Dr. Thomas Bunton is the Associate Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Kansas State University. In this role, he provides information technology leadership throughout the university, including teaching, learning, research, and administrative environments.
Before this role, Bunton was the Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief Information Officer at New Mexico State University and the Associate Vice President and Chief Information Officer at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He also held various leadership roles at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and Purdue University, where he led large-scale technological and organizational transformations that included implementing centers of excellence, drafting and executing IT strategic plans, and rationalizing and integrating complex IT portfolios.
Bunton is passionate about higher education and its role in society, particularly social mobility. He spearheads efforts and outreach to increase affordability, access, and student success. His outreach efforts include mentoring high school students interested in information technology careers and being a regular lecturer to incoming first-generation students. He’s strongly committed to illuminating and providing frictionless educational pathways for students who may otherwise lack experience navigating the sometimes confusing and unfamiliar environments associated with higher education.

Jonathan Carroll is the Midwest Regional Executive for State Government Strategy at T-Mobile. Before taking on this role, he served as a four-term State Representative in the Illinois General Assembly from 2017-2024. While in the General Assembly, Jonathan secured approximately $10M in capital funding for community infrastructure, catalyzing substantial progress and elevating the district's infrastructure. His legislative record includes making Illinois a leader in food allergy safety & training, improving education, humanely treating animals and a bipartisan universal 72-hour waiting period for all gun purchases. During his time in the legislature, he would regularly work with both sides of the aisle for the betterment of the state.
Jonathan was involved on several key committees including Executive, General Appropriations, Cybersecurity, Consumer Protection, Police and Fire, Townships & Counties, Cities & Villages, Insurance, Public Utilities and Gaming.
Before entering politics, Jonathan was a Special Education teacher serving children with learning and social/emotional disorders. After leaving the classroom, Jonathan founded Carroll Educational Group and IEP Experts supporting young learners driven by innovative strategies and a proactive approach to addressing challenges. Jonathan's commitment to educational support services, including specialized offerings in Special Education advocacy and consulting, showcases his deep sense of responsibility to the community.
Jonathan attended DePaul University earning an undergraduate degree in Communication and a Master of Arts from Northeastern Illinois University in Education. Away from work, Jonathan enjoys spending time with his two children and Cavapoo Theo, watching sports (especially the Cubs and Bears), cooking and fishing.

Scott Craig joined Softdocs in 2023 as Senior Vice President of Product & Strategy after over 20 years of experience in the content services space for higher education, government, financial services and healthcare. Scott is passionate about delivering software that helps organizations achieve exceptional results.
Prior to Softdocs, Scott was the VP of Product Management at Hyland, a leading content services provider. Throughout his career, Scott has held senior leadership positions across product management, engineering, mergers and acquisitions, strategic planning and agile delivery at leading companies such as Perceptive Software, Primedia Business and Atwood Publishing.
Scott is a governing board member at Platte River Academy where he has led strategic campus planning, preschool expansion and a free school lunch program. He is also active in hunger prevention organizations like Hunger Free Colorado.

With over 20 years of IT experience, I currently lead Sedgwick County’s IT Infrastructure as the Director and CISO.  I started with Sedgwick County in 2005 and have held positions with desktop support, server and systems administration, and leadership roles including Customer Support Manager and SysAdmin and Telecom Manager.  This experience culminated in my current position.  My background is diverse, also encompassing roles at Universal Computer Systems in Houston, TX as a network technician and telecommunications technician, and 11 years of service in the U.S. Army and Army National Guard as a logistician.

Allie Denning, Director of Public Affairs, joined the State of Kansas in September 2020 as the Public Information Officer for the Department of Administration. She was promoted to Director of Public Affairs in January 2022 with the Office of Information Technology Services. In her role, she works with the Kansas legislature, advocating for robust IT policies and funding.
Her career has been focused on public service, organizing communities to vote and exercise leadership on daunting challenges. Most recently, Allie worked in Washington, D.C. for the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition. For fun, she took on a second job working as an usher at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Allie earned her undergraduate degree from The University of Kansas in Political Science and International Studies.
A Kansas native, Allie enjoys the performance arts (musicals, plays, ballets, concerts, and more!), traveling, and celebrating the unique charms of Kansas.

