Sami is a Group Product Manager at Google Cloud focusing on the Data and Analytics portfolio. Before joining Google, Sami Akbay was a founder of Striim where he led commercial and go-to-market activities. He served as the CEO of Altibase, Inc. – an in-memory RDBMS company with customers in financial services, utilities, and telecommunications. Sami was the VP of Marketing and Product Management for GoldenGate Software from 2004 through its acquisition by Oracle. Earlier in his career, he served in product marketing and business development roles at Embarcadero and AltoWeb.
He started his career in technical and consulting roles working at Rabobank Nederlands, Hearst New Media, American Stock Exchange, MediaMetrix, OneMain.com (Earthlink), and ALK Associates. He is a graduate of Rutgers University.

As Vice President, Cloud Services, Troy is responsible for TekStream’s strategic business solutions built on Amazon Web Services (AWS) and legacy Oracle technologies, including helping clients to migrate their Oracle workloads and databases to the Cloud. Through his guidance, TekStream is focusing on innovative business solutions driven by Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning such as the Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) solution. In addition, Troy oversees TekStream’s Support Services, TekStream University and training programs and TekStream’s CloudStream hosted solutions & delivery services.
Troy has extensive knowledge of IT systems and experience working with high-caliber companies. His technical experience includes 11 years with Stellent/Oracle Universal Content Management application with specialization in Enterprise Records Management, Digital Asset Management, Web Content Management and Information Rights Management. In addition, Troy has been working with Cloud Solutions, primarily in AWS, for the past 5 years.

Chris is the Deputy Chief of Staff at the Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS). His responsibilities include overseeing the Office of Information Technology and the Office of Family Independence. Before working at DHS, Chris was the first director of the Georgia Cyber Range and prior to that, Chris spent about 14 years in the military, both as an enlisted Soldier and an Officer. Chris is based in Evans, Georgia and holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the United States Military Academy.

Kanti Chalasani serves as the Division Director for the Georgia Data Analytics Center (GDAC) at the Office of Planning and Budget (OPB). With over 25 years of experience in IT and management, and hands-on data warehousing / analytics experience, she brings an abundance of knowledge. Prior to joining OPB, she worked for various state agencies in Georgia ranging from Senior Business Intelligence Architect for the P20 data warehouse at the Office of Student Achievement to Associate Director/Chief Data Architect at the University System of Georgia Board of Regents as well as Information Systems Manager at the Georgia Department of Education. Kanti started her career after receiving her Master’s in Computer Applications from Osmania University in India in 1995.

Brian Cohen is the Vice President of the Center for Digital Government and Center Digital Education, a national research and advisory institute on information technology policies and best practices in state and local government and education. Prior to joining the Center, Brian was Vice Chancellor and University CIO for the City University of New York (CUNY).
As the Vice-Chancellor and University CIO at CUNY, Brian directed the Office of Computing and Information Services (CIS), developed, and managed the enterprise IT vision, strategy and day-to-day technology operations of the University. His areas of focus included academic and business systems, cloud strategies, IT policies and procedures, Cybersecurity, project management, IT resiliency and disaster recovery, and network and telecommunications.
Brain also served in leadership roles with the City of New York. Among his many accomplishments, Brian developed the City of New York’s E-Government strategy, implemented the City’s award-winning nyc.gov website, and managed the City’s effort to address the Y2K technology challenge.

Steven’s career, spanning some twenty-five years, has been supporting National, Federal, State and Local Governments in the Cyber Security Industry. His extensive knowledge and experience have given him insight as organizations adopt a more secure environment in an ever-changing landscape. Prior to joining Fortinet in 2022, he served as Senior Engineering Leader for Cisco Systems Global Security Sales Organization, supporting U.S. Civilian Agencies. Steven is based in Atlanta, GA, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from The University of Tennessee.

Reporting to the GA State CISO, Mike leads GTA’s Office of Information Security for Enterprise Security Operations and Enterprise Governance, Risk and Compliance.
In addition to his current role at GTA Mike has held numerous IT and security positions over his 20+ year career with the state of Georgia to include Chief Information Officer, Information Security Officer, Enterprise Network Manager, Network Operations Manager, GTA Tower Consultant, and Senior Information Security analyst. Mike has served in these roles at the Georgia Public Service Commission, Department of Motor Vehicle Safety, and Department of Public Safety, and the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, as well as GTA.
Mike holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in IT with a concentration in Information Systems Security and Master of Science Degree in Information Assurance from Northeastern University. In addition, Mike holds several professional certifications, including C)ISSO, ITIL Foundations, ITIL Service Design, Microsoft MCSE, CompTIA A+, and Cisco CCNA.

