Jason Barth is a strategic executive with over 20 years of professional experience leading human resource management and operations. He has a significant record of success in workplace strategy, talent acquisition, talent management, performance optimization, benefits and compensation, and employee relations. Jason’s career spans notable roles in various industries, where he has consistently demonstrated his ability to manage complex HR functions and drive organizational change.
Jason holds an MBA from Loyola University Chicago and has completed advanced leadership certifications from The Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania. Known for his tactical vision and ability to drive meaningful organizational change, Jason is passionate about mentoring emerging HR professionals and contributing to the broader HR community, making him a respected and influential leader in his field.
Currently, Jason serves as the Chief People Officer for the Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology, where he partners with leadership to implement HR strategies that enhance efficiency and support agency objectives.

Serving as Statewide Chief Information Security Officer, Jason drives positive cybersecurity outcomes for residents and visitors that leverage resources delivered by agencies across the State of Illinois. By building relationships and maximizing value provided through Federal - State - Local partnerships, Jason strives to promote and implement a unified cybersecurity strategy while providing tactical support where needed. As a public servant, he’s honored to lead a talented cybersecurity team dedicated to serving our residents and neighbors in the accomplishment of this mission.

Christopher Britten, proudly serves as the Group Chief Information Officer for the Department of Innovation and Technology's Public Safety Sector. With a remarkable five-year stint as the CIO for the State of Illinois and more than two decades of IT expertise, Chris is a well-seasoned professional in the realm of Information Technology.
In his present role, Chris plays a pivotal role as the bridge between Public Safety agencies in Illinois and the Department of Innovation and Technology. His strategic acumen comes into play as he navigates the intricate landscape of IT needs to bolster all the agencies within the Public Safety sector.
Chris firmly believes that technology is the key to the State's ability to serve the citizens of Illinois more efficiently and effectively in the future. This visionary approach underscores his commitment to leveraging technology for the greater good.
Chris holds a degree in Computer Information Systems from Clark Atlanta University, he further fortified his knowledge base with an Executive Master of Business Administration from Purdue University and obtaining his Certified Information System Security Professional (CISSP) certification.
Beyond his professional accomplishments, Chris has a deep-seated passion for aiding children in need and mentoring youth. He currently serves as the Board President of You Matter 2, an organization that empowers young individuals to engage in philanthropy and give back to their community. He is also an active member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., a distinguished African American fraternity dedicated to community service and mandated programs.

John is an award-winning government technology advocate at Google Public Sector, dedicated to empowering governments with Google-inspired innovation. With 20+ years of experience, he understands the unique challenges government agencies face across people, process, and technology. John has been recognized for his work by StateScoop 50 with the Industry Leadership of the Year award. John is passionate about championing solutions that help agencies achieve their desired outcomes.

Sanjay Gupta serves as the Secretary of the Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT) and the State Chief Information Officer. Sanjay leads the agency’s strategic IT planning and service delivery to 35 State of Illinois Agencies and over 80 boards, commissions, and offices throughout the State, representing nearly 60,000 users.
Previously, Sanjay served in the Chief Information Officer and Chief Technology Officer roles for the U.S Department of Justice and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) respectively. His modernization of SBA’s technology enabled it to process more than $1 trillion in economic assistance for the nation’s largest economic recovery effort.
He demonstrated the “art of the possible” in the public sector by delivering modernization, new cybersecurity models, collaborative standardization and innovative solutions that have informed policy updates. He also served on the Board of the Technology Modernization Fund (of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget), overseeing a $1 billion fund to modernize government IT and cybersecurity.
Appointed by Governor Pritzker in June 2023, the Illinois Senate confirmed Sanjay’s appointment in May 2024 as the State Chief Information Officer and Secretary of DoIT.

