Name: Large City/County CIO Summit 2026
Start: 2026-04-14T08:00
Location: Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City

Overview

The Digital Communities Large City/County CIO Summit is an inspirational, content-packed day and a half event! The summit features top-notch panel discussions and meaningful opportunities for attendees to connect with and learn from their CIO and county leaders across the country.

As we focus on the challenges and opportunities facing local government, the conversations and candid stories of how visionary leaders are maintaining, enabling and pushing forward will be incredibly beneficial as you plan your technology agenda for the future. Come join us for this thought-provoking opportunity to network with and learn from your peers!

Stay tuned for more information!

This is an invitation-only event.

A message from our Keynote Speaker

Speakers

Barry Condrey

Senior Fellow, Center for Digital Government

Barry has worked in the IT field for over 40 years holding a wide range of technology leadership positions in the public and private sectors and was most recently the CIO for Chesterfield County Virginia for 17 years. Under his leadership, Chesterfield County ranked as the #1 digital county in America four times. Barry currently serves as a Senior Fellow for the Center for Digital Government and as Director of Technology Consulting for the Public Technology Institute. Barry holds advanced degrees in public leadership, economics and computer science in addition to certifications in CIO leadership and cyber security. Barry has been adjunct faculty for Virginia Commonwealth University and adjunct faculty for the Public Technology Institute in the certified government CIO program.

Jonathan Feldman

Chief Information Officer, Wake County

Jonathan Feldman is an award-winning Chief Information Officer, speaker, and writer. He has been recognized for his positive impact on the communities he serves by the Frost & Sullivan CIO Impact Award and inclusion in Government Technology’s Top 25 Dreamers, Doers, and Drivers, and he is frequently listed among top CIO and IT practitioners. Jonathan is widely acknowledged as a pioneer of cloud computing, digital transformation, and civic tech, with Forbes calling his efforts “IT done right.”  
Jonathan’s success leading government technology led him to co-author Code for America’s book, “Beyond Transparency” with Tim O’Reilly and others. His column with InformationWeek magazine, which won an American Society of Business Publication Editors award, started many industry conversations about positive IT transformation. He has spoken all over the world about civic technology, the future of work, talent management, leadership, and digital transformation, and is often quoted in the media about these topics. He is active on social media both to learn and to share and tweets at @_jfeldman.

Viggo Forde

Director of IT/CIO, Department of Information Technology, Snohomish County, Washington

Viggo Forde serves as the Chief Information Officer and Director of Information Technology for Snohomish County, WA, the third largest county in Washington State. Prior to joining Snohomish County he had a long career at Microsoft where his last job was as a Senior Director in Customer Service and Support. He also brings experience from Amazon and Boeing. In addition to his professional career Viggo is the Honorary Consul of Norway to the states of Washington, Oregon, Montana, and Idaho. He has assisted multiple non-profit organizations with his leadership and business experience and is a current board member of the National Nordic Museum in Seattle. He has also held board roles at the University of Washington Scandinavian Studies Department, and UW Industrial and Systems Engineering Executive Advisory Board, as well as the Norwegian American Chamber of Commerce/NorCham. He holds a masters and bachelors degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Washington.

Bianca Lochner

Chief Information Officer, City of Scottsdale, AZ

Bianca Lochner, Ph.D., has over 20 years of experience in information technology and local government. Throughout her career, she led multiple digital transformations and innovations in education and the public sector, while modernizing legacy technology and positively impacting how citizens and businesses interact with the city government. As the Chief Information Officer for the City of Scottsdale, Arizona, she combines her passion for public service with technology’s power to transform how government delivers to the community it serves.

Rob Lloyd

Executive Director, Center for Digital Government and Center for Public Sector AI

Prior to joining e.Republic and the Center for Digital Government, Rob served as Chief Technology Officer for the City of Seattle, where he led a 600-person organization with a $310 million technology budget serving 816,000 residents and a 14,000-person workforce. The department's mission: "We put powerful information and tools in the hands of people to unleash brilliance in service to our community."
Rob brings 20 years of C-suite experience across government, utilities, and technology in Washington, California, Arizona, Oregon, and Colorado. He previously served as Deputy City Manager for Transportation, Aviation, and Technology for San José, the nation's 12th largest city and the center of Silicon Valley. His work has advanced AI adoption, public-private partnerships, procurement modernization, and pioneered omnichannel 311. Teams under his leadership have earned more than 50 national honors. He has been recognized as an Governing Magazine Public Official of the Year, GovTech Doers Dreamers & Drivers (twice), ORBIE CIO of the Year (twice), and LocalSmart City Executive of the Year (four times).