As the SE Cyber Practice Leader, Sou is responsible for overseeing and managing a team of cyber insurance professionals. She also consults with clients on their cyber insurance needs and assists in designing and placing the coverage.
Sou has extensive experience in the healthcare, manufacturing, retail, hospitality, public entity and transportation industries.

Oneisha Freeman is a respected leader in the field of digital inclusion, with over two decades of experience in the technology industry. As the Digital Connectivity Manager at the Georgia Technology Authority, she is a part of the broadband team and is responsible for spearheading efforts to ensure equitable access to the internet and technology for all Georgians regardless of their zip code or economic status.
Oneisha is an Atlanta native whose career in technology began in 1998 where she worked as a Technical Support Analyst for a fintech company. Since then, she has worked tirelessly to close the digital divide through various nonprofit organizations, where she developed programs and built partnerships that helped community members build their technology skills, gain access to devices, and connect to the internet.
Oneisha holds a Bachelor degree in Marketing and a Certification in Digital Equity. This unique combination of education, certification, and practical experience gives her a valuable perspective on the intersection of technology, policy, and community development.
Oneisha is a proud veteran who served in the United States Army Reserves as an Automated Logistical Specialist. She is also a devoted wife and mother of two sons.

Tommy Gardner is HP’s Chief Technology Officer for HP Federal, spanning the US Federal Agencies, Higher Education, K-12 Education, State and Local government customer segments, as well as Federal Systems Integrators. His current responsibilities include technology leadership, strategic technology plans, product and technology strategies, sales force technical support, and customer and partner relationships.
Previously, Tommy has served as the Chief Technology Officer for Jacobs Engineering, Scitor, and ManTech. Earlier in his career he was a senior technical executive at Raytheon. In the U.S. Navy he served as the Deputy for Science and Technology for the Chief of Naval Research. He oversaw the Navy’s Deep Submergence Program as well as its Advanced Technology Program. He also commanded the nuclear submarine, USS San Juan (SSN 751).
Tommy’s educational background covers multiple disciplines and fields of interest including: cybersecurity, data science, blockchain, quantum information science, artificial intelligence, high performance computing and systems integration.
Tommy holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy, a Masters in Public Administration from Harvard University, an M.S. in Management of Technology from MIT and a Ph. D. in Energy Economics from George Washington University. He is a Professional Engineer, an ASME Fellow, and serves on the ASME Board of Governors, the ANSI Board of Directors and the U. S. Council on Competitiveness as the Co-chair of the Advanced Computer Roundtable.

Dr. Michael Hoffmann is a professor for philosophy at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He is the director of the Reflect! lab, co-director of the Ethics, Technology, and Human Interaction Center (ETHICx), and a member of the Executive Committee of the National AI Institute for Adult Learning and Online Education (AI-ALOE). His research focuses on so-called wicked problems, that is, problems that are difficult to deal with because the perception of the problem depends on often conflicting interests and values of those looking at the problem. Hoffmann works on strategies for dealing with wicked problems and on educational innovations and software tools that prepare future generations to approach wicked problems confidently, effectively, and efficiently. Hoffmann’s research in AI ethics focuses on participatory design for human well-being. The goal is to ensure that the design of AI technologies is shaped by ethical reflection and stakeholder engagement processes (see https://aialoe.org/ai-ethics/).

