Ms. Adnan has over 23 years of robust experience in Information Technology, out of which 17 years with the County of Los Angeles.
Ms. Adnan is responsible for overseeing development and maintenance of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems that include countywide Financials, Budget, Payroll, Personnel, Human Resources and Property tax systems of the largest County in the United States with over 110 thousand employees and over $45 Billion budget.
As a Technology Leader, she partners with county departments to provide modern technology solutions to accelerate transformation, automation, and information sharing. She championed the implementation of a Center of Excellence for the Robotics Process Automation in the County and the implementation of modern cloud data platforms. She is an Advisory member of Women in Leadership program by University of California Riverside and an active member of LA County’s Women in Tech (WIT) program.

Audra Balok is the Interim Digital Services Bureau Manager for the City of Long Beach’s Technology & Innovation Department. She oversees enterprise digital platforms and citywide modernization initiatives spanning customer experience, data, and core business systems. With deep experience leading large-scale public sector technology projects—including financial systems, HR/payroll, time entry, and digital service delivery—Audra is known for bridging technical strategy with real-world operational needs. A PMP-certified leader, she brings a collaborative, people-centered approach to driving innovation, improving service delivery, and building high-performing teams in complex government environments.

Eric Barricklow is a successful CISO and technologist with decades of experience in cybersecurity, incident response, and operations in aerospace, defense, state, and municipal government agencies. Eric has a history of developing and aligning Security programs with business needs by developing a deep understanding of the business, assessing potential operational and cultural impact, and participating in or driving organizational change. He is passionate about ensuring that cybersecurity is table stakes for the business and not an afterthought. As a retired US Army Officer and former combat commander with 3 tours and over 150 combat missions, Eric understands tactical, operational and strategic risk from a cradle to grave perspective, from plan inception through execution to termination.
Eric holds CISSP, CISM, CISA, CRISC and a master’s degree in Cybersecurity. He is the CISO for the City of Long Beach, CA. His past roles include Cyber/Technical Director for Institutional Compute Environment at JPL/NASA, CISO for the New Hampshire Army National Guard, DoD Casualty Notification/Assistance Officer, Operations Officer for a HAZMAT-WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction) Team, and Counterintelligence Special Agent (Arabic Linguist).

Gary Carter is a transformative leader in municipal technology, currently serving as the inaugural Director of Information Technology and Security for the City of Carson. Since August 2023, Gary has fundamentally redefined the city’s digital landscape, positioning Carson as a premier "Smart City" destination in preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Games.
Under Gary’s strategic vision, Carson recently broke ground on a massive $27 million municipal fiber optic backbone. This project is more than infrastructure; it is a catalyst for digital equity, designed to eliminate "digital redlining" while providing world-class connectivity to the city’s parks and public facilities. He has further modernized the constituent experience through the launch of the Carson 311 App and the implementation of "Ask Carson," a 24/7 AI-driven multilingual engagement platform. His rapid modernization of Carson’s legacy systems recently earned the city 2nd Place in the National Digital Cities Survey and the prestigious Tyler Excellence Award.
A veteran of the "Silicon Beach" tech boom, Gary previously spent 13 years with the City of Santa Monica, where he founded the 100 Gigabit CityNet fiber network—a model of municipal enterprise that generated millions in annual revenue. His work has been recognized three times by the Harvard Kennedy School as one of the "Top 25 Programs in American Government."
Gary is a globally recognized strategist who has advised the White House Office of Science and Tech Policy, The World Bank, and the IEEE. He holds an MBA from the Drucker School of Management and a degree in Philosophy and Ethics from West Chester University, providing him with a unique perspective on the intersection of innovation, governance, and social equity.
Executive Milestones
Carson CityNet: Architect of the $27M, 116,000-foot fiber optic backbone.
Civic Tech: Launched the Carson 311 App and "Ask Carson" AI to streamline resident services.
National Ranking: Led Carson to a #2 National Ranking in the 2025 Digital Cities Survey.
Fiscal Leadership: Developed Santa Monica’s Community Broadband Division into a multi-million dollar profit center.
Private Sector Roots: Managed proprietary risk management software for Fortune 100 clients at Travelers Insurance.

Rob Centeno is a seasoned technology executive serving as Deputy Director of the Technology & Innovation Department for the City of Long Beach. He brings more than 35 years of experience leading enterprise technology operations, digital transformation, and strategic initiatives across the public and private sectors, including media, engineering, and government organizations. Rob is widely recognized for advancing innovation, strengthening operational performance, and aligning technology investments with organizational priorities.
In his current role, Rob provides executive oversight of the Department’s four technical bureaus, guiding citywide digital modernization efforts and ensuring technology initiatives support Long Beach’s strategic and service delivery objectives. Prior to joining the City, Rob held senior leadership roles at NBCUniversal and AECOM, where he led large-scale global IT operations and transformative programs focused on cloud adoption, process automation, and enterprise modernization.
Rob’s leadership approach emphasizes collaboration, integrity, and continuous improvement. He is known for bridging business and technology by translating complex requirements into scalable, sustainable solutions that deliver measurable value. Outside of his professional responsibilities, Rob enjoys spending time with his family, golfing, boating, following sports, and cooking.

