Registration and Morning Refreshments in the Exhibit Area

JW Grand Ballroom Foyer and Salons 6-8

Welcome and Opening Remarks

JW Grand Ballroom Salons 1-5

Tony Sauerhoff, Executive Director and State Chief Information Officer, Department of Information Resources, State of Texas

Keynote: Embrace the Shake

JW Grand Ballroom Salons 1-5

Success, 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 inside for the resources that can transform your challenges into opportunities for success.

Phil Hansen, Artist, Speaker, Author and Innovator

Sponsored By: Carahsoft | Adobe Inc., Cribl | Wiz, NTT DATA

General Session: Preparing for the Legislative Session

JW Grand Ballroom Salons 1-5

Securing support and resources for technology-related initiatives requires clearly communicating value to decision-makers. In this panel, Texas legislative leaders will share their advice on how to tie your Legislative Appropriations Request (LAR) to a forward-facing mission, avoid common mistakes and craft a “winning” request.

Networking Break in the Exhibit Area

JW Grand Ballroom Salons 6-8

Concurrent Sessions

Operationalizing AI in Government: From Strategy to Measurable Impact

Room 402-403

AI strategies are everywhere, but delivering measurable outcomes remains a challenge for many public sector organizations. Moving from vision to execution requires clear use cases, alignment, and proven approaches grounded in real world experience. In this session, government leaders will share how they are operationalizing AI to improve efficiency, enhance decision making and deliver tangible results. Attendees will gain a practical understanding of how to overcome barriers, align stakeholders, move initiatives into production and keep sensitive data protected while still delivering unified visibility and actionable insights.

Jessica Ballew, Chief Information Officer and Chief of the Information Technology Division, Department of Public Safety

Jeff Martinez, Vice President and General Manager, US/Canada Public Sector, Rackspace Technology

Kevin Wise, Lead Solution Architect, US Public Sector, Rackspace Technology

Transforming Citizen Engagement Through Digital Services and Accessibility

Room 404

Digital services must be both innovative and inclusive—so how can governments deliver both? This session highlights best practices for modern citizen engagement, with a focus on state accessibility requirements, to improve service delivery while reaching underserved populations.

Moderator: Chris Bunton, Chief Information Officer, Texas Department of Agriculture

Tom McCarty, Director of Business Operations, Texas Workforce Commission

Ed Therriault, Principal Digital Transformation Architect, Portage CyberTech

Karen Tuttle, Director, Connected Experiences - Public Sector, Verizon Business Group

Cybersecurity and Risk: Securing Next Gen Government Systems

Room 406

Explore how has AI reshaped the cybersecurity landscape—from improving threat detection to creating new vulnerabilities. This session will examine how agencies can secure systems while managing risks like prohibited technologies and evolving attack vectors, providing practical strategies for balancing innovation with security and compliance.

Moderator: Elizabeth McGee, Chief AI Transformation Officer, Office of the Chancellor, Houston City College

Justin Fimlaid, CEO, NuHarbor Security

Shannon Lawson, Chief Security Officer, Director, Alamo Regional Security Operations Center, City of San Antonio

Transforming the Organization for a Changing Workforce

Room 407

AI is not just a technology shift—it’s a workforce and culture shift. This session will discuss how agencies can upskill teams, redesign roles and manage organizational change during AI adoption, allowing them to build a future-ready workforce while maintaining operational continuity.

Moderator: Ralph Warren, Director of Information Technology, Travis County

PJ Rivera, Principal, Deloitte

Kishore Thota, Management Consulting Director, RSM US LLP

Lunch

JW Grand Ballroom Salons 1-5

Bits and Bytes: The Onset of Quantum Computing

JW Grand Ballroom Salons 1-5

Quantum computing, a rapidly advancing technology, has the potential to revolutionize government operations by changing the way data is processed, optimizing infrastructure and strengthening cybersecurity. What is the current state of quantum computing? How will it help the government deal with the complex challenges faced by the public sector, and what early engagement should be undertaken to prepare for it?

