Name: Iowa Digital Government Summit 2023
Start: 2023-08-29T08:00
Location: Holiday Inn Des Moines - Airport

Overview

The Digital Government Summit brings together technology focused public-sector professionals with leading industry partners to connect on innovative approaches, get inspired and discover new technologies. Join us and let’s improve the future of government together!

A message from our Keynote Speaker

State government in Iowa is undergoing once in a generation changes. At the 4th Annual Iowa Digital State Summit, we will share how these changes will impact government technology, and explore opportunities for all public servants in Iowa. Whether you work in IT or are a leader in local or state government, we welcome you to join us for this exciting day.

- Dr. Matt Behrens, Chief Information Officer, State of Iowa

Speakers

Dr. Matt Behrens

Chief Information Officer, State of Iowa

Dr. Matt Behrens currently serves as Chief Information Officer for the State of Iowa where he leads strategic technology and transformation initiatives across state government. His 23 years of government service have included previous roles as Deputy Chief Information Officer and Chief Technology Officer for the State of Iowa. Dr. Behrens also administers Governor Reynolds' Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Program, which has distributed $350 million in incentives for broadband expansion to over 100,000 rural and unserved locations across our state. In 2022, he was named one of StateScoop Magazine's State Executives of the Year. He has also been a Council of State Governments Henry Toll Fellow. Dr. Behrens serves on the faculty of the Department of Political Science at Iowa State University where he teaches legal and ethical issues in cybersecurity.

Heather Younger

Founder & CEO of Employee Fanatix, TEDx speaker, Best Selling Author

Heather R Younger is the Founder and CEO of Employee Fanatix, a leading employee engagement and consulting firm. She is a sought-after keynote speaker who brings revealing insights to the stage from over 25,000 employee experiences. A diversity, equity and inclusion strategist, and the world’s leading expert on listening at work, she is the host of the Leadership with Heart Podcast. Heather is a regular contributor to Forbes and Fast Company and is the best-selling author of The 7 Intuitive Laws of Employee Loyalty, which hit the top of the "Forbes Must-Read List for HR Professionals." Her latest best-selling book, The Art of Caring Leadership, teaches the radical power of caring support in leadership and in the workplace. Heather’s upcoming book, The Art of Active Listening, increases belonging, loyalty, profitability, and innovation. It is the difference between thinking we understand what people want and knowing what they want. Available for preorder now, this book is your key to building stronger relationships, avoiding misunderstandings, and anticipating problems before they surface at work.
A former attorney who for many years worked in corporate America, what is most important to know about Heather is that she brings a breadth of experience - extensive quantitative and qualitative research - and a truly deep passion for advocacy, resilience, human relations, and connection - to every audience, every workshop, every consultation. Her journey began as an employee retention specialist and quickly pivoted into leadership and becoming a workplace culture expert. Over the years, Heather has been on a mission to help organizations and leaders understand what listening can actually do for them, leading to better workplace outcomes such as customer satisfaction, lower turnover and more engagement. Heather inspires others by teaching the kind of intentional leadership that drives real business results.

Jack Shaw

Innovation and Technology Strategist, Speaker, Author, Consultant

Jack Shaw is a global thought leader and emerging technology strategist with over 30 years of experience. From hearing the echoes of Sputnik's signals as a small child to watching the Moon landing as a teenager to entering the software industry in the 1980's to leading an AI company in the early 2000's, Jack's journey through technology's evolution has equipped him with a uniquely balanced perspective on disruptive change.
Voted one of the World's Top 25 Professional Speakers and one of the Top Five Technology Futurists, Jack has shared his insights with nearly 300,000 leaders and professionals in 26 countries and every U.S. state. He has advised key decision-makers at Fortune 500 corporations such as Mercedes Benz, Bosch, and Coca-Cola, as well as numerous trade associations and governmental organizations. Jack's expertise extends to AI, Blockchain, 5G, the Internet of Things, and the emerging autonomic economy.
A Yale University graduate with a Kellogg MBA, Jack is the author of three books on emerging technologies. His forward-thinking approach and ability to explain complex concepts in easily understood terms make him an invaluable guide for any organization seeking to navigate the future.

