Illinois Digital Government Summit 2026
Overview
The Illinois 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.
The Digital Government Summit is a valuable opportunity for public sector leaders from across Illinois government to come together and share ideas that move us forward. Each year, the conversations here help us better understand emerging needs, strengthen collaboration, and explore practical ways technology can improve service delivery for the residents and communities we serve. I look forward to the continued exchange of insights that helps us build a more responsive, secure, and innovative government.
- Brandon Ragle, Secretary and State Chief Information Officer, State of Illinois
Speakers
Brandon Ragle
State Chief Information Officer and Secretary, Department of Innovation and Technology, State of Illinois
With more than 30 years of service in Illinois state government, Brandon is a seasoned technology executive with experience across Corrections, Financial and Professional Regulation, Insurance and DoIT. Over the past two decades, he has focused on modernizing large-scale systems, strengthening enterprise governance and using technology to drive efficiency, resilience, and public value.
Prior to his appointment as Secretary, Brandon served as Deputy Secretary and Deputy State CIO, as well as Chief of Enterprise Applications, where he led major digital transformation initiatives and enterprise platforms critical to statewide operations.
Agenda
Tuesday, November 17 |
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8:00 am Central |
Registration and Morning Refreshments in the Exhibit Area |
9:00 am Central |
Welcome and Event Opening Ceremonies |
9:10 am Central |
Opening RemarksBrandon Ragle, Secretary and State Chief Information Officer, Department of Innovation and Technology, State of Illinois |
9:15 am Central |
Keynote – EMBRACE THE SHAKE: Transforming Limitations into OpportunitiesSuccess, especially in today’s fast-changing business environment, depends on our ability to make creativity and innovation a continuous process. Leaders want to know how their teams can rise above any challenge and succeed no matter what comes their way. Whether the goal is to embrace change, overcome obstacles, sustain growth, or take your success to the next level, leaders and teams want to learn how to “Embrace the Shake.” The term “Embrace the Shake” is coined from artist Phil Hansen’s personal story of transformation. After developing a career-ending tremor in his drawing hand, Phil embraced his “shake” both physically and metaphorically by redefining his limitation as an impetus for creativity. Phil not only restored his artistic abilities, but he also became a much more creative and innovative artist than ever before. Phil’s powerful message of finding creativity within limitations will inspire you to stop looking outside and start looking within for the resources that can transform your challenges into opportunities for success.
Phil Hansen, Artist, Speaker, Author, and Innovator |
10:15 am Central |
Networking Break in the Exhibit AreaRefuel and reconnect over premium refreshments courtesy of Recharge Break Sponsors: Red Hat, Inc. |
10:45 am Central |
Concurrent SessionsAI That Pays for Its SeatAgencies are past the point of asking whether AI is interesting. The harder question is whether it is worth the cost, staff time, data work, and risk. The focus of this session will be practical AI use cases that can be measured, including process support, document review, service desk help, software development support, and knowledge management. The discussion will include ROI, token usage, data boundaries, security review, staff training, and signs that an AI project is ready for real use rather than just a demo.
Moderator: Patrick Nolan, Deputy Secretary, Department of Innovation and Technology, State of Illinois Troy Horton, Health & Human Services Group Chief Information Officer, Department of Innovation and Technology, State of Illinois Stop Launching and Start OwningGovernment technology work does not end when a project goes live. Applications need roadmaps, releases, testing, maintenance, security updates, support models, and clear ownership. This conversation will explore how agencies can move from project delivery to product ownership, especially when internal teams, project management vendors, technology vendors, and agency leaders all have a role in the outcome. Attendees will learn how to keep requirements, testing, accountability, and business value in the hands of the public agency while still working well with outside partners.
Moderator: Rachel Pevey, Group Chief Information Officer, Child and Family Services & Advocacy, Acting Health and Human Services, Department of Innovation and Technology, State of Illinois Kevin Becker, Chief Information Officer, Supporting the Department of Public Health, Department of Innovation and Technology, State of Illinois Jim Daugherty, Agency Chief Information Officer, Department of Children and Family Services, Department of Innovation and Technology, State of Illinois Critical Infrastructure Hiding in Plain SightWater, wastewater, electric, gas, airports, alarms, public safety buildings, and SCADA systems all depend on technology that may not be fully visible to the IT team. Speakers will show how public agencies can find the systems and devices they already have, understand what is exposed, improve logs and monitoring, and decide what needs attention first. The conversation should be practical for smaller governments that may not have deep OT staff but still carry responsibility for essential services.
Moderator: Terance Henry, IT Director, City of Marion Alan X’enos, Tech Infrastructure Manager, Fox River Water Reclamation District Faster Tools for First RespondersPublic safety teams need technology that works quickly in the field and does not slow down responders. This discussion will cover single sign-on, police laptops, body camera footage, records systems, mobile access, identity, data sharing, and data protection. Attendees will hear what makes technology useful for first responders, what creates friction, and how IT teams can balance speed, security, evidence, privacy, and public records responsibilities.
Moderator: Jordan Wilkins, National Conference Director, Government Technology Christopher Britten, Assistant Secretary, Deputy State Chief Information Officer, Solution Delivery and Engagement, Department of Innovation and Technology, State of Illinois |
11:45 am Central |
Lunch |
12:45 pm Central |
General Session – Shadow AI Is Already HereAI use is already showing up across public agencies, sometimes through approved tools and sometimes through personal accounts, copied data, prompts, draft documents, and quick workarounds that nobody is tracking. This conversation will focus on the real governance questions agencies are facing now, including which tools employees use, what information goes into those tools, which records may need to be preserved, how FOIA risk changes the conversation, and how policy can guide staff without shutting down useful work. Attendees will leave with practical questions to ask within their own agencies and examples of guardrails that can help make AI safer, clearer, and more useful.
