Dr. Katina Blue has been employed with the State of North Carolina for 30 years, currently as the Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief Information Officer at UNC Pembroke. Dr. Blue serves on the Advisory Board of the NC Digital Government Forum, North Carolina IT Leadership Forum, and Grays Creek/Pine Forest High Schools Academy of Information Technology (AOIT). She previously served as CIO as the NC Office of the State Auditor and Director of IT Disaster Recovery at NC State University.

Sam Brown is the Critical Infrastructure Lead for Palo Alto Networks focused on architecting cybersecurity solutions for critical infrastructure providers in the Public Sector including transportation agencies, transit entities, utilities, airports, sea ports, and emergency services agencies. Sam’s career spans 30 years in the IT industry having previously served as a Director of IT Services within the State of Georgia and as a Services Consultant with CDWG. Sam is a graduate of the University of Georgia and resides in the metro-Atlanta area.

Debora Chance is program manager for the state of North Carolina’s IT Business Continuity Management program. 
She works with state agencies and other entities on their business continuity and disaster recovery planning as well as the emergency notification solution aligned with the N.C. Department of Information Technology’s Incident Management process.
Chance is a member of the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center’s Business Resiliency Workgroup, and local professional organizations with a focus on business resiliency.

Shankar Chebrolu is a cybersecurity leader with deep expertise in enterprise security architecture, Zero Trust, and AI safety. He serves as Director of Security Architecture at Red Hat, where he drives enterprise security standards, risk quantification and secure AI enablement initiatives. A Certified Zero Trust Strategist (CCZT), Shankar actively advocates for modern Zero Trust practices and AI risk awareness within Red Hat and through CSA Triangle Chapter programs. He is President & Co-founder of the CSA Triangle Chapter and serves on advisory boards for Duke's Executive Cybersecurity Certificate Program, UNC Wilmington’s CCDE, and NC TECH. He is also a Founding Member of Threat Modeling Connect and an advocate for industry collaboration and security innovation.

Konstantin Cvetanov is a global AI Factory field leader at NVIDIA with over 8 years of experience at the company leading enterprise adoption of NVIDIA’s validated software and hardware platforms across key strategic industries and the Public Sector. As a published author of technical literature, Konstantin has contributed to advancing industry knowledge in accelerated computing in the datacenter and the cloud. Prior to NVIDIA he worked in Professional Services supporting IT integrations in the enterprise. Passionate about fostering the next generation of leaders Konstantin enjoys mentoring young people in launching a career in Technology and the field of Artificial Intelligence.

Phil Emer has spent over 35 years working at the intersections of network technology, research, academia and business – splitting time between the public and private sectors. In the private sector Phil has worked as a technical business development manager with Amazon Web Services (AWS), as an engineer with IBM, as a technology executive with venture-backed Carolina Broadband, and as a member of the leadership team with not-for-profit MCNC.  In the public sector Phil directed voice, video, and data communications at NC State University and served as Senior Director of Technology Planning and Policy with the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation.
Phil currently serves as Vice President Business Development at MCNC, a North Carolina not-for-profit corporation that provides connectivity, cybersecurity, hosting, and related technology services supporting all of NC public education institutions, most private colleges and universities, the NC Telehealth Association, and many other community anchor institutions.
Phil has served on the NC eLearning Commission, the advisory board of the Institute for Next Generation IT Systems, the architecture review board of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, the NC Innovation Council. Currently he serves on the Board of the Wireless Research Consortium and on the Strategic Advisory Board for the College of Engineering at NC State University.
Phil earned a B.S. in electrical engineering from Virginia Tech and an M.S. in computer engineering from NC State University.

John Evans serves as Chief Technology Advisor (CTA) for State & Local Government & Education (SLED) at World Wide Technology (WWT).
In this role, Evans engages with clients on strategy, innovation, and transformation to develop and deliver solutions that are tailor-made for government. He is highly consultative and knowledgeable and focuses on tangible operational and business outcomes at enterprise scale. 
Prior to joining WWT, Evans served as Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Deputy Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for the State of Maryland, where he helped lead statewide technology and security initiatives. Evans brings 20 years of technology expertise with extensive experience in security, cloud, and mission critical applications.
Prior to his role within the State of Maryland, Evans worked in various executive-level positions and is an Adjunct Professor – Graduate School, Cybersecurity for University of Maryland.

Alex Fanouse is passionate about shaping the future of running AI apps on-prem and driving cutting-edge solutions at VMware by Broadcom's Advanced Architecture Team. He is focused on our VMware Private AI Foundation with NVIDIA solution. Alex focuses on designing, implementing, and optimizing advanced solutions for VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF). He collaborates with enterprises to drive innovation and efficiency, leveraging cutting-edge technologies to meet complex business needs. Alex’s expertise ensures seamless integration and robust performance across enterprise environments.