Greg Gann is a 25-year IT veteran at Sedgwick County, Wichita, KS beginning his career on Helpdesk.  Greg currently serves as IT Business Solutions Group Director overseeing IT Development, Database Services, Web Development, Application Management, Project Management, and Geographical Information Services.  He also serves as Sedgwick County’s Payment Card Industry Digital Security Standards (PCI-DSS) Officer.  Greg is a member of the Kansas Information Technology Executive Council (ITEC), and the Kansas Supreme Court Cyber Security Steering Council.  Greg holds a BS in Computer Science & MS In Management Information Systems (MMIS) from Friends University and certificates in Project Management from PMI.org & MiniMPA from Wichita State University.  He is active in the community volunteering with Wichita Habitat for Humanity and the Sedgwick County RACES team (KF0PYT).

John joined the Kansas Information Security Office from LionHeart Cybersecurity Advisors in Kansas City, KS. As the CISO-in-Residence and Founder of the organization, he worked with clients to develop and implement IT and cybersecurity strategies, advise them on governance, compliance, audit, and capability strategies, and guide them on technology planning and cybersecurity alignment.
Prior to his time at LionHeart, John spent 10 years with The University of Kansas Medical Center where he served in multiple roles, including 6 years as CISO and Associate Vice Chancellor for Information Security.

Adrian Guerrero, CPM is the Director of Operations of the Kansas State Board of Nursing.  Adrian has worked for the board since the year 2000. He serves as the agency Director of Technology and Operations Budget Finance Officer and is responsible for the strategic direction and implementation of advanced technology and business solutions. Additionally, he is responsible for the primary oversight over the Cybersecurity, Licensing, Human Resources, Procurement, and Information Technology departments.
Adrian was four-times elected and had the honor of serving on the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) Board of Directors as Treasurer & Area II Director for 8 years.

Ed Hudson is the Interim CIO and Chief Information Security Officer for the University of Kansas. He has been with KU since 2022 leading efforts to define and implement organization wide information technology, privacy, and cyber security policy and strategy, as well as leading information security investigations and response. Prior to joining KU, Ed served as the Chief Information Security Officer for the 23 campuses of the California State University system.
Before his higher education career, Ed held various private sector senior leadership roles in data encryption, web application security and network security organizations. In these positions, he led complex investigations regarding external and internal network security incidents with Fortune 500 companies. Ed has delivered technology solutions in a variety of industries, including information technology, healthcare, higher education, financial services, retail, finance, manufacturing, and the food industry.
Mr. Hudson began his technology carrier in law enforcement having served with three different agencies as a patrol officer, detective, and investigations supervisor. Ed has held advanced certifications in computer and network forensics, computer crime investigations and has testified as an expert regarding information technology, computer crime and electronic evidence in California Superior Courts. Ed was a founding member of the Northern California High Tech Crimes Task Force and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology and a Masters Degree in Public Administration with a concentration in Leadership. Ed is a Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) and a current member of the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA). Ed is a EDUCAUSE Leading Change Institute Fellow (2016) and past faculty and faculty director for the EDUCAUSE Leadership Institute.

Kelly Johnson serves as a Deputy Director in Procurement and the IT Procurement Manager for the State of Kansas. In this role, Kelly is involved in identifying and evaluating the technical needs of agencies and stakeholders, as well as assisting with contract negotiations, researching vendors, and establishing standards for IT procurement. Prior to this transition, he held the position of Chief Information Office for both the Department of Labor and Kansas Highway Patrol. Recently Kelly was honored to win a “State IT Leadership of the Year” award from Statescoop.

Joseph is currently the Interim Director of Broadband Development. Prior to this role, he was the Deputy Director of Broadband Development since January 2023. He brings a diverse background in politics, public service, and technology, and he graduated from the University of Kansas with a double major in Political Science and Psychology. He served as Chief of Staff for Kansas House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer before joining the Broadband Development team. With a history in the Kansas Legislature, including as Legislative Director and Operations Director, Joseph also contributed to troubleshooting the Affordable Care Act website at General Dynamics’ IT department during the Obama Administration and working for the University of Kansas’ IT department on their then-course management system, Blackboard. Beyond his professional pursuits, he serves on the Douglas County Community Corrections Advisory Board and the City of Lawrence Human Relations Commission. Joseph is a NextGen Under 30 Honoree, awarded by NextGen Under 30 Kansas recognizing his impact on the state of Kansas and the communities he serves, given his tenure as a public servant. In his leisure time, Joseph enjoys following NCAA Men’s Basketball, coding, keeping abreast of auto and tech innovations, and spending quality moments with his Akita, Emi.

