and organizations create inspirational, innovative, influential, and collaborative environments. The results are greater team cohesion, positive atmosphere, more productivity/revenue, and transformational leadership cultures. Tariq’s intrinsically motivated, organizationally minded, and client centric. His goal is to empower people, businesses, and institutions with inspiration, innovation, actionable insights, and results. Tariq’s motivation is simple, it’s his faith and family. He serves as a missions director at his local church, leading teams into various local and global communities, providing wholeness to the entire ecosystem. Tariq makes his home south of Atlanta, Georgia with his beautiful queen of 22 years and has three wonderful children.

Jeffrey Stovall

Chief Information Officer, Information and Technology Services, City of Dallas

Jeff Stovall serves as Chief Information Officer for the City of Dallas, bringing decades of public- and private-sector technology leadership to advance the city’s digital transformation. He previously led enterprise technology strategy as Senior Vice President and CIO at Abt Global and spent ten years as the first CIO for the City of Charlotte, modernizing citizen services and establishing nationally recognized cybersecurity and data governance programs. His career also includes executive roles at Sprint Nextel, DuPont, and Oracle. An MIT and University of Virginia Darden School of Business graduate, Jeff is dedicated to leveraging technology to deliver efficient, equitable, and secure services that strengthen Dallas communities and build public trust.

Sallie Trotter

Deputy Chief Technology Officer, City of Fort Worth

As Deputy Chief Technology Officer, Sallie Trotter is responsible for general operational oversight for the technology organization as well as strategic collaboration with other departments in the city. She also works externally to build relationships with other governmental and non-governmental agencies that can result in mutually beneficial exchanges. Sallie joined the City of Fort Worth in 2019 and has been in the technology industry for over 25 years. She completed her undergraduate degree in E-Business and received a Master of Business Administration from the University of Dallas. She has experience in retail, higher education, the credit industry, and was an adjunct professor at Texas Wesleyan University School of Business. Sallie is a long-standing member of the Society for Information Management (SIM) DFW Chapter, serving in past board positions with that organization. She currently serves on the Board of All Saints Episcopal church and was recently part of the Dell Local Government Advisory Board.

Grant Weever

Advanced Cyber Security Solutions Specialist, Comcast Business Global

Grant Weever is an Advanced Security Sales Executive at Comcast Business with more than 30 years of experience in cybersecurity, IT operations, network infrastructure, cloud, automation and enterprise technology. Throughout his career, he has held technical and leadership roles with Comcast Business, Alert Logic, Armor Defense, HP, Masergy, BladeLogic, and SBC Communications, helping organizations strengthen their security posture and modernize critical technology environments.
Today, Grant works with organizations to address evolving cyber threats through Managed Detection and Response (MDR), Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR), Security Operations Center (SOC) services, and cyber risk management strategies. He is known for combining deep technical expertise with a practical business perspective to help organizations build resilient, outcome-focused security programs.