John Matelski

Chief Information Officer, National Association of Counties (NACo)

John is a seasoned Information Technology and Security executive with more than 30 years of leadership experience. Prior to coming to NACo, John served as Executive Director of the Center for Digital Government (e.Republic), guiding the organization’s vision, programs, and partnerships in support of county and city governments nationwide.
Previously, John spent 12 years as Chief Innovation and Information Officer for DeKalb County, Georgia, where he directed all IT and security operations. He spearheaded enterprise-wide innovation and digital transformation initiatives that enhanced service delivery for citizens and constituents and helped lead the county to national recognition as a Top 10 Digital County for nine consecutive years.
John earned a B.S. in Computer Science and an M.B.A. with an emphasis in Computer Information Systems from Arizona State University. He is recognized for his ability to apply innovation, resourcefulness, and strategic leadership to drive organizational transformation across both public and private sectors. 
In 2023, John was named one of Government Technology’s Top 25 Doers, Dreamers, and Drivers. He had also been deeply engaged with the National Association of Counties (NACo), serving as Vice Chair of the County Technology Advisory Council, the IT Standing Committee, and the Telecommunications and Technology Policy Steering Committee, as well as contributing to multiple subcommittees.

Chris Mertens

IT Director, Hamilton County, Indiana

Chris Mertens serves as the CIO for Hamilton County, Indiana, where Chris leads strategic technology initiatives and oversees the county’s rapidly expanding digital infrastructure. With more than thirty years in the public sector and a strong focus on modernization and operational efficiency, Chris recently directed the countywide rollout of Workday, transforming Hamilton County’s enterprise resource planning and human capital management capabilities.
A frequent contributor to the government technology community, Chris regularly shares insights across local, state, and national platforms. Chris remains deeply engaged in emerging developments in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, actively participating in discussions and initiatives that shape the future of technology in the public sector.

Zach Posner

Chief Information Officer, Salt Lake City, Utah

Zach has 25+ years of technology leadership across public, private, and non-profit organizations. He recently moved from Salt Lake County to Salt Lake City after an autocorrect mistake and is hoping no one notices before he can establish squatters rights. As the new CIO, he's focused on AI strategy, technology governance, and building a relentlessly customer-focused team—while learning to proofread AI suggestions.

Teri Takai

Chief Program Officer, Center for Digital Government

Teri Takai is the Chief Programs Officer for the Center for Digital Government, a national research and advisory institute on information technology policies and best practices in state and local government. Teri worked for Ford Motor Company for 30 years in global application development and information technology strategic planning. From Ford, she moved to EDS in support of General Motors. A long-time interest in public service led her to the government sector, first as CIO of the State of Michigan, then as CIO of the State of California and, subsequently, the CIO of the U.S. Department of Defense, the first woman appointed to this role. She then served as the CIO for Meridian Health Plan.
Teri is a member of several industry advisory boards. She has won numerous awards including Governing magazine’s Public Official of the Year, CIO Magazine’s CIO Hall of Fame, Government Technology magazine’s Top 25 Doers, Dreamers & Drivers, the Women in Defense Excellence in Leadership Award and the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service.

Joanne Worsham

Deputy Chief Information Officer, Chesterfield County, Virginia

Joanne recently joined Chesterfield County as the Deputy Chief Information Officer where she plays a crucial role in building and strengthening relationships across the county.  The teams within the planning and administration division that she leads provides strategic services that enhance our planning, governance, and business partnership capabilities across the county.  Prior to joining Chesterfield County, Joanne spent > 15 years in private industry leading global technical teams in higher education to transition and modernize ERP systems to the cloud.  She also held various technical leadership roles at two Virginia public four-year universities.   Joanne holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Information Systems from Strayer University and ITIL v4 certified.