Jeff was appointed Chief Information Technology Officer (CITO) in October 2023. He has been with the State of Kansas since 2009, most recently serving as the State’s Chief Information Security Officer (CISO).
Jeff brings a wealth of experience to the role. In his 12 plus years with the State, he has forged relationships with agency leadership and the legislature. His work on cybersecurity from a whole-of-state approach has improved the cyber posture of Kansas and created collaborative opportunities for how state, local, and critical infrastructure work together.
While with the State, he’s received several awards including recognition in 2022 as a top Global CISO by Cyber Defense Magazine. He holds licenses and professional certifications, including Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), and Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge (CCSK). In addition, Jeff serves as a Cyber Defense Systems Operations Craftsman for the Kansas Air National Guard.

As the CIO for the largest City in Kansas, Mike is accountable for all Information Technology and Innovation serving 17 City departments in over 90 locations. Mike has oversight of the full suite of technology and innovation services; security, policy, process, digital transformation, Smart City, network, development, data services and budget management across the enterprise. In his tenure, Mike has implemented What Works Cities, Open Data, Smart City, ERP implementation, and numerous P3’s executed for business value attainment without increasing staff. Increased online transactions from 2 million to over 76 million dollars annually. Focused on business process change and the citizen experience, placing technology for impact and outcomes. With over 30 years of experience in IT, 14 of those as a CIO, Mike continues to innovate and deploy technology as an opportunity for business improvement.
Mike has a Bachelor of Arts in graphic design a Bachelor of Business Administration in MIS and an MBA from Wichita State University. He teaches for the school of business at WSU in MIS and is the outside technology director for the Board of AgVantis, Inc., a technology service provider in the financial sector. Mike also is active on numerous boards; Mennonite Housing, Industry Advisory Board for the School of Computing Cybersecurity at Wichita State University, FirstNet representative for South Central Kansas, Information Technology Executive Council (ITEC) for the State of Kansas also the co-chair the Cyber-security task force 2023 for the State of Kansas.

Erin joined the Kansas Information Security Office in 2021 as a Business Continuity/ Disaster Recovery Analyst. When the opportunity presented itself, she stepped into the role of Director of Cyber Collaboration and Preparedness where she works to bring the whole state approach to all cyber/technology-based entities across the state. Erin’s division works to bridge the gap between the Emergency Management world and the Cyber world and works closely with cities, counties, schools, and public infrastructure, in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from Cyber events. Erin previously had worked with training, physical planning, and disasters at the Kansas Division of Emergency Management as the State Training Program Manager and State Training Officer. She was a certified Kansas Certified Emergency Manager and instructed multiple courses across the state. Erin briefly left State Service to work with the private sector in a Micro Bio startup as the Director of Human Resources and IT.

Tom began his career in 1992 as a special education teacher in Casper Wyoming. He taught at the middle school and high school level and served as a transition life coordinator. Completing a PH.D. at the University of Kansas in Special Education and School Leadership, Tom went on to work for the Virginia Department of Education leading large statewide initiatives. He wrote numerous successful federal grant proposals and directed the Virginia Tiered System of Supports (VTSS), a comprehensive schoolwide tiered intervention system braiding evidence-based -practices in instruction, positive behavior, and social emotional learning to meet the individual needs of students in inclusive settings. Most recently, Tom went on to serve as the Director of the Montana Center for Inclusive Education and Associate Dean of the College of Education at Montana State University Billings. He just recently began in his role as Co-Director of the Kansas Assistive Technology Project. He is married and the proud father of two sons who hopefully with graduate from college in May 2025. Fingers crossed.

Gilberto (Gil) Oliva is the Deputy CIO for the City of Wichita, Kansas. As an IT leader, he is passionate about leveraging technology to achieve institutional strategic goals, drive innovation, and streamline operations. He holds an MBA with a specialization in Management Information Systems (MIS).
Outside of his professional endeavors, Gilberto is an avid cyclist. Originally from Guatemala, he has also lived and worked for Cisco Systems in Brazil for two years, giving him a unique multicultural perspective. In addition to English, he speaks Spanish and Portuguese fluently.

Taylor Overton serves as the Director, Office of Small Business Development and Entrepreneurship for the Kansas Department of Commerce. With a background in business development, she holds a pivotal role overseeing, designing, and implementing initiatives specifically tailored to bolster the growth and success of all entrepreneurs across the state. She serves as a valuable resource, providing information, referrals, and guidance in key areas such as procurement, contracting, subcontracting, financing, and business management, ensuring that businesses have the tools they need to thrive.
Prior to this role, as the Director of Corporate and Minority Business Enterprise Development at the Western Regional Minority Supplier Development Council, Overton developed education and training curriculum for corporations and minority businesses in California, Nevada, and Hawaii.
Taylor was born and raised in Lawrence, Kansas and attended Ottawa University. Upon graduation, she moved to California for work, but soon realized her passion for returning to Kansas. Taylor found herself eager to come back and contribute to the economic landscape of the place she calls home.