Shane Dwyer

Chief Information Security Officer, Department of Management Office of the Chief Information Officer, State of Iowa

Shane Dwyer is the State of Iowa’s Chief Information Security Officer. As part of the Iowa Department of Management’s Office of the Chief Information Officer, he is the principal executive for state-wide Cyber Operations which include data-center services, hosting services, information security services, and networking services.
Prior to his current role, Shane was the Chief Information Security Officer for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services; Senior Director for Information Security at Minnesota State University, Mankato; and was an Operations Manager for the United States Air Force. Shane holds a Bachelors in Information Systems Security from American Military University and maintains the Certified Information Systems Security Professional, GIAC Security Leadership, and Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer certifications.

Jess Flaherty

CPM, Local Government Program Manager, State of Iowa

Tommy Gardner

Chief Technology Officer, HP Federal

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.

Doug Jacobson

Director, Center for Cybersecurity Innovation and Outreach, Iowa State University

Doug is Director of the Iowa State University Center for Cybersecurity Innovation and Outreach and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He is the lead PI in the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity sponsored ReCIPE coalition which is focused on securing cyber-physical systems. Doug also created the Iowa Cyber Hub which is dedicated to increasing the cyber workforce in Iowa. Doug has given over 300 presentations in the area of computer security. He also created a computer security outreach program targeted at the general public, post-secondary students, and faculty.

Mike Lauer

National Director, Public Sector Programs, Fortinet

Mike helps to guide several programs that are focused on Fortinet’s mission to “Secure Everywhere”, as well as provide thought leadership on best practices within the State and Local government, and Education space. As a former Chief Technology Architect across multiple State Agencies for the State of Iowa, Mike provided a long track record of uniting State Government and Education initiatives across multiple stakeholders and regions that ranged from Policy, Technical Leadership, and Strategic Planning.

Rachel Lunsford

Information Technology Administrator, Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services, Iowa Workforce Development

Gloria Van Rees

Legislative Liaison and Public Information Officer for the Department of Management and Office of the Chief Information Officer, State of Iowa

Gloria Van Rees is the Legislative Liaison and Public Information Officer for the Department of Management and Office of the Chief Information Officer. Prior to working for the State of Iowa she worked in both print and broadcast journalism around the world first in sport broadcasting and then as a news anchor in local tv stations around the country.
Van Rees is an Associated Press award winning and Emmy nominated journalist with decades of communication experience. She holds a Master’s Degree in military history and has conducted extensive original research into strategies to combat disinformation campaigns and creating tactically effective information campaigns. Her media critiques have appeared in the U.S. Military History Review and The Journal of Military History.

Anna W. Whipple

Chief Information Officer, City of Des Moines, Iowa

Anna Whipple is the Chief Information Officer for the City of Des Moines, Iowa and director of the Information Technology Department that provides and supports technology for the capital city. She joined the City of Des Moines in 2008 as the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Manager and was promoted to CIO in 2016. Anna’s professional interests include Smart City leadership and collaborating with regional partners on Des Moines area Smart City initiatives. She believes there is never a dull day working in local government as there is always some new challenge calling for creative public leadership.
Anna is a graduate of Saint Olaf College and University of Wisconsin-Madison, and she is a Certified Government Chief Information Officer (CGCIO) by Public Technology Institute and Rutgers University. She has happily called Des Moines home for the last 17 years.

Chris Woodill

Vice President, Solution Engineering, Thentia

With more than two decades of experience in delivering digital transformation solutions for regulated organizations in the government and private sectors, Chris leads operations and onboarding teams for Thentia Cloud. Thentia Cloud is an industry-leading govtech platform built for regulators, by regulators that provides the platform to manage license processes with best-in-class cloud technology.