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.

Neal is a driven leader focusing on major digital transformation that constantly challenges the norms of the public sector. Neal has a wide variety of experience in identity and access management, identity verification, criminal/fraud investigations, technical architecture, project management, change management, and steady state operations.
At Socure, Neal is the Senior Manager of Solution Consulting within Socure’s Public Sector team where he is responsible for providing fully inclusive oversight and guidance of Socure’s industry leading product suite and integration into Government systems. 
In Neal's previous public position, he built and led the digital identity platform for one of the largest states. In this role Neal accomplished major digital transformations migrating the State’s existing identity system to a cloud identity system, implementing Single Sign On to thousands of applications (Unemployment, BMV, Medicaid, etc) including MFA and identity verification services. Additionally, Neal led the User Experience/Website platform with over 150+ government websites, and the digital platform for State’s coronavirus pandemic response. At Socure, Neal continues to lead all of Socure's major projects as a dedicated advisor to the State's business and implementation teams. 

Dr. Siobahn Day Grady is an associate professor in the School of Library and Information Sciences at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) and the founding director of the Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Research (IAIER). She became the first woman to earn a Ph.D. in Computer Science from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, a milestone that continues to shape her commitment to advancing innovation and inclusion in technology and higher education.
As founding director of IAIER, Dr. Grady leads initiatives at the intersection of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and workforce readiness — building national partnerships and advancing human-centered applications of AI. Her research examines machine learning, algorithmic bias, human-computer interaction, and the ethical design of intelligent systems. She applies AI to real-world challenges such as misinformation, autonomous systems, and healthcare bias, while also exploring how public understanding of AI shapes its adoption and impact.
Dr. Grady is widely recognized for her leadership in digital pedagogy and technology ethics. She serves as NCCU’s faculty fellow for e-Learning Excellence and as a member of multiple advisory boards advancing innovation and AI literacy nationwide. Her work underscores a simple but powerful message: AI is for everyone — and it should be developed and deployed in ways that are secure, transparent, and accessible to all.

Cameron Groves is a Senior Technology Leader and Director in Google’s Public Sector (GPS) where he leads the Rapid Innovation Team (RIT).
Cameron’s passion lies in advising and leading customers in their cloud adoption journey, and now the AI-driven era. For the last 10+ years, Cameron’s focus has been on delivering the “art of the possible” to customers through building out innovation teams at leading technology companies, including VMware and Amazon Web Services, and now Google Public Sector. Cameron has stood up RIT to partner closely with customers to apply design thinking principles to extract their “minimum lovable product” and deliver what the experience could look like via the application of agile methodologies.
Prior to joining Google, Cameron led the build-out of the “R&D & Innovation” team within AWS’ commercial sector. His team delivered ~200 “cutting-edge” prototypes (6 weeks in duration, all focused on engagements that had never been solved before) that led to cloud “all-in” outcomes for customers such as Bridgestone of America, the PGA Tour, and Viacom CBS. Cameron’s Public Sector experience spans across both the Federal and SLED markets, where he advised customers within the Intelligence Community to the NYC Department of IT and Telecommunications (DoITT) throughout his career prior to AWS with VMware.
Cameron holds a Bachelor of Arts from Gettysburg College in Business Management with a minor in Political Science, an M.S./M.B.A. from American University’s Kogod School of Business, and an Executive Leadership certification from Stanford University’s School of Business.

Todd has over 25 years of experience as an IT Professional. He began his career at Oracle where he learned relational database management systems. From Oracle, he transitioned to Data Warehousing and Business Intelligence as a consultant and taught courses on Data Warehousing and Information Access Strategies at the University of California Berkeley. As a manager at Autodesk, Inc. he led teams of data warehousing and business intelligence professionals before transitioning to an architecture role where he was instrumental in driving transformational initiatives. In addition to Autodesk, Todd was an IT Architect at SAS Institute and Director, IT Architecture at Emergent BioSolutions prior to joining the North Carolina Department of IT in his current position as Enterprise Architect.

Hugh Harris is the General Counsel for the North Carolina Department of Information Technology where he leads all legal matters and advises Secretary Piccione.
Previously, he was a Deputy General Counsel for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. While at NCDHHS he provided legal advice to the Operational Excellence portfolio which included the Budget Office, Office of Procurement Contracts and Grants, Human Resources Division, and the Information Technology Division.
In addition, Hugh worked in the North Carolina Attorney Generals Consumer Protection Division as an Assistant Attorney General. As an Assistant Attorney General he litigated cases on behalf of the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office based on North Carolina’s Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practice law. In addition, he was a guest speaker at over 150 events including CLE’s, CPEs, and other events on topics concerning the NC Department of Justice’s response to the opioid epidemic, NC’s data breach law, identity theft, consumer protection, elder fraud, and internet safety.
Hugh also has experience in worker’s compensation law, working for the North Carolina Department of Justice-Workers Compensation Division and as a Director with the North Carolina Industrial Commission. He started his career as an Assistant Public Defender in Asheville and then relocated to the Orange-Chatham County Public Defender’s Office.
Hugh is a Board Member for Haven House Services, located in Raleigh, NC. He earned his Juris Doctor from the North Carolina Central University School of Law, and his Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Asheville. He lives in Apex with his wife and three daughters.