Chris J. Chirgwin is an experienced executive leader, visionary, and tech entrepreneur on the Central California coast.  Currently, Chris is the Chief Information Officer for the County of Santa Barbara.  Chris has founded and led several businesses and non-profit organizations over the past two decades and recently sold Lanspeed, a regional IT Services company. He has excelled throughout his career in providing businesses with a winning combination of strong leadership, broad technical expertise, and sound strategic planning.
Chris received an MBA from the University of Portland in 1998, and a BA in International Studies and Business / Economics from Westmont College in 1995. Chris has earned numerous industry awards and technical certifications, including recognition by Inc. Magazine in 2011 and 2012 for leading one of the top 5000 fastest growing U.S. companies.  In 2017, 2019 and 2020, the Pacific Coast Business Times recognized Lanspeed with a “Central Coast Best Places to Work” award.  Several times a year, he travels around the country facilitating industry groups and has been a guest speaker at many technology, management, and leadership events.

Michael de la Cruz is an IT leader with more than 30 years of experience spanning frontline support, enterprise operations, analytics, and strategic governance. He has served Los Angeles County for eight years and currently leads Los Angeles County Public Works’ AI initiative, helping the department adopt artificial intelligence responsibly and securely. Michael focuses on practical AI governance—aligning policy, risk management, privacy, and security with real operational needs—so public agencies can innovate while maintaining transparency and public trust.

April Diaz is a powerhouse international speaker and the visionary Founder and CEO of Ezer & Co., renowned for transforming tens of thousands of lives across three continents. With her dynamic presence and innovative coaching communication style, April captivates audiences, equipping them with actionable strategies for lasting transformation. Her work redefines leadership, inspiring individuals and organizations to embrace wholeness and unlock their full potential. As a trailblazer in executive leadership coaching, April has pioneered a proprietary process and revolutionary Wholeness Assessment that is reshaping the future of leadership. Her groundbreaking pathway integrates developmental transformation with practical strategies, creating ripple effects that extend from top U.S. businesses to boardrooms and beyond. April’s work transcends industries. With over 25 years of expertise in leadership and human development, April has coached more than 1,000 diverse clients, including C-suite executives, professional athletes, Olympians, and emerging leaders. Her approach is universally relevant while uniquely addressing the needs of her audiences.

Charles Eckstrom is the CIO for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Metropolitan is the largest water utility in the U.S. and delivers water to 19 million people in Southern California. Mr. Eckstrom is responsible for the strategic direction and day-to-day management of Metropolitan’s information technology operations and organization. In 2025, he was recognized as a finalist in the CIO/CTO (Large) category for the LA Executive Leadership Awards, presented by the LA Times.
Prior to joining Metropolitan, Mr. Eckstrom was the assistant chief information officer and interim CIO for Orange County, where he was responsible for the technology vision and the day-to-day information technology operations serving approximately 3.1 million citizens in the sixth largest county in the United States. He was named the “2017 Innovator of the Year” by the Association of California Cities, and under his leadership, the Orange County Information Technology team was awarded the “Best in Category Achievement Award for County Administration and Management” by the National Association of Counties.
Mr. Eckstrom previously held IT executive positions at Toshiba America Medical Systems, United Health Group, and Deloitte Consulting. He received a master's degree in business administration from the University of Southern California and a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Jessica Freeman-Wong is a strategic IT leader with a proven track record in driving innovation, strengthening governance, and optimizing enterprise systems. As Assistant CIO for the Applications Division for the City of Pasadena, she oversees digital platforms and application portfolios that support critical city services. With experience across both public and private sectors, Jessica leads digital transformation initiatives with a strong emphasis on technology governance, responsible AI adoption, risk management, and operational efficiency. Her work focuses on aligning emerging technologies with ethical frameworks, transparency, and long-term public value.

Danny Inukai is the Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, overseeing the technology vision and strategy for both the Natural History Museum and La Brea Tar Pits. His responsibilities include infrastructure, the website, ticketing systems, CRM databases, digital asset management, and cybersecurity.
Before joining the Museum, Danny was the Managing Director of Technology at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art and the Chief Technology and Innovation Officer at SAG-AFTRA. His prior experience also includes serving as a Director of Analytics, Project Manager, and Software Engineer. Danny holds a Bachelor's in Information Systems from The University of Arizona and an MBA from UCLA.

Louise Karu leads Rubrik’s state, local government and education business across the United States, bringing over 15 years of experience helping public sector organizations transform and safeguard their mission-critical data. She is recognized for her deep understanding of industry requirements and practical IT needs in complex, mission-driven agencies. With a passion for delivering cyber resilience and data security, Louise has supported state and municipal agencies as they modernize infrastructure and adopt cloud services. She is known for her consultative approach, helping airports and government IT teams navigate the complexities of cloud adoption and new legislative mandates, while driving operational resilience and strong ROI. Louise remains passionate about enabling agency leaders to turn technology investment into public value, and routinely networks across industry forums to stay ahead of evolving trends in data management, compliance, and cyber resilience. Louise holds an MBA in Marketing and a Bachelor’s in Chemistry from the University of San Francisco.