SrA Christian J. Reid is Cyber Warfare Operator at the 127th Cyberspace Operations Squadron (COS), McConnell AFB, Wichita, KS. Responsibilities of their current duty position are to develop, sustain, and enhance cyberspace capabilities to defend national interests from attack. This includes providing threat analysis, tailored planning and expertise in cyberspace necessary to synchronize cyberspace operations capabilities for mission planning and execution as part of the 856 Cyber Protection team.
SrA Reid entered the Air National Guard in July of 2020. He completed Cyber Transport Systems training in June of 2021 and began his duties within the 134th Air Control Squadron at the 184th Wing, McConnell AFB. There, he maintained mission critical cyberspace infrastructure in use to communicate with warfighters in deployed locations. In December 2021, SrA Reid cross‐trained into Cyber Warfare Operations with the 127th Cyberspace Operations Squadron to support the Defensive Cyberspace Operations (DCO) mission within the wing.
Prior to enlisting in the Air National Guard SrA Reid held multiple leadership and instructor roles in his work and school. More specifically, he spent 4 years as a rock‐climbing
instructor at the Andover YMCA. He spent the last year supervising and coordinating the rock wall and the other instructors. During that time, he learned how to manage and supervise individuals of different ages and personalities while maintaining a safe and encouraging environment for students to learn how to rock climb effectively. SrA Reid was concurrently attending Butler County Community College on a full scholarship as a full‐time tutor. While working as a tutor he mastered how to effectively communicate to individuals of all skill levels in varying subjects to include mathematics, physics and chemistry.

Appointed Chief Technology Officer for the State of Kansas in July 2021, Tanya plays an integral role in the strategic direction, development, and evolution of our state’s digital strategy across all technology stacks including information security and privacy. Tanya is committed to working across state agencies to provide technology solutions that will help Kansas position as an innovation leader.
Tanya’s extensive experience in the private sector includes Director of Technical Operations & Client Services for Georgetown University Law Center where she was the Director of Technical Operations, Client Services and Access Identity. In that role, she re-engineered operational, technical and support processes and platforms to deliver enhanced technology solutions and customer service to faculty, staff, and students. Prior to her time at Georgetown, Tanya served as CISO with SecureIT, as well as the Senior Director of Monster Government Solutions. At each of these organizations, Tanya has improved processes and responded to the needs of her customers.
Tanya holds a Dual Bachelor’s degree and an M.S.S from Virginia Tech.

Cole Robison has served as the Director of IT Accessibility in the State of Kansas Office of Information Technology Services (OITS) for the past 16 years. In this role, he has been instrumental in shaping the state's digital accessibility policies and initiatives, conducting accessibility reviews, and providing hands-on support to ensure inclusive digital platforms and services. As a member of the Multi-State Digital Accessibility Collaborative, Cole collaborates with a network of state accessibility officers to drive progress in this critical area. Prior to joining OITS, Cole spent 13 years at the University of Kansas providing IT training and support, and he holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Span Institute Sara Sack is a Speech Language Pathologist and a Senior Research Professor at the University of Kansas.  Her research areas of interest include communication development for infants and adults with a particular focus on the communication skill development of individuals who are non-verbal or have emerging symbolic communication skills.  She has developed a knowledge base focusing on assistive technology for individuals of all ages and all disabilities.  She directs the Statewide Assistive Technology Program which includes six AT Access Sites across the state and serves Kansans with disabilities and health conditions of all ages and all disabilities—hearing, vision, communication, cognitive and learning, and mobility limitations.  She is involved with the nation wide network of assistive technology programs and frequently serves as a keynote speaker on topics related to technology access and acquisition.

Amber Shultz is the Secretary of the Kansas Department of Labor, where she drives the state's strategic initiatives for unemployment insurance, worker’s compensation, industrial health and safety, and labor market information services. With over 25 years of experience in both government and private sectors, Amber is a recognized leader in data analytics, organizational collaboration, cooperative governance, strategic visioning, and operations administration.
Amber's innovative technology initiatives have placed organizations at the cutting edge of public services. Her approach guarantees that initiatives and programs are not only implemented effectively but also built on sustainable foundations with clear, forward-looking visions.

Dustin Smith is a System Engineer with over 20 years of networking, telecom and cybersecurity experience.  Dustin’s experience in these segments allows him to uniquely serve Fortinet’s public sector and education customers in Missouri and Kansas by helping customers secure their infrastructure while simplifying security operations.  Dustin currently resides in Kansas and has a passion for infosec, traveling, and dogs. 

Randi Stahl has over 25 years of experience in technology, manufacturing, project and program management, emergency management, and homeland security. As the stepdaughter of a broadcast and IT engineer, she gained extensive hands-on experience in technology from an early age. This early exposure gave her a keen understanding of telecommunications, fiber optics, and audio-visual technology, instilling a solid technical foundation that has influenced her career.
Early in her career, based upon lessons learned from the 2007 Greensburg, Kansas tornado, Randi was instrumental in leveraging technology to establish the Kansas Eisenhower Center for Homeland Security Studies, the Kansas Intelligence Fusion Center, and a Geospatial Information Systems (GIS) & Public Affairs mobile response vehicle. Her proactive approach and unwavering ability to drive change were pivotal to the success of these initiatives, inspiring others with her forward-thinking mindset.
Randi's leadership skills were further demonstrated when she held senior roles at Mars Wrigley North America-Topeka, KS, and Johnsonville Sausage-Holton, KS. In these positions, she effectively led and managed complex operations, showcasing her ability to navigate challenging environments and deliver results.
After working in manufacturing, Randi transitioned to risk management and served as a disaster recovery planner for Yellow, Inc. Randi currently serves as the Chief Information Officer for the City of Topeka. With a master's in business administration from Baker University, her experience brings a broad perspective gained from working with Fortune 500 companies, not-for-profits, and the government. This diverse experience allows her to lead and modernize her organization, especially as it relates to the ever-growing challenge of cybersecurity.
As a leader, she endorses individual and team development through focused planning and creating a highly collaborative environment to support her team in becoming the best version of themselves. She also encourages her team to take ownership of their work and generate a continuous improvement atmosphere.
Randi's commitment to volunteer work is a testament to her values and community involvement. She dedicates her time to several organizations outside of work, including the Seaman School District’s Technology Advisory Board. Her selfless actions remind others of the importance of being a good civic partner to the community.

Brenda has been the IT Director with the City of Newton since 2007. For many years as the lone IT staff in Newton, performing all functions of IT from daily helpdesk, project implementation, systems admin, telecom, and director. With growing technical needs, Newton is expanding the team. Brenda was introduced to GMIS in 2012 realizing the value of a community of public sector IT leaders to network, collaborate and lean on when needed. Brenda served on the KS GMIS Chapter board starting in 2014 and is currently past president. She has been serving on the GMIS International board since 2018 and will be moving into the role of GMIS International President in August 2024. 

Maria S. Thompson is the State and Local Government Cybersecurity Lead for Amazon Web Services (AWS). In this role, she brings over 20 years of experience in information technology, strategic planning, computer network defense and risk management. Prior to her role with AWS, Maria served as North Carolina’s first State Chief Risk and Security Officer. There she was instrumental in establishing the Whole of State Approach to Cyber. This included the development and implementation of the state’s first Cyber Disruption Plan, and the Joint Cyber Task Force (JCTF). Maria also served 20 years in the United States Marine Corps and retired as the cybersecurity chief/information assurance chief for the Marine Corps. Other security roles held includes certification and accreditation (C&A) lead for the Multi-National Forces – Iraq and senior security engineer in a joint military organization and Security Operations Center lead for a federal agency.

Erik has 20 years of experiencing working in the legislative and executive branches of state government. Erik was appointed as the Executive Director of the Kansas Real Estate Commission in 2015. Since that time the Commission has focused on recruiting and retaining a highly competent team to fulfill the Commission’s mission of protecting the public interest in transacting real estate. Erik served as the 2023 President of the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials. Prior to his appointment to his role at the Commission, Erik served as an Assistant Secretary of the Kansas Department of Agriculture where he was responsible for the fiscal, information technology and human resources sections of the agency. Erik has a bachelor’s degree from Kansas State University and a master’s degree from the University of Kansas. Outside of work Erik enjoys golfing and spending time with his wife and 8-year old daughter.

Alex joined OITS in March 2022 as the Chief Information Technology Architect. Alex came to OITS from San José State University in San José, CA, where he served as Associate CIO & Senior Director of Enterprise Solutions. In this role, Alex was responsible for overseeing research, planning, design, implementation, and support of Enterprise Applications in on-premise and cloud environments.
Prior to that, he worked at The University of Kansas for 17 years. He began his career there as an IT Manager in the Department of Administration & Finance and worked his way up to Chief Technology Officer.
Alex holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Kansas State University and a Mini MBA for Tech Executives from Boston University.