Al Yu

Information Technology Director, Black Hawk County

A passionate Information Technology Director with over 25 years of experience in the industry. I encourage continued education and will always advocate to ‘learn something new every day’. I believe we should always be a service to others and place value in people.

View Speakers

Agenda

Tuesday, August 29
8:00 am Central	Registration and Morning Refreshments Iowa Ballroom Foyer
9:00 am Central	Opening Remarks Iowa Ballroom A Dr. Matt Behrens, Chief Information Officer, State of Iowa
9:15 am Central	Keynote – Seize the Dream Iowa Ballroom A Tomorrow’s government will require reimagining how to navigate the increased expectations brought about by a demanding world. To equip your organization to thrive long-term, you need the tools to empower change and risk with agility, confidence and resilience. In this interactive session, you will learn an effective framework to recover more quickly from adversity while clearing a path to retool your workplace through creativity and innovation. Heather Younger, Founder & CEO of Employee Fanatix, Tedx Speaker, Best Selling Author
10:15 am Central	Networking Break Iowa Ballroom Foyer
10:45 am Central	Concurrent Sessions AI/ML Meets IT Governance Iowa Ballroom B Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are some of the most talked about topics inside government. From chatbots to predictive analytics, these emerging technologies are rapidly embedding themselves into organizations across the globe. Where do we find the experts that can help program within these new technologies to use them responsibly? How will ethics be addressed when pushing AI/ML forward? This session delves into the processes and strategies to use emerging technologies – ethically – that empower humans to better utilize their skills to focus on higher-value activities. Moderator: Jeff Van Engelenhoven, Chief Information Officer, Health and Human Services, State of Iowa Bill George, Chief Information Officer, Department of Transportation, State of Iowa J. Bradley Horn, Assistant Attorney General, State of Iowa Tommy Gardner, Chief Technology Officer, HP Federal, HP Inc. Keeping Our Head in the Clouds Iowa Ballroom C The cloud is imperative to the success of government technologies. Migration may have been an easy choice for organizations looking to increase scalability, agility, accessibility, and cost efficiency, but what comes next? How can governments manage cost and efficiency? This session explores trends and technologies that will help guide cloud decisions in the months and years ahead. Moderator: Jeana Bigham, Executive Director, Content Studio, e.Republic Nathan Gilmore, Information Technologies Director, Dubuque County Burt Hixenbaugh, Cloud Team Lead, Office of the Chief Information Officer, State of Iowa Chris Woodill, Vice President, Solution Engineering, Thentia Real Talk About Change Management Iowa Ballroom D Making technology more accessible goes hand in hand with clearly communicating what constituents need. What would we do differently if we were at the very beginning of a program instead of cleaning up after a launch? How do we explain IT to people that are not tech savvy? Join this session to learn tactics and tools to tighten your strategy from those who have recently (and successfully) walked the walk. Moderator: Michelle O'Hollearn, Deputy Chief Information Officer, Department of Management, Office of the Chief Information Officer, State of Iowa Jess Flaherty, CPM, Local Government Program Manager, State of Iowa Rachel Lunsford, Information Technology Administrator, Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services, Iowa Workforce Development Anna W. Whipple, Chief Information Officer, City of Des Moines
11:45 am Central	Lunch Iowa Ballroom A
12:45 pm Central	Bits and Bytes – Crisis Management Iowa Ballroom A It’s no secret that modernization and cybersecurity are top priorities for all public organizations as we seek to improve our citizen user experience. Gone are the days when State and Local agencies could fight this battle alone. Do you know which resources are available through the State CISO’s office? Would you like to hear real-world examples of some recent wins? Join this session to gain insight on the detailed plans that can help your team navigate the continued threats we all face. Shane Dwyer, Chief Information Security Officer, Department of Management’s Office of the Chief Information Officer, State of Iowa
1:05 pm Central	Break
1:15 pm Central	Concurrent Sessions Cybersecurity is a Team Sport Iowa Ballroom B Cyberthreat attacks are increasing in potency and frequency while becoming more treacherous to navigate each year. Having a solid and well-prepared incident response plan is not an option to consider, but a must-have. What support can the State offer smaller IT teams to help stay in front of these threats? Will a move toward single sign-on be enough? This session explores the current reality of security threats and how we can work together to defend and respond. Moderator: Jeana Bigham, Executive Director, Content Studio, e.Republic Shane Dwyer, Chief Information Security Officer, Department of Management’s Office of the Chief Information Officer, State of Iowa Rick Groom, Chief Information Security Officer, Iowa Economic Development Authority & Iowa Finance Authority Mike Lauer, National Director, Public Sector Programs, Fortinet Workforce: Finding, Keeping, and Developing the Best Iowa Ballroom C As technology changes, so does the workforce needed to support emerging technologies. Finding security and network staff is more critical than ever, along with fresh ideas on how to fill the open roles in our teams. Where can the public sector find new talent to fill critical roles? What can we do now to invest in the individuals that will be at your doorstep in 5-10 years? Join this session for a thoughtful conversation on ways to build a team that will make an impact for agencies now and for decades to come. Moderator: Gloria Van Rees, Legislative Liaison and Public Information Officer for the Department of Management and Office of the Chief Information Officer, State of Iowa Doug Jacobson, Director, Center for Cybersecurity Innovation and Outreach, Iowa State University Cayanna Reinier, Executive Officer, Iowa Department of Management, Office of the Chief Information Officer, State of Iowa Al Yu, Information Technology Director, Black Hawk County Executive Briefing Iowa Ballroom D (Industry sponsors only) Hosted by: Dr. Matt Behrens, Chief Information Officer, State of Iowa
2:15 pm Central	Networking Break Iowa Ballroom Foyer
2:35 pm Central	Featured Speaker – Digital Transformation for Government: The Future is Now Iowa Ballroom A The world of government technology is shifting by the day. The need for Dynamic Digital Transformation and unlocking the power of emerging technologies like AI and IoT is the future. There are tools that are transforming state and local government including exciting real-world examples drawn from the latest surveys and reporting by Government Technology magazine. Engage in an interactive session to uncover areas where your organization can engage these new opportunities to discover how to improve outcomes for your constituents and your organization. Stay ahead of the curve and revolutionize your government – the future is now! Jack Shaw, Innovation and Technology Strategist, Speaker, Author, Consultant
3:45 pm Central	Networking Reception Iowa Ballroom Foyer Network with your colleagues and discuss technology solutions with the event exhibitors.
4:30 pm Central	End of Conference Conference times, agenda, and speakers are subject to change.