Heather is a Vice President for Stroz Friedberg’s Houston office where she leads a wide variety of engagements, including data breach/incident response matters, complex digital forensics investigations, security risk assessments, and cyber due diligence investigations.
Since joining Stroz Friedberg in 2018, Heather has led and managed some of the firm's most complex incident response engagements, including the largest healthcare ransomware event in U.S. history which was perpetrated by threat actors during the COVID pandemic. Heather has also managed the ransomware response engagements involving the shutdown of operations of a national food supplier, manufacturing plant and several energy producers. She regularly works with outside counsel to assist clients with regulatory inquiries as a result of the theft of data by organized cyber criminals.
In addition, Heather assists clients with incident response plan development, cyber threat tabletop exercises, and she has led multiple enterprise risk assessments of clients' information security maturity, along with penetration tests, physical security assessments, background investigations, deep and dark web intelligence gathering and M & A cyber due diligence investigations.
Heather also works closely with cyber brokers to advise clients on cybersecurity best practices before the underwriting process.
Heather is a testifying expert on HIPAA privacy and security laws, and she manages privacy compliance services including PII and HIPAA risk assessments for healthcare clients across the country.
Prior to joining Stroz Friedberg, Heather was the HIPAA Privacy Officer for a national litigation support company for over eleven years. In that capacity, Heather created and implemented a nationwide HIPAA privacy and security program in compliance with federal and state regulations. Prior to her legal experience, Heather was a healthcare social worker and risk manager in behavioral health.
Heather is a frequent speaker and author on topics related to Cybersecurity Best Practices, HIPAA, and Data Breach Laws. She has been published in US LAW Magazine and The Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation Journal and she is a recurring guest on the topic of cybersecurity on Great Day Houston.
Heather is certified in Healthcare Privacy Compliance (CHPC) and is a Certified Healthcare Information Security Privacy Professional (HCISPP).

Uday Katira is a Managing Director at Deloitte Consulting and serves as a leader in State, Local and Higher Education Analytics practice as well as the US Delivery Center Leader for the Strategy & Analytics portfolio of offerings. In his role, Uday leads nearly 1,000 personnel and delivers value to clients through technology enabled business solutions in the area of data, analytics, automation and artificial intelligence through a variety of offsite / near-shore services across product vendor platforms. Uday has over 22 years of technology consulting experience selling and delivering large end-to-end transformational initiatives spanning the entire analytics and artificial intelligence spectrum. His core expertise spans across enterprise data management, advanced analytics, robotics and intelligent automation implementations delivered on premise and/or as cloud-based solutions across AWS, Azure, GCP, Snowflake and Databricks platforms. More recently, he has been active in delivering AI/ML, Computer Vision and Generative AI to enable enterprises to harness power of machine learning, NLP / NLG, LLMs and broader Artificial Intelligence. His primary client base spans across insurance, healthcare, federal & state government as well as higher education institutions. He has most recently been serving various government agencies within Central and South Eastern US states to enable AI & Data driven decision making.

In his role(s), Ed works with clients worldwide to leverage information technology to solve critical business problems. Ed provides strategic technical and business leadership to drive digital transformation across the public sector (health systems, health plans, life sciences) and governments including working with business partners. Some of Mr. Macko’s activities include technical and digital business strategy, solution design, architecture, business development, presales client engagement, product development, and industry standards. This includes leveraging capabilities like Cognitive Computing, AI / Machine Learning, Automation, Security, Blockchain & Quantum Computing across solutions for Enterprise Health Analytics, Population Health, Interoperability, 360 View Patient/Member, Real World Evidence, Consumer Engagement, Customer Care, Staffing Optimization, Fraud, Supply Chain, Clinical Trials, Drug Discovery, and Translational Medicine. These solutions & capabilities spanning various data domains across the continuum of care (clinical, financial, administrative, genomics, consumer, social determinants, etc.) to deliver business relevant outcomes for clients. My expertise includes strategy, architecture, development, deployment and support across hybrid, multi cloud environments infused by AI in highly regulated environments (e.g. HIPAA, HITRUST, GxP, GDPR, FISMA).
Ed received a bachelor’s degree with honors including a double major in information systems and business administration with a minor in Computer Science from Appalachian State University. He has worked for IBM for the past 25+years in product / solution development, business development, and client engagement roles including last 15 years as the HCLS CTO. Ed previously worked as a Software Engineer for NASA and commercial airline industry.

Angela Fultz Nordstom is a Vice President of Strategy and growth at Tyler Technologies. In this capacity, she helps federal and state agency leadership use technology to improve how citizens and businesses interact with the services government provides. Most recently, she has focused her efforts on the development of a mobile COVID-19 testing solution designed to help states and localities make informed decisions about the health and safety of their communities. Ms. Nordstrom has more than 20 years of experience building and deploying digital technology solutions that create efficiencies for government and provide value to constituents. Prior to joining Tyler Technologies, she served as Chief of Staff to a Secretary of State where she interacted with citizens daily and worked toward making government services accessible to all.

Zach Patton is the chief editor of the Content Studio at e.Republic and Government Technology. He has been covering the public sector for nearly 20 years. Until 2019, he was the executive editor of Governing magazine, where he also had served as a staff writer for more than a decade.