Terance Henry, IT Director, City of Marion Michael Bass, Founder and Executive Director of Intergenerational Computer Education, and Coordinator of Inventory Management & Property Control, City of Chicago |
1:30 pm Central |
Short BreakPlease proceed to the concurrent sessions.
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1:40 pm Central |
Concurrent SessionsWhen Technical Debt Starts Making DecisionsOld systems, unsupported software, rising costs, mainframe risk, storage growth, and limited maintenance windows can quietly decide what an agency can or cannot do. Speakers should connect technical debt to budgets, risk, operations, modernization, and service delivery. Attendees will hear how to prioritize what matters most, explain the cost of waiting, connect maintenance to business outcomes, and find practical ways to modernize when funding is tight.
Moderator: Andrew Martin, Chief Information Officer, Department of Innovation and Technology, State of Illinois Joel Pingel, Head of State and Local Government Sales (Manager), Midwest Central Region / Head of Education, State and Local Government, Google Public Sector Lori Sorenson, Chief Technology Officer, Department of Innovation and Technology, State of Illinois Small Teams, Big ResponsibilitiesMany local governments are running technology programs with one person or a very small team. Those same teams may support servers, websites, GIS, zoning, phones, cybersecurity, utilities, public works, vendors, and field staff. The discussion will focus on practical ways small teams can reduce workloads, use shared services, plan upgrades, manage vendors, improve accessibility, and help non-desk employees adopt new tools. Attendees should leave with ideas that fit smaller budgets and smaller staffs.
Moderator: Lora McDonald, Business and Workforce Group Chief Information Officer, Department of Innovation and Technology, State of Illinois Wes Bell, IT Director, City of Altamont Dave Termunde, Chief Innovation Project Manager, Arbor Park School District Quantum Is Coming to the Risk RegisterPost-quantum readiness can feel far away until agencies start looking at encryption, sensitive records, vendor contracts, long-term data, identity systems, and critical applications. Attendees will receive a plain-language explanation of what public agencies need to understand now. The focus should be on which systems may be affected, which inventory work should begin, which questions to ask vendors, which timelines matter, and which first steps are reasonable for state, county, city, and higher education teams.
Moderator: Jordan Wilkins, National Conference Director, Government Technology Executive Briefing for Industry PartnersHosted by: Brandon Ragle, Secretary and State Chief Information Officer, Department of Innovation and Technology, State of Illinois |
2:40 pm Central |
Networking Break in the Exhibit AreaRefuel and reconnect over premium refreshments courtesy of Recharge Break Sponsors: Red Hat, Inc. |
3:10 pm Central |
General Session – The Workforce Shift No One Can IgnoreThe public sector IT workforce is changing at every level. New employees are entering the field with different expectations and tools. Mid-career employees need to keep learning as AI, cloud, security, data, and automation change the work. Long-time employees may be carrying knowledge that agencies cannot afford to lose. This conversation will focus on the skills teams need now, the human skills that matter more as technology evolves, and how leaders can help people build confidence rather than feel left behind. Attendees will leave with a clearer picture of what to teach, what to document, and how to support teams through the next wave of change.
Tyler Dickerson, Cybersecurity and Systems Admin, Arbor Park School District |
4:00 pm Central |
Networking Reception in the Exhibit AreaNetwork with your colleagues and discuss technology solutions with the event exhibitors.
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4:30 pm Central |
End of ConferenceConference times, agenda, and speakers are subject to change.
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Crowne Plaza Springfield - Convention Center
3000 South Dirksen Parkway
Springfield, IL 62703
(217) 529-7777
Crowne Plaza Springfield - Convention Center
Advisory Board
Government Representatives
Jason Barth
Chief Operating Officer
Department of Innovation and Technology
State of Illinois
Wes Bell
Manager
City of Altamont
Matt Berger
Chief Technology Officer
Mclean County
Jason Bowen
Chief Information Security Officer
Department of Innovation and Technology
State of Illinois
Christopher Britten
Assistant Secretary; Deputy State CIO, Solution Delivery and Engagement
Department of Innovation and Technology
State of Illinois
Carl Conner
Associate Director
IT Security & Compliance
University of Illinois
Bill Downing
Chief Enterprise Architect
Department of Innovation and Technology
State of Illinois
Terance Henry
Director
City of Marion
Jenifer Johnson
Chief of Staff
Department of Innovation and Technology
State of Illinois
Robert Kerr
Executive Director
University of Illinois at Springfield
Mark Little
Chief Information Officer
Peoria County
Patrick Nolan
Deputy Secretary
IL Dept of Innovation & Technology
Brandon Ragle
Secretary and Chief Information Officer
Department of Innovation and Technology
State of Illinois
Stephen Rounds
IT Director
City of Peru
Brad Smith
Chief of Enterprise Application Services
Department of Innovation and Technology
State of Illinois
Lori Sorenson
Chief Technology Officer
Department of Innovation and Technology
State of Illinois
Industry Representatives
Brian Baun
SLED Enterprise Account Manager
Delinea
Kathryn McGirk
Client Advocate
Google Public Sector
Nishant Nanda
Partner
McKinsey & Company
Khelan Patel
Principal
Deloitte
Arun Reddy
CEO
Zion Cloud Solutions LLC
Abrar Shaikh
Illinois Client Account Lead
Accenture
Eric Westberg
Technology Client Leader
Technology
IBM Corporation
Jackie White
Major Account Manager, SLED
Fortinet
Alan Williams
Account Executive - State and Local Government
OpenAI
Registration Information / Contact Us
Event Date: November 17, 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:
Lindsay Anthis
Government Technology
A division of e.Republic
Phone: (916) 932-1495
E-mail: lanthis@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