Registration and Morning Refreshments in the Exhibit Area

Banquet 5 and 7

Opening Remarks

Banquet 1 – 4

Laura Clark, Chief Information Officer, State of Michigan

Keynote – Leading Beyond Our Limits

Banquet 1 – 4

We’re pressed to the edge of our comfort zone daily. Faced with evolving challenges, unforeseen obstacles, and constant change, it can be tempting to stick to the familiar and avoid risk. Yet, there’s opportunity on the other side of discomfort, and standing out as a leader who’s willing to embrace uncharted territories is a remarkable way to inspire innovation and drive transformation. Join Saby Waraich as he draws on his real-life experience as a trailblazing guide in leadership. Learn to step into the uncomfortable to expand your impact, conquer complex challenges, and build a legacy of resilient leadership.

Saby Waraich, Chief Information Officer/Chief Information Security Officer, Clackamas Community College

Featured Speaker: GenAI and the Future of Work: An Interactive Session for Public Sector Leaders

Banquet 1 – 4

Public institutions are increasingly required to deliver efficient, user-friendly public services in an environment where the nature of work and workforce is evolving faster than ever before. Where can public service organizations realize the greatest disruption and opportunity as a result of GenAI? Do you understand the five key areas organizations should be focused on as they become more aware of GenAI, and its impacts? Join this session to hear about real-life examples of how GenAI and automation are transforming the workforce, and what it means for public service. Enjoy open dialogue about the challenges, opportunities, and applications of GenAI. At the conclusion of our time, you will have actionable items you can take back to your organization and teams to initiate changes - both small and large.

Elizabeth Klobucher, Senior Manager, Accenture's Midwest Talent & Organization Practice, Accenture

Networking Break in the Exhibit Area

Banquet 5 and 7

Concurrent Sessions

Leading Change + Risk Management

Banquet 6

Change is hard, but fearing it can cause our agencies to fall behind the times. How do we start looking at this differently, and lean into change being a positive part of innovation instead of something that leaves us vulnerable to risk? How do we manage our fear of failure as we grow in our leadership roles? Can we get out of the day-to-day tactical activities to make space to see the next big thing? Join this session to explore smart ways to lean into the uncomfortable.

Moderator: Jackie White, National Conference Director, Government Technology

Tom Cantrell, Business Relationship Manager, Department of Technology, Management and Budget, State of Michigan

Jonathan Carroll, Industry Segment Advisor, T-Mobile

Art Thompson, Chief Information Officer, City of Detroit

Being an Individual Contributor vs a People Leader: Do You Know the Difference?

Banquet 8

Excelling in your role as an IT professional is what brought you to this Summit. But what’s next? What type of skillset do we need to develop to avoid doing every task ourselves in the interest of efficiency or quality control? How do we learn to let go of being the expert, and instead empower our teams to thrive? Have you fully adjusted from being peers with those in your agency, to now being the person that manages them and distributes the workload? What is the metric by which you are defining your success as a leader? Join this session to hear real-world examples of how other leaders have managed this transition and continue to thrive.

Moderator: Phil Bertolini, Senior Vice President, Government Technology

Craig Brown, Chief Innovation Officer, Department of Innovation and Technology, City of Westland

Tiziana Galeazzi, General Manager, Department of Technology, Management and Budget, State of Michigan

Jill Recker, IT Manager, Indigent Defense Services Department, Wayne County

Lunch

Banquet 1 – 4

General Session – How to Have Difficult Conversations With Staff

Banquet 1 – 4

The soft skills managers need in order to thrive often include the ability to diffuse difficult interpersonal conflicts between team members. What does this look like in everyday office settings? How do we learn these skills when this is more art than science? Join several experienced people managers as they demonstrate what this skillset looks like in action.

Moderator: Melva Allen, Human Resource Manager, Oakland County

Moderator: Sunil Asija, Director of Human Resources, Oakland County

Short Break

Please proceed to the concurrent sessions.

Concurrent Sessions

Communication: Art of Storytelling – The Why?

Banquet 6

One of the most important parts of being a leader is the ability to effectively communicate with stakeholders at every level, including your team, your boss, elected officials, and even the media. As you get better at storytelling, you gain stronger relationships with every type of stakeholder. In IT specifically, stories can be an excellent way to connect with stakeholders and customers to help them see the benefit of the solutions you’re providing. How do you transform your thoughts and ideas into stories that grab your audience’s attention? Does this work with the population you serve, or the team you manage? This session will share tips on how to become a master storyteller and make your communication more impactful in all aspects of leadership, and life.

Moderator: Jackie White, National Conference Director, Government Technology

Deb Fett, Chief Information Officer, Ingham County

Peter Makar, Cybersecurity Advisor and StateRAMP Representative

Brian Pillar, General Manager, Department of Technology, Management and Budget, State of Michigan

Tactical vs Strategic: Which Category Do You Fall Into?

Banquet 8

As we lean into managing our agency’s workload, it’s easy to take a tactical approach and hyper-optimization. Does this approach compromise the customer experience? A more strategic approach to prioritizing collaboration with other agencies may help streamline the way customers engage with us. How do we think beyond our current position and the silos around us to identify cross-over and commonalities in our workflows? Are we thinking tactically about the task at hand, or are we looking at the work through the lens of the strategic plan? Join this session to gain more knowledge about the roles of tactical and strategic leadership and management, examining how they synergize to drive efficiency and innovation.

Moderator: Phil Bertolini, Senior Vice President, Government Technology

Kim Crawford, Acting General Manager, Department of Technology, Management & Budget, State of Michigan

Heather Frick, Agency Services Director, Department of Technology, Management & Budget, State of Michigan

Mike Homant, Chief Technology Officer and Deputy Chief Information Officer, City of Detroit

Mark Newsome, Senior Partner and Managing Client Partner, IBM Corporation

Networking Break in the Exhibit Area

Banquet 5 and 7

General Session – Navigating Leadership with CLARITY

Banquet 1 – 4

It’s no secret that work in the public sector is rewarding. It’s also no secret that conditions to get this rewarding work done can be difficult with teams feeling like there’s never enough money, people, or time. How do current and future leaders cultivate skill sets that allow them to withstand and recover from the daily challenges presented? In this engaging workshop, you’ll enhance your leadership toolkit with the CLARITY framework. You’ll leave with an action plan to implement for immediate results all while enhancing your capacity for resilience!

Stacey Caster, CEO and Founder, North Executive Advisors

Tracy-Ann Palmer, CEO and Founder, Corporate Athlete Academy

Networking Reception in the Exhibit Area

Banquet 5 and 7

Network with your colleagues and discuss technology solutions with the event exhibitors.

End of Conference

Conference times, agenda, and speakers are subject to change.