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6111 Fleur Drive
Des Moines, IA 50321
(515) 287-2400

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Advisory Board

Government Representatives

Matt Behrens
Chief Information Officer
Department of Management's Office of the Chief Information Officer
State of Iowa

Matt Bender
Deputy Director
Department of Revenue
State of Iowa

Shane Dwyer
Chief Information Security Officer
Department of Management's Office of the Chief Information Officer
State of Iowa

Jay Eason
IT Director
City of Ankeny

Matthew Eaton
Director
Legislative Services Agency
State of Iowa

Bill George
Chief Information Officer
Department of Transportation
State of Iowa

Steve Kinney
Chief Operating Officer
Department of Management's Office of the Chief Information Officer
State of Iowa

Rachel Lunsford
Information Technology Administrator
Vocational and Rehabilitation Services
State of Iowa

Jamie Nelson
Division Administrator, Business Services
Department of Management's Office of the Chief Information Officer
State of Iowa

Michelle O'Hollearn
Deputy Chief Information Officer
Department of Management's Office of the Chief Information Officer
State of Iowa

Jeff Van Englenhoven
Chief Information Officer
Health and Human Services
State of Iowa

Gloria Van Rees
Public Information Officer and Legislative Liaison
Department of Management's Office of the Chief Information Officer
State of Iowa