Robert Hiett serves as Executive Director of the Upper Coastal Plain Council of Governments, representing 46 local governments in eastern North Carolina. With more than twenty years of experience in public administration, regional planning, and technology innovation, he is recognized for advancing artificial intelligence strategy and practical implementation in local government.
Mr. Hiett holds professional certifications in AI Engineering and Generative AI Engineering from IBM, along with more than two dozen additional credentials in AI governance, automation strategy, product management, and data-driven decision systems. His expertise includes the application of AI agents, workflow automation, and generative intelligence to improve organizational performance, policy design, and public service delivery.
Under his leadership, the UCPCOG became the first council of governments in the United States to receive the national AI 50 Award for innovation in public sector artificial intelligence. He led the creation of North Carolina’s first regional enterprise AI platform for local government and introduced the nation’s first generative AI virtual assistant for an Area Agency on Aging. He also founded the UCPCOG AI Academy, which equips public officials with the knowledge and tools to apply AI responsibly and strengthen organizational readiness for digital transformation.
An author and conference speaker, Mr. Hiett wrote The Public Sector Survival Guide for ChatGPT and Zero to Hero: ChatGPT Prompting in 30 Days. His current work focuses on guiding governments through AI adoption, risk management, and the ethical use of automation and intelligent agents in public operations.

Lisa Jones is the Chief Information Security Officer for Wake County, North Carolina. She plays a pivotal role in safeguarding sensitive data, mitigating cyber threats, and promoting a security-first culture. Her commitment to excellence and innovation has earned her recognition as a trusted advisor to senior leadership and a respected member of the cybersecurity community. She is passionate about staying ahead of emerging threats, leveraging technology, and fostering partnerships to enhance the resilience of government networks and systems.

Cecile is a data whisperer, AI realist, and Senior Solutions Architect at NetApp who helps SLED teams turn their data chaos into AI clarity. She’s not here to sell you AI snake oil—she’s here to help you actually make it work. Whether it’s data stuck in silos, security nightmares, or cloud confusion, Cecile builds intelligent data infrastructures that make AI projects go from “ugh” to “aha!”
She’s spent over five years wrangling cloud portfolios and now spends her days helping SLED customers prep, train, and deploy AI workloads that don’t just look good on paper—they deliver in production. RAG, inferencing, hybrid cloud? Bring it on. If your data lives on-prem, in the cloud, or somewhere in between, she’ll make sure it’s ready for innovation.
Cecile is also a NetApp A-Team technical advisor, a voice for customers on the Technical Advisory Board, and a proud member of the Women in Tech Steering Committee.
When she’s not solving AI challenges, she’s a full-time mom, part-time plant whisperer, animal lover, and globe-trotter who’s always planning her next adventure.

Marina Kelly serves as the City of Raleigh’s Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), a position she has held since April 2024.

In this role, Kelly navigates business risks to spearhead the City’s security initiatives and fortify its digital assets. She is responsible for steering the City through a complex, evolving security landscape to improve the community we serve by balancing organizational needs, business relationships, and risk.
Kelly graduated with bachelor's degree in education and history from St. Andrews University in Laurinburg, N.C., then embarked on a decade-long career in education. Driven by a passion ignited in her middle school years, Marina decided to pivot her career trajectory and focus on technology. Fueling her ambition, she earned a master’s degree in computer science from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Her studies included software engineering, datacube computation algorithms, and cryptography. 

Dan Kempton serves as the senior technology advisor for the N.C. Department of Information Technology. He brings more than 30 years of technology and business experience, having worked for large and small firms in the private sector as well as for 15 years with the state of North Carolina.
Kempton has held several IT leadership roles, including chief technology officer positions in the private industry and both deputy chief information officer and subsequently chief technology officer at the N.C. Department of Revenue.  At NCDIT, he has led several teams (including the engineering section) that have brought new products, notably multi-cloud capabilities, to state agencies.
Kempton is a strong technology-focused leader who can easily discuss business needs to determine the right solution that fits them. His extensive and broad technical background provides the experience to guide business leaders to the solutions that will achieve the best results.
Kempton has a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and a master’s degree in computer science from the University of South Carolina.  He has also earned certification as a government chief information officer from the UNC School of Government.