Troy Horton serves as the Chief Information Officer for the Health and Human Services Group at the State of Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology. With an impressive tenure spanning three decades, Troy has cultivated a rich background that bridges various sectors, from agriculture and the military to academia, commercial world & state government.
Guided by a passion for both mentorship and learning, Troy is a visionary in Information Technology. His hands-on approach to system design and development has paved the way for building reliable, scalable applications. Additionally, his adeptness at managing complex projects, even under tight deadlines, is testament to his commitment to excellence. Throughout his career, he has effectively led diverse teams, comprising systems analysts, database architects, technical analysts, test analysts, and end-user support specialists.
At the heart of his expertise is Troy's unique ability to blend technology with human-centric insights. His deep-seated interest in operations, combined with his understanding of its interplay with technology, forms the bedrock of his educational journey. Yet, it's his profound appreciation for the human elements in business and their intrinsic tie to technology that truly fuels his enthusiasm.
In his pivotal role as the CIO, Troy wears many hats. He engages directly with agency partners and clients, striving to comprehend their technological aspirations. This, in turn, enables him to craft, coordinate, and deliver integrated tech solutions that resonate. Troy proudly identifies as an innovator, and his flexibility, adaptability, and results-driven approach are evident throughout his illustrious career. Above all, he embodies passion and dedication, attributes clearly mirrored in his professional journey.
With a remarkable thirty-year career spanning diverse sectors such as agriculture, the military, academia, commercial enterprises, and state government, Troy has established himself as a visionary in Information Technology & his commitment to excellence is evident. His unique ability to blend technology with human-centric insights sets him apart, reflecting his profound appreciation for the intersection of operations and technology. As an innovator, his flexibility, adaptability, and results-driven approach define his illustrious career, embodying passion and dedication throughout his professional journey.

Jenifer L. Johnson has 25 years of experience in state and local government in Illinois, with the last 20 years in senior management roles. Jenifer joined the DoIT team in June 2019 and is currently the Chief of Staff. She previously served as DoIT Chief Administrative Officer, as General Counsel at the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, and as Corporation Counsel for the City of Springfield. She received her J.D. from Northern Illinois University College of Law and her B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Dr. Lora McDonald is an accomplished and well-rounded IT professional that truly seeks to be the sunshine in everyone’s rainbow as articulated best by the late Maya Angelou. With over 30+ years of experience in various settings and positions including the private sector as well both County and State level opportunities, Dr. McDonald displays her knowledge and expertise through assisting others whether that is mentorship, teaching, or general leadership. Throughout her career, Dr. McDonald has dived headfirst into solving complex challenges with her ability to create innovative solutions. She has served as a key player who assisted the organization’s growth along with creating impeccable relationships with consumers and peers alike. Also, a scholar and self-proclaimed lifelong learner, Dr. McDonald has earned multiple degrees including a BA in Finance, MBA in Human Resources, MS in Information Systems Management and a PhD in Public Policy and Administration. In addition to learning, she believes that we all need to work together to expand our horizons with making sure inclusion is at the forefront.

Ragle brings 30 years of service in state government, serving in various roles supporting the Department of Corrections, Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and Department of Insurance. Ragle spent the past two decades in information technology and joined the DoIT team in the role of Deputy Chief of Enterprise Applications in May 2016 where he was later promoted to Chief of Enterprise Applications in May 2019. In July 2022, Ragle assumed the role of Assistant Secretary of DoIT and subsequently served as interim Secretary from January to June 2023.
In June 2023, Ragle was appointed as the Deputy Secretary of DoIT and Deputy State CIO receiving Senate approval for the position in May 2024.

Sultan Raziuddin works with TVG-Medulla, LLC as a Vice President of Information Technology, executive. Sultan is a healthcare veteran with over 25 years of experience of which 17 plus years with GE Healthcare IT leading global Health IT, Enterprise IT Operations, P&L Operations, Strategic Planning and other Consulting Services. Sultan practices Lean Six Sigma methodologies as a trained Black Belt.
Sultan brings a unique blend of Enterprise IT, health IT, Marketing, Senior Management and Hospital experience from real world to the class room to stimulate intellectual excitement and encourage the culture of collaborative and innovative discussions with students.
Sultan earned his Master’s in Healthcare Informatics & Administration from Northwestern University, Chicago and Masters in Computer Sciences from Illinois Institute of Technology, IIT Chicago and Bachelors in Electronics Engineering Technology from DeVry University. Sultan enjoys reading and holds a large collection of books in his kindle.