Thursday, October 15
8:00 am Central	Registration and Morning Refreshments in the Exhibit Area Ballroom Pre-Function Area & Junior Ballroom B
9:00 am Central	Welcome and Opening Remarks Junior Ballroom A Keshnel Penny, Chief Information Officer, Information Technology, City of Grand Prairie
9:05 am Central	Keynote – The Power of TALK in an AI World Junior Ballroom A In a world where ChatGPT enables everyone to write like a Harvard graduate, the true power to stand out now lies in verbal communication. Unfortunately, many studies show that the fear of public speaking ranks higher than the fear of death, and those who struggle to talk in front of others will quickly find themselves and their organizations falling behind. Join Anthony Huey in this lively and thought-provoking keynote as he explores the power of verbal communication. Anthony helps his audiences understand the importance of perception and how first impressions are primarily formed when we speak, whether in person, virtually, or on the phone. Anthony Huey CSP, President, Reputation Management, LLC
10:05 am Central	Networking Break in the Exhibit Area Junior Ballroom B Refuel and reconnect over premium refreshments courtesy of Recharge Break Sponsor: Red Hat, Inc.
10:35 am Central	General Session – Practical AI Use Cases from Across North Texas Junior Ballroom A AI discussions have moved beyond policy and experimentation. Technology leaders from cities, counties, school districts and higher education will share real projects producing measurable value—from virtual assistants and document processing to computer vision, anomaly detection, and workflow automation. Speakers will discuss where AI is working…or where traditional automation or RPA remains the better choice…and how they evaluate business requests before selecting a technology. Moderator: Jessica Byerly, Senior National Conference Director, Government Technology Chris Lee, Chief Information Officer, Information Technology Services, City of Lewisville Eric Matthews, Chief Information Officer, City of Allen Keshnel Penny, Chief Information Officer, Information Technology, City of Grand Prairie
10:35 am Central	Exclusive Briefing for Industry Partners Salon 2 Hosted by: Enrique Martinez, Jr., Chief Information Officer, Information Technology, City of Arlington Jeffrey Stovall, Chief Information Officer, Information and Technology Services, City of Dallas
11:35 am Central	Short Break
11:45 am Central	Fireside Chat – The FIFA Effect: Building a More Connected North Texas Junior Ballroom A Major international events test a region’s technology, transportation, cybersecurity, communications, and emergency-response capabilities in unprecedented ways. Public safety, operational, and technology leaders will share what worked during FIFA, what surprised them, and what the experience revealed about the region’s readiness. The conversation will explore cross-jurisdictional coordination, drones and cameras, real-time information sharing, transit, emergency communications, and the partnerships that enabled regional operations—along with investments and practices that should continue long after the event. Moderator: Jessica Byerly, Senior National Conference Director, Government Technology Bryce Carter, Chief Information Security Officer, City of Arlington Melissa Kraft, Chief Information Officer, City of Frisco Lt. Neal Landfield, Event Management Unit Commander, Arlington Police Department
12:30 pm Central	Lunch Junior Ballroom A
1:30 pm Central	Lightning Talk – Beyond Service Delivery: Strengthening the IT-Business Partnership Junior Ballroom A SaaS platforms have shifted the traditional relationship between IT and business leaders from a “service desk” model to a more collaborative partnership…even while no-code, low-code and vibe-coding capabilities now empower departments to build solutions in new ways. In this engaging discussion, an IT leader and a departmental partner discuss their evolving relationship and how they focused on shared priorities, stronger governance and joint ownership of outcomes to deliver better outcomes for both government employees and the communities they serve. Sallie Trotter, Deputy Chief Technology Officer, City of Fort Worth James McAmis, Deputy Fire Chief, City of Fort Worth
2:00 pm Central	General Session – Modernizing Government in a Revenue-Constrained Environment Junior Ballroom A Financial constraints are forcing North Texas governments to make difficult choices about technology investment. Regional CIOs will discuss how they are prioritizing portfolios, reducing duplication, managing technical debt, and demonstrating measurable value. Through specific examples, speakers will examine what they chose to fund, defer, redesign, share, consolidate, or stop—and how they are continuing to improve constituent services while maintaining fiscal discipline. Moderator: Jessica Byerly, Senior National Conference Director, Government Technology Andre Mendes, Chief Information and Artificial Intelligence Officer, Tarrant County Deborah Moore, IT Manager, Assistant Director of Enterprise Solutions, City of Arlington Tariq Shah, Senior Account Executive, Twilio
3:00 pm Central	Networking Break in the Exhibit Area Junior Ballroom B Refuel and reconnect over premium refreshments courtesy of Recharge Break Sponsor: Red Hat, Inc.
3:30 pm Central	General Session – Strengthening Regional Cyber Resilience Junior Ballroom A Cyber threats don’t stop at jurisdictional boundaries, making collaboration increasingly important to the security of North Texas. In this discussion, regional CISOs and cybersecurity leaders will examine the evolving threat landscape, share lessons from recent incidents and preparedness efforts, and discuss where organizations remain most vulnerable. Panelists will explore opportunities for critical-infrastructure organizations to share information, coordinate response and strengthen collective readiness—while identifying practical steps every organization can take to improve resilience before the next incident occurs. Moderator: Mark Androvich, National Conference Director, Government Technology Michael Anderson, Chief Information Security Officer, Information Technology, Dallas College Steven Dodson, Deputy Chief Information Security Officer, City of Arlington Grant Weever, Advanced Cyber Security Solutions Specialist, Comcast Business Global
4:30 pm Central	Networking Reception in the Exhibit Area Junior Ballroom B Network with your colleagues and discuss technology solutions with the event exhibitors.
5:00 pm Central	End of Conference Conference times, agenda, and speakers are subject to change.