Michael "Mike" Long joined the N.C. Department of Information Technology as the agency’s chief information security officer in April 2025. In this role, he is responsible for strengthening cybersecurity across the department and the state and local agencies it serves.
Long brings more than 15 years of cybersecurity leadership experience spanning the federal government, military, energy, consulting and financial services sectors. His areas of expertise include governance, risk and compliance, incident response and security operations centers – helping to enhance enterprise-wide defenses.
A Raleigh native, Long holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer science from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. He also earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business.

Dr. Jeffrey Merritt is an Assistant Professor of Security & Computing at Campbell University, where he leads the university’s newly established AI Think Tank, fostering ethical innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration in artificial intelligence research and practice.
With over 30 years of experience in information technology, Dr. Merritt has served in diverse roles across education and government. He spent 16 years with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and seven years in higher education, including six years as a Dean at Wake Technical Community College.
Dr. Merritt holds an Associate of Applied Science from Brunswick Community College, a Bachelor of Science from North Carolina Wesleyan University, a Master of Science in Information Technology from East Carolina University, and both an Education Specialist (Ed.S.) and Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) from Wingate University.

Chris Morris serves as the CISO for the Town of Chapel Hill and brings over 20 years of IT experience. He leads cybersecurity operations and manages the infrastructure team. His work includes implementing MFA, SSO, PAM, and security training programs, with a current focus on adopting a zero trust architecture.

Harsha Musunuru is a Managing Director in Deloitte’s Government and Public Sector (GPS) practice, with over 19 years of professional experience. He serves as the AI & Data leader for Deloitte’s State, Local, and Higher Education practice in the southeast region, as well as for the State of Arkansas. Harsha has led the design and development of enterprise data platforms, mission analytics, and AI projects for both state government and commercial clients. His work empowers organizations to drive innovation, improve operational efficiency, and enhance service delivery through connected and interoperable governance. Harsha is passionate about empowering Government agencies to unlock the full potential of data and AI for meaningful, and transformative outcomes.

Zerek Olson serves as the Governance, Risk, and Information Privacy Officer at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. As the Information Privacy Officer, Zerek provides strategic leadership in privacy compliance, guiding the institution’s approach to data protection regulations and best practices. He supports the development of policies and practices that promote responsible data use, transparency, and user trust across campus operations. He leads the university’s IT Vendor Risk Management program, overseeing third-party assessments. Zerek also serves as the Data Governance Program Officer, coordinating risk evaluations to ensure appropriate classification and handling of institutional data. He partners with research administration teams to support the ethical review of human subject research, advises on data management and protection practices, and negotiating data use and sharing agreements. Prior to joining UNCW in 2021, Zerek served in the United States Marine Corps as a Legal Operations & Administration Officer. Zerek holds a B.S. in Political Science from the United States Naval Academy, J.M. in Cybersecurity, Privacy, and Technology Risk Management from Florida State University, and expects his M.S. in Security Studies focusing on IT from East Carolina University in December 2025.

Helen Patton is a strategic cybersecurity advisor at Cisco. Previously she served as a CISO at Cisco, CISO at the Ohio State University and multiple security roles at JPMorganChase. She encourages cybersecurity collaboration across industries. She works to expand and mentor the cyber workforce.
Helen has a Master’s degree in Public Policy, is a founder of the non-profit CybersecurityCanon, and is a cybersecurity Professor of Practice at the University of Canberra. She is the author of “Navigating the Cybersecurity Career Path”.

Crystal Pitts is a public sector leader with 29 years in local and state government. Focused on security and risk reduction, she excels in building high-performance teams, advancing technologies, and optimizing processes. Her collaborative approach and expertise in cybersecurity make her a trusted advisor, driving initiatives to protect data, infrastructure, and foster a security-conscious culture.

Glenn Poplawski has more than 25 years of business experience, including five years in systems engineering and technical analysis for the federal government and 15 years working in the private information technology sector.
Prior to coming to work for the state of North Carolina, Poplawski worked for various private companies, including IBM, a systems integration firm, an internet startup bought by CMGI, the former Anderson Consulting and as a consultant to various private companies and public agencies. This work included managing client relationships and engagements, managing the operations of critical business systems, guiding the implementation of large-scale system development projects and contributing with the senior team to develop the local business strategy and operational model. 
Poplawski has been working for the state for more than 10 years. Initially, he served the Office of Information Technology Services Enterprise Solutions Division in the role of team lead for the Project Management Services team. He built a team of certified project managers to manage both ITS-related projects and other executive agency projects. Subsequently, per the ITS chief information office, Poplawski took on additional duties as required to include the Service Transition organization, including the PMO, and later IT Business