Jessica Simmons serves as the Deputy CIO for Broadband and Special Projects at the Georgia Technology Authority (GTA).
Prior to joining GTA in July 2021, she served as a Deputy Commissioner at the Georgia Department of Revenue where she oversaw the Legal Affairs and Tax Policy Division, the Department’s law enforcement divisions, and the Department’s communications and legislative programs.
She began her career in public service in the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office. After working in Washington, D.C., Simmons returned to Georgia as the Assistant Director of the Georgia Elections Division and later served as Chief of Staff in the Secretary of State’s Office.
Simmons is a native of Marietta and holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Georgia. Simmons and her husband, Matt, live with their two children in Sandy Springs.

Keith Thomas serves as the Global Practice Lead for AT&T Cybersecurity Network Security with a proven track record in planning and implementing large and enterprise scale programs.
Keith provides strategic and tactical Cybersecurity consulting services for security operations, next-generation networks, and cloud security architectures. He also serves as an advisor for customers through consulting, workshops, international speaking engagements and industry forums.
Outside of his professional life, Keith is a devoted father and lives in Alpharetta, Georgia. Keith’s love for photography allows him to capture unique moments from his world travels, further enriching his personal and professional perspectives.
He is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). Keith has a Bachelors and Masters in business administration from Kennesaw State University.
Keith Thomas is a published author, and his articles can be found at the following website: https://cybersecurity.att.com/blogs/author/keith-thomas.

Shawnzia A. Thomas has worked in Georgia state government for more than 13 years, with an emphasis on integrating technology to improve constituent services and better serve Georgians. In July 2021, she was appointed Chief Information Officer for the State of Georgia and Executive Director of the Georgia Technology Authority by Governor Brian P. Kemp.
Previously, Ms. Thomas served as Assistant Deputy Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Human Services. Previously, she was Executive Director of the Georgia Commission on Equal Opportunity and Director of the Georgia Secretary of State’s Corporations Division.
A native of Macon, Georgia, Ms. Thomas received her undergraduate degree from Middle Tennessee State University and Master’s in Public Administration from the University of West Georgia. She is a Commissioner on the Georgia Commission on Equal Opportunity’s Advisory Board and member of the Hospitality Ministry at Chapelhill Church in Atlanta. Ms. Thomas was named to the Atlanta Business League’s list of Top 100 Women of Influence for 2021 and received the 2022 Golden Gov: State Executive of the Year award from StateScoop.

Eric Toler joined Augusta University in 2018 as Executive Director of the Georgia Cyber Center. Mr. Toler previously served in the U.S. Army as a Military Intelligence Officer, retiring with over 27 years of leadership and national security experience. During his military career, he was a pioneer in leading and developing cyberspace operations capabilities for the Army and Department of Defense, serving in key positions within Army Cyber Command, U.S. Cyber Command, and the National Security Agency.
In his role as Executive Director of the Georgia Cyber Center, Mr. Toler is responsible for fulfilling the mission of the Georgia Cyber Center, which is to create an ecosystem of collaboration that helps solve our state’s and our nation’s most challenging cybersecurity problems through innovative education, training, research, and practical applications between private and public industries. He works with a multitude of partners from government, academia, and private industry to help develop the professional workforce required to secure our state and nation in cyberspace.
In addition to numerous military schools and training, Mr. Toler holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Henderson State University, a Master of Public Administration from the University of Kansas, and a Master of Science in National Security Strategy from National Defense University. He has numerous military awards and decorations, to include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, and two Bronze Star Medals.

Ananias Williams III serves as the Chief Information Officer for the Georgia Department of Revenue (DOR). He is experienced in the strategic guidance of innovative, robust, and secure information technology solutions across global environments. He provides leadership for information technology governance, delivery of IT services, information security and compliance to support enterprise business functions for DOR. Prior to joining DOR, he served as the Deputy Chief Information Officer for the Georgia Department of Human Services, where he provided leadership on cloud modernization, data analytics, business development and IT alignment. He previously served as the Assistant Chief Information Officer for the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice and IT leadership in the private sector leading SaaS initiatives.
Mr. Williams’ technology experience spans various business areas in both the public and private sectors. In those areas, he provided consulting and directed IT solutions for health and human services, risk management, finance, and the energy sector. He is also an active participant in several organizations that promote the advancement of technology through community engagement.
Williams is a volunteer for civic organizations and a veteran of the U.S. Navy having served in the Fleet Marine Force. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Auburn University and holds a Master of Information Technology. He is a member of Atlanta Regional Commission's (ARC) Regional Leadership Institute.