Grand Prairie Events & Convention Center

2925 State Highway 161
Grand Prairie, TX 75052
(682) 428-7311

Get Directions To
Grand Prairie Events & Convention Center

Advisory Board

Government Representatives

Bryce Carter
Chief Information Security Officer
Information Technology
City of Arlington

Tanishia Dorsey
Deputy Chief Information Officer
Information and Technology Services
City of Dallas

Kevin Gunn
Chief Technology Officer
City of Fort Worth

Melissa Kraft
Chief Information Officer
City of Frisco

Enrique Martinez
Chief Technology Officer
Information Technology
City of Arlington

Eric Matthews
Chief Information Officer
City of Allen

Taylor Moody
Chief of Staff, Strategic Operations
Information and Technology Services
City of Dallas

Deborah Moore
IT Manager
Software Services
City of Arlington

Cheryl Nifong
Chief Information Security Officer
University of Texas at Arlington

Keshnel Penny
Chief Information Officer
Grand Prairie

Massimo Scicali
Deputy Chief Information Officer
Dallas County

Jeffrey Stovall
Chief Information Officer
Information and Technology Services
City of Dallas

Justine Tran
Chief Information Officer
Office of Information Technology
Dallas County

Sallie Trotter
Deputy Chief Technology Officer
City of Fort Worth

Roger Wright
Chief Information Officer
City of Plano

Made Possible by Our Corporate Sponsors

Registration Information / Contact Us

Event Date: October 15, 2026

Open to Public Sector only.

Registration - Free

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

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

Contact Information

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

Isabel McKee
Government Technology
A division of e.Republic
Phone: (916) 932-0722
E-mail: imckee@erepublic.com

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

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

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

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

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Dallas/Fort Worth Regional Digital Government Summit 2026

Overview

A message from our Keynote Speaker

Speakers

Keshnel Penny

Chief Information Officer, Information Technology, City of Grand Prairie

Anthony Huey

President, CSP

Bryce Carter

Chief Information Security Officer, City of Arlington

Melissa Kraft

Chief Information Officer, City of Frisco

Lt. Neal Landfield

Event Management Unit Commander, Arlington Police Department

Enrique Martinez, Jr.

Chief Information Officer, Information Technology, City of Arlington

Eric Matthews

Chief Information Officer, City of Allen

James McAmis

Deputy Fire Chief, City of Fort Worth

Andre Mendes

Chief Information and Artificial Intelligence Officer, Tarrant County

Deborah Moore

IT Manager, Assistant Director of Enterprise Solutions, City of Arlington

Tariq Shah

Senior Account Executive, Twilio

Jeffrey Stovall

Chief Information Officer, Information and Technology Services, City of Dallas

Sallie Trotter

Deputy Chief Technology Officer, City of Fort Worth

Grant Weever

Advanced Cyber Security Solutions Specialist, Comcast Business Global

Agenda

Thursday, October 15

8:00 am Central

Registration and Morning Refreshments in the Exhibit Area

Ballroom Pre-Function Area & Junior Ballroom B

9:00 am Central

Welcome and Opening Remarks

Junior Ballroom A

9:05 am Central

Keynote – The Power of TALK in an AI World

Junior Ballroom A

10:05 am Central

Networking Break in the Exhibit Area

Junior Ballroom B

10:35 am Central

General Session – Practical AI Use Cases from Across North Texas

Junior Ballroom A

10:35 am Central

Exclusive Briefing for Industry Partners

Salon 2

11:35 am Central

Short Break

11:45 am Central

Fireside Chat – The FIFA Effect: Building a More Connected North Texas

Junior Ballroom A

12:30 pm Central

Lunch

Junior Ballroom A

1:30 pm Central

Lightning Talk – Beyond Service Delivery: Strengthening the IT-Business Partnership

Junior Ballroom A

2:00 pm Central

General Session – Modernizing Government in a Revenue-Constrained Environment

Junior Ballroom A

3:00 pm Central

Networking Break in the Exhibit Area

Junior Ballroom B

3:30 pm Central

General Session – Strengthening Regional Cyber Resilience

Junior Ballroom A

4:30 pm Central

Networking Reception in the Exhibit Area

Junior Ballroom B

5:00 pm Central

End of Conference

Grand Prairie Events & Convention Center

Advisory Board

Government Representatives

Room Block  

Map and Directions 

 Event Parking 