Michael Eismeier is a seasoned Chief Information Officer at the University System of Maryland, with extensive experience in higher education administration and IT leadership. Since joining the University System in 2019, he has served in several key roles, including Associate Vice Chancellor and Deputy CIO, where he spearheaded significant digital transformation initiatives.
Previously, Michael directed the Administrative Modernization Program at the University of Maryland, College Park, enhancing efficiencies across finance and human resources systems. His career began in state government, progressing to impactful roles in IT strategy and project management.
Michael holds an MBA and a master’s in Information and Telecommunications Systems from The Johns Hopkins University - Carey Business School, and a BS in Geography and Regional Planning from Salisbury University. His academic background complements his leadership, blending business acumen with technical expertise to advance educational and digital governance.

Mike Kaiser is the Chief Information Security Officer for Towson University.
He joined Towson University in March 2018 and is responsible for the University’s Information Security and Privacy program. Mike has over 20 years of Information Technology and Security experience within multiple industries. He holds a Master of Science degree from the University of Maryland Global Campus in Cybersecurity Management and Policy, and he is a Certified Information System Security Professional (CISSP) and a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP).
Prior to joining Towson University, Mike was the Senior IT Security Manager of Strategy and Risk Management at McCormick and Company in Hunt Valley, MD.

Dave Riggin is currently serving as the Senior Manager of IT Portfolio and Projects at the University System of Maryland where he spearheads the development and management of technology portfolios, aligning strategic goals with technology initiatives across all USM institutions. His role emphasizes shared services, licensing opportunities, and vendor management, ensuring fiscal responsibility and strategic alignment.
Dave is also a seasoned IT leader with over three decades of comprehensive experience in applications, architecture, infrastructure, project/program management, sourcing, and strategic IT management. Previously, he worked at the University of Baltimore for 10 years serving as Deputy Chief Information Officer where he led enterprise applications, architecture, infrastructure, project management, security, and service management. Prior to his role as Deputy CIO at UBalt, he directed the Enterprise Applications group, managing a team responsible for supporting all software applications.
Dave's earlier experience includes a significant tenure at Allegis Group, with roles that covered areas such as application development, data warehousing, enterprise architecture, identity management, and project/program management. He led a $30m+ shared services and sourcing program in his last 3 years at Allegis to support the globalization of the company. Prior to Allegis, he worked as a healthcare technology consultant and in various leadership roles in the technology organization of UPS.
Dave received his Bachelor of Science in Geography and Environmental Planning from Towson University and furthered his studies at The Johns Hopkins University - Carey Business School and the University of MD Global Campus.

Dr. Rhonda Spells-Fentry serves as the vice president for Data Science, Innovation, and Effectiveness, at Prince George’s Community College in Largo, MD.  As a member of the college’s executive team, she is responsible for leadership of the College’s information technology, institutional research, strategic plan,  and project management operations. Specific areas of responsibility include business systems applications and solutions, teaching and learning technologies, network infrastructure, telecommunications services, end-user support, IT security, data analytics, business intelligence and assessment, as well as the strategic plan and project management functions.

The Vice President of Information Technology is the university’s Chief Information Officer (CIO). The Vice President provides university leadership for information technology at UMBC and serves on the executive leadership team of the university. The Vice President is responsible for providing information technology services in support of teaching and scholarship, research computing, and administrative support. Reporting directly to the President, the Vice President is responsible for strategic planning and implementation, coordination, budget, personnel, and policy related to information technology at UMBC.
Mr. Jack Suess is an alum of UMBC and has worked at UMBC since 1981. He holds a B.A. Mathematics and M.S. Operations Analysis. Throughout the years he has taught a number of courses at UMBC, including Computer Organization and Assembly Programming, Unix System Administration, and Computers and Society. He has led UMBC information technology since 1997 and was appointed UMBC CIO in 2000. In 2002, he was made a direct report to the President and was named Vice President in 2005. His CV can be found here.
Mr. Suess has been an active researcher in advanced networking and was PI on UMBC’s 1997 NSF grant for vBNS networking and was the PI on a 2014 NSF cyber infrastructure grant to upgrade the network to 100 Gbits. In addition he has been co-PI on a NSF grant to increase women in IT through improved access to global resources and a state grant for broadening IT skills across all majors. He is a regular speaker on data analytics for student success, cybersecurity, identity management, and technology standards for teaching and learning.

As National Conference Director for Government Technology magazine, Zachary produces, manages and emcees government IT conferences throughout the country.

Maurice Tyler is a career Information Technology (IT) professional with over 35 years of progressive professional experience. He began his career in corporate America working for Fortune 500 companies, including IBM, Nortel Networks, and Martin Marietta. Now a Chief Information Officer in higher education, Maurice is utilizing his diverse skill set and broad experience to act as a change agent by digitally transforming organizations. His strategic objective is to provide pervasive, seamless, and intuitive access to technology that enables users to be more productive and have ready access to the information and resources required to ensure success.

Currently serving as the Interim Executive Director at the Maryland Research and Education Network (MDREN), Jerry Waldron brings a wealth of experience in higher education IT leadership and strategic planning.  With over 30 years of service in various educational institutions, Jerry has a deep understanding of the complexities and challenges of managing IT infrastructure and services in academic environments.
Jerry's higher education tenure includes roles such as the Chief Information Officer at Salisbury University for nearly 14 years, where he was responsible for comprehensive IT strategic planning and infrastructure management. He also served at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, coordinating major projects like the implementation of Workday HCM and Finance systems. Additional leadership roles include CIO positions at Arcadia University and The College of New Jersey, where he led various initiatives to enhance IT services and infrastructure.
Jerry has a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Education from Central Connecticut State University and a Master’s Degree from the University of Connecticut.  Waldon also completed over 30 hours of graduate studies in Human Development and Advanced Statistics from the University of Maryland.