“Best of Texas” Awards Program

JW Grand Ballroom Salons 1-5

Networking Break in the Exhibit Area

JW Grand Ballroom Salons 6-8

Concurrent Sessions

Accelerating App Development in Government IT

Room 404

Low-code and no-code tools are transforming how applications are built, accelerating delivery while reducing development barriers. Each approach has advantages and limitations depending on project scope, customization needs, organizational capacity, and most importantly, the business problem the application is meant to solve. This session will focus on modern app development and DevOps practices tailored for your organization’s needs.

Moderator: Jim Malmros, Director of Application Services, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts

Chris Bunton, Chief Information Officer, Texas Department of Agriculture

Derek Williams, Chief Technology and Innovation Strategist, Dell Technologies

Strategic Partnerships for Innovation

Room 407

Innovation in government often depends on strong partnerships and smarter procurement. Building a thriving public-private partnership requires trust, good communication, and a shared vision for the future. This session explores how agencies can find the right partners and leverage vendor ecosystems, shared services and collaborative models to drive efficiency and modernization.

Jessica Ballew, Chief Information Officer and Chief of the Information Technology Division, Department of Public Safety

Daniel Gohl, Chief Technology and Strategy Officer, U.S. SLED, HP Inc.

Dale Richardson, Chief Operations Officer, Texas Department of Information Resources

Modernizing Infrastructure

Room 402-403

The “backbone” behind digital services often includes aging ERP platforms, growing technical debt and complex cloud transitions. As agencies accelerate cloud adoption, how do they ensure resilience, scalability, and security? Which systems should take priority? This session dives into infrastructure modernization strategies that support critical services while protecting against disruption. Learn how to future-proof systems while managing the speed of technological change.

Moderator: William “Bill” Rials, Ph.D., Senior Fellow, Government Technology

Sean McAfee, Chief Technology Security Officer, Qualys

Marc Yoder, ASG Field Chief Information Security Officer, SHI

Laying the Groundwork for AI with Data

Room 406

AI is only as effective as the data behind it. For public sector organizations, unlocking the potential of data requires more than just access; it demands trust, governance, and alignment. This session explores how to improve data quality, accessibility, and integrity while laying the groundwork for responsible AI adoption. Gain insights on aligning your data strategy with innovation, applying responsible data practices, protecting sensitive information and delivering better outcomes for communities.

Moderator: Joe Sepulveda, Deputy Chief Information Officer, Texas Water Development Board

Neil Cooke, State Chief Data Officer, Texas Department of Information Resources

Michael Curry, President of Data Modernization Business Unit at Rocket Software, Rocket Software

Nadeem Malik, Vice President, Data Science, Kyndryl

Exclusive Briefing for Industry Partners

JW Grand Ballroom Salons 1-5

Hosted by:

Tony Sauerhoff, Executive Director and State Chief Information Officer, Department of Information Resources, State of Texas

Networking Break in the Exhibit Area

JW Grand Ballroom Salons 6-8

General Session: From Dial-Up to Digital Twins: 25 Years of the Center for Digital Government and the Road to 2050

JW Grand Ballroom Salons 1-5

In 2001, "digital government" meant moving paper forms to static PDF downloads. Today, it means real-time, AI-driven resident services, "whole-of-state" cybersecurity, and cloud-native infrastructure that never sleeps. As the Center for Digital Government (CDG) celebrates its 25th anniversary, we invite you to a high-energy retrospective and a forward-looking strategy session that tracks the evolution of the public sector’s digital DNA. We will walk through the "waves" of transformation we’ve navigated together and will provide a roadmap for the next quarter-century of innovation.

William “Bill” Rials, Ph.D., Senior Fellow, Government Technology

Networking Reception in the Exhibit Area

JW Grand Ballroom Salons 6-8

Network with your colleagues and discuss technology solutions with the event exhibitors.

End of Conference

Conference times, agenda, and speakers are subject to change.