Jim is a leader in KPMG’s Technology practice, specifically focused on data, analytics, and data science. He helps clients solve business problems by connecting data and insights to decisions and actions. Jim brings a dual expertise: combining a strategic mindset and data platforms leadership with a data scientist's technical toolkit, applying foundational data organization, analytics, machine learning, knowledge graphs, and AI. His approach covers the full analytics lifecycle—from getting to the heart of the problem to be solved, to deploying robust and impactful solutions. By blending technical proficiency with sharp commercial awareness and clear communication, he helps clients through delivery of solutions that address the root of their issue.

With over 35 years of public sector IT experience, he serves as the principal adviser to the CEO and provides strategy, leadership and guidance on enterprise IT initiatives, IT Governance and the delivery of information technology capabilities to support the County mission and Board priorities.
Prior to joining the Los Angeles County, Mr. Loo was Director of Consulting Services at a large multi-national firm, where he was responsible for the successful delivery of multiple public-sector ERP and public health projects at State and local governments. 

Hector Manzo is an IT executive with more than three decades of experience transforming complex publicsector technology environments into strategic, insightdriven operations. As an IT Manager II at the Los Angeles County RegistrarRecorder/County Clerk, he leads the Network and Voter Systems Division, overseeing missioncritical election systems, enterprise network infrastructure, and the technical platforms that support more than 5.8 million registered voters.
He has directed major modernization efforts, including LA County’s Election Management System, countywide dataquality initiatives, disasterrecovery and infrastructure resilience programs, ensuring that data, systems, and operations meaningfully inform decisionmaking across the organization. His leadership has contributed to multiple national awards recognizing innovation, operational excellence, and election technology best practices.
Outside of work, Hector is deeply familyfocused. He enjoys supporting his wife and children through their busy schedules in competitive sports, navigating college life with his older daughters, traveling together whenever possible, catching a movie at home, or cheering at sporting events.

Michelle Peregrine is a Managing Director at Deloitte Consulting LLP, based in the Sacramento and Greater Los Angeles areas. With over two decades of experience, she is a recognized expert in human capital, organizational change, and strategic communications.
Michelle specializes in helping government agencies and large-scale organizations navigate complex system implementations and workforce transformations. Her expertise centers on creating "irresistible" employee engagement through supportive management, clear vision, and inclusive work environments. She has co-authored significant research on global human capital trends, emphasizing the rise of social enterprises and the need for C-suite collaboration in strategic initiatives.
A graduate of the University of Southern California with a Master of Public Administration, her work continues to drive innovation in how organizations manage talent, culture, and technological transitions in the rapidly evolving workplace.

Travis Ralph is a security architect and solutions engineer with 26 years of experience delivering enterprise-level IT solutions, system integrations, and Risk Calibrated results.
Currently serving as a Principal Solutions Engineer for WordPress VIP, Travis helps the public sector modernize digital services to deliver more and better-performing content to their citizens.
As a former Amazonian and a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Air Force, Travis knows how to remove barriers to deliver business results through transformative technical solutions in both the Public and Private Sectors.

Ted Ross is Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the City of Los Angeles and General Manager of the Information Technology Agency (ITA). His department of 465 employees delivers enterprise IT services to 48,000 employees across 45 City departments and digital services to over 4 million residents. Appointed by the Mayor in 2015, Ted has over 25 years of private and public sector technology experience, earning various awards along the way, including #1 Digital City three years in a row, Top 25 Doer & Dreamer, and Southern California CIO of the Year. Ted has been featured in Fortune Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, and The Economist, as well as a presenter at many global technology conferences.

Steve is vice president of content strategy for e.Republic, parent company of Government Technology and the Center for Digital Government. He is the former editor of Government Technology and has spent more than 25 years covering technology in the state and local government market.
Steve joined e.Republic in 1996. During his tenure, e.Republic’s print and electronic media have received many awards for editorial excellence, including “Magazine of the Year” from ASBPE for Emergency Management in 2013, “Best New Web Site” from ASBPE for emergencymgmt.com in 2009, ”Best Overall Publication” at the Maggie awards for Government Technology in 2008 and “Magazine of the Year” from ASBPE for Public CIO in 2007.

Chester Wisniewski is Director, Global Field CTO at next-generation security leader Sophos. With more than 25 years of security experience, his interest in security and privacy first peaked while learning to hack from bulletin board text files in the 1980s, and has since been a lifelong pursuit.
Chester works with Sophos X-Ops researchers around the world to understand the latest trends, research and criminal behaviors. This perspective helps advance the industry's understanding of evolving threats, attacker behaviors and effective security defenses. Having worked in product management and sales engineering roles earlier in his career, this knowledge enables him to help organizations design enterprise-scale defense strategies and consult on security planning with some of the largest global brands.