Mary Reynolds serves as the Education Group Chief Information Officer for the Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology.  In this role she facilitates services and communication with education agencies, and advocates on behalf of innovative STEAM initiatives that improve outcomes for students.  For over 40 years, Mary has served in a variety of policy development roles in and around state government focused on issues related to youth, education, juvenile justice, and technology.  Previously, Mary served for 12 years as an elected school board member of a small unit school district and has been an active community volunteer.  Her three adult children are all engaged in STEAM careers.   

Bill joined DoIT in 2022 as part of a nearly four-decade career where he rose through the ranks of IT technical development, database administration, applications architecture, project/program management, and senior leadership over application development, implementations, and operations in the human services domain in multiple states. He presently serves as the Chief of Enterprise Applications Services for the Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology where he leads multiples teams providing services and solutions to the state agencies supported by DoIT. The scope of EAS spans system engineering with .Net and interfaces, the MS Power Platform, the State’s Adobe AEM web platform, Salesforce, ServiceNow, legacy Enterprise Systems, DoIT Audio-Visual services, and helpdesk services for EAS.

Omar Sandoval is the Chief Information Officer for Government Technology, a national research and advisory institute on information technology policies and best practices in state and local government. Prior to joining the Center, Omar was the Director of Information Technology for the Naperville Park District.
Omar has won numerous awards which include a Distinguished Services Award, by the Naperville Jaycees; Four Under 40 Achievement Award, presented by the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce which recognizes young who demonstrate excellence based on leadership in the community, business leadership, and career and life balance. Government Technology magazine honored Omar with awards for Technology Innovations in the Park District Operations and Citizens categories; Top 25 Doers, Dreamers, and Drivers and a Leadership Innovation Award for his efforts in assisting his own organization and others to start eSports leagues during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
Omar earned his Master of Science degree in Business Analytics with a concentration in Business Administration from Benedictine University. He currently serves as an adjunct professor at the College of DuPage in the Computer and Information Technology department.  

Evelyn Sanguinetti is an American attorney and human rights advocate who served as the 47th Lieutenant Governor of Illinois, becoming the first Latina Lieutenant Governor in the United States.  In her 20+ years in public service, Evelyn has earned a reputation of being an impactful coalition-builder, problem-solver and change-agent. Presently, Evelyn is a Senior Siting Advocacy Manager at T-Mobile where she advocates for the prompt delivery of T-Mobile’s network before units of local government.

Sarjoo is a business and information technology (IT) leader with over 30 years of experience in Public and Private sector leadership and executive roles. His expertise in building and leading teams with focus on innovation and customer service are proven from his role(s) as the HHS CIO for the State of Oklahoma, Deloitte, SAIC and NTTDATA. Sarjoo specializes in understanding the complex problems that face State and Local entities and providing innovative and transformational solutions to meet and exceed the expectations of business users.   
Sarjoo held various other positions, State CTO, PMO Director and Treasurer within the executive committee of the American Public Human Services Association IT Solutions Management (APHSA-ISM) for several years.
Sarjoo currently holds the position of Industry Executive Director, State and Local Government focusing on developing strategy for Health and Human Services (HHS) transformation using Oracle Cloud.  

Lori Sorenson serves as the Chief Technology Officer for the Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology. In this role, she is responsible for delivering reliable, secure, customer centric IT solutions and serves as a policy advisor for broadband issues. Lori has more than 25 years of experience in IT. She earned her Master of Business Administration at the University of Illinois Springfield and a Bachelor of Science degree at Illinois State University.

As National Conference Director for Government Technology magazine, Jackie produces, manages, and emcees government IT conferences throughout the country. With over 20 years in the SaaS and Tech arena, Jackie proudly brings strategy, project management, operational excellence, and production together to streamline the efforts of live national events. For 15 years Jackie has worked within the greater Chicago market, while also planning and producing events throughout the US, Canada and Europe. 
Jackie is a proud member of GMIS Illinois, active with Chicago Innovation (FKA Chicago Innovation Awards),  and is also known for dedicating countless hours volunteering and fundraising for non-profits including Surge for Water, Hephzibah Children's Association, SheSays Chicago, and Naperville Safety Town.