Tuesday, April 14
8:00 am Mountain	Registration and Breakfast
9:00 am Mountain	Welcome and Introductions Teri Takai,  Chief Programs Officer, Center for Digital Government Barry Condrey,  Senior Fellow, Center for Digital Government Rob Lloyd, Executive Director, Center for Digital Government and CPSAI Zach Posner, Chief Information Officer, Salt Lake City, Utah
9:45 am Mountain	When Less is Less - The Realities of Civic Technology Funding in 2026 Identified as the number one concern for municipalities, funding constraints may cripple us in 2026. Let’s examine the theme of “Excellence at the Essential”, connecting with peer directors to ensure the organization’s essential (small) set of priority internal and public service investments are timely. Moderator: Barry Condrey, Senior Fellow, Center for Digital Government Chris Mertens, IT Director, Hamilton County, Indiana Jonathan Feldman, Chief Information Officer, Wake County, North Carolina Joanne Worsham, Deputy Chief Information Officer, Chesterfield County, Virginia
10:45 am Mountain	Break
11:00 am Mountain	AI Infused Permitting for Communities — Emerging Needs and Solutions Permitting reform has emerged as a top issue in elections, in popular books, and for CIOs. And for good reasons. It is clearer how approval processes connect to housing costs, homelessness, economic opportunity and outcomes, and has become a test case for good governance. For this session, let’s share what we are trying, with practitioner-level lessons from leading jurisdictions, and where improvement is needed next. Moderator: Rob Lloyd, Executive Director, Center for Digital Government and CPSAI Kerrica Laake, Chief Information Officer, City of Austin, Texas Bianca Lochner, Chief Information Officer, City of Scottsdale, Arizona Sallie Trotter, Deputy Chief Technology Officer, City of Fort Worth, Texas
12:00 pm Mountain	Lunch
1:00 pm Mountain	The Looming Accessibility Deadline—Magic Solutions & Who is Ready? DOJ Accessibility Deadline for larger localities is 4/24. Who is ready on websites, content, and applications? Lessons learned, best strategies, great partners, and what organizations sometimes miss. Did anyone find the magic solution? What will be our response when the DOJ comes knocking? Moderator: Teri Takai, Chief Programs Officer, Center for Digital Government Lynn Fyhrlund, Chief Information Officer, San Bernardino County, California Rob Lloyd, Executive Director, Center for Digital Government and CPSAI John Matelski, Chief Information Officer, National Association of Counties
2:00 pm Mountain	Break
2:15 pm Mountain	Procurement, AI and Talent: How to Multiply Impact Together Procurement is a weak link in the civic supply chain and is noted as an opportunity area in many surveys. With cooperative contracts, managed service models or multi-jurisdictional agreements it would seem like the flexible options are out there. What is holding procurement back from being something that accelerates civic technology? Is AI really the answer? What value do partnerships hold? Moderator: Barry Condrey, Senior Fellow, Center for Digital Government Viggo Forde, Chief Information Officer, Snohomish County, Washington Adam Frumkin, Chief Information Officer, Franklin County Data Center, Ohio Jako van Blerk, Chief Information Officer, Macomb County, Michigan
3:15 pm Mountain	Day One Wrap-Up & Strategic Prioritization Every CIO juggles a growing list of priorities. And now with government efficiency initiatives, How do you determine what deserves your focus? Lets talk about our discussions today, key priorities, share insights, and learn from your peers on managing high-stakes decisions. Moderators: Barry Condrey, Senior Fellow, Center for Digital Government Teri Takai, Chief Programs Officer, Center for Digital Government
4:00 pm Mountain	Break until Dinner
6:00 pm Mountain	Meet in Hotel Lobby or meet us at restaurant (Walk to dinner .2 mile 5-7 miles)
6:30 pm Mountain	Dinner

Wednesday, April 15
8:00 am Mountain	Breakfast
9:00 am Mountain	Cybersecurity 2026 - Moving Beyond the Basics & Lessons Learned from 2025 The cybersecurity basics have been a focus for cities & counties. Is this the year we move ahead with more advanced efforts like zero trust, SOAR, IT Supply chain and micro-segmentation? We are poised to move beyond the basics, but did we learn enough from 2025? Moderator: Teri Takai, Chief Programs Officer, Center for Digital Government Zach Posner, Chief Information Officer, Salt Lake City, Utah Juan Torres, Chief Information Officer, Franklin County, Ohio
9:45 am Mountain	Break
10:00 am Mountain	Today and Forward: Emerging Challenges and Bold Approaches We will close the summit with a dynamic, forward-looking discussion designed to tackle the most pressing IT challenges facing cities and counties today. This interactive format begins with a 25- minute breakout session, where city and county leaders will meet separately to discuss their unique obstacles, strategies, and emerging priorities. Then, we’ll come back together for the final 20 minutes to compare notes, share key takeaways, and identify bold opportunities for collaboration and innovation. Bring your biggest challenges, exchange ideas with peers, and leave with actionable insights to shape the future of government IT leadership. Barry Condrey, Senior Fellow, Center for Digital Government Teri Takai,  Chief Programs Officer, Center for Digital Government
10:45 am Mountain	Closing Comments
11:00 am Mountain	Large City/County CIO Summit 2026 Adjourns Conference times, agenda, and speakers are subject to change.

Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City

170 South West Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
8015569635

Get Directions To
Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City

Made Possible by Our Corporate Sponsors

Registration Information / Contact Us

Event Dates: April 14 & 15, 2026

Contact Information

This is an invitation-only event, open to Public Sector only. For more information or to request an invitation, please contact Kathy Simpson.

Sponsorship is open to Industry members of the Digital Communities Program only. To learn more about becoming an Industry member, 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 to RSVP, or have general event questions? Contact:

Kathy Simpson
Center for Digital Government
A division of e.Republic
Phone: (916) 932-1394
E-mail: ksimpson@erepublic.com

Already a sponsor, but need a hand? Reach out to:

Mireya Gaton
Center for Digital Government
A division of e.Republic
Phone:(916) 296-2617
E-Mail: mgaton@erepublic.com

Sponsorship is open to Industry members of the Digital Communities Program only. To learn more about becoming an Industry member, please contact:

Heather Earney
Center for Digital Government
A division of e.Republic
Phone: (916) 365-2308
E-mail: heather.earney@erepublic.com

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Large City/County CIO Summit 2026

Overview

A message from our Keynote Speaker

Speakers

Barry Condrey

Senior Fellow, Center for Digital Government

Jonathan Feldman

Chief Information Officer, Wake County

Viggo Forde

Director of IT/CIO, Department of Information Technology, Snohomish County, Washington

Bianca Lochner

Chief Information Officer, City of Scottsdale, AZ

Rob Lloyd

Executive Director, Center for Digital Government and Center for Public Sector AI

John Matelski

Chief Information Officer, National Association of Counties (NACo)

Chris Mertens

IT Director, Hamilton County, Indiana

Zach Posner

Chief Information Officer, Salt Lake City, Utah

Teri Takai

Chief Program Officer, Center for Digital Government

Joanne Worsham

Deputy Chief Information Officer, Chesterfield County, Virginia

Agenda

Tuesday, April 14

8:00 am Mountain

Registration and Breakfast

9:00 am Mountain

Welcome and Introductions

9:45 am Mountain

When Less is Less - The Realities of Civic Technology Funding in 2026

10:45 am Mountain

Break

11:00 am Mountain

AI Infused Permitting for Communities — Emerging Needs and Solutions

12:00 pm Mountain

Lunch

1:00 pm Mountain

The Looming Accessibility Deadline—Magic Solutions & Who is Ready?

2:00 pm Mountain

Break

2:15 pm Mountain

Procurement, AI and Talent: How to Multiply Impact Together

3:15 pm Mountain

Day One Wrap-Up & Strategic Prioritization

4:00 pm Mountain

Break until Dinner

6:00 pm Mountain

Meet in Hotel Lobby or meet us at restaurant (Walk to dinner .2 mile 5-7 miles)

6:30 pm Mountain

Dinner

Wednesday, April 15

8:00 am Mountain

Breakfast

9:00 am Mountain

Cybersecurity 2026 - Moving Beyond the Basics & Lessons Learned from 2025

9:45 am Mountain

Break

10:00 am Mountain

Today and Forward: Emerging Challenges and Bold Approaches

10:45 am Mountain

Closing Comments

11:00 am Mountain

Large City/County CIO Summit 2026 Adjourns

Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City

Made Possible by Our Corporate Sponsors

Registration Information / Contact Us

Event Dates: April 14 & 15, 2026

Contact Information

Contact Information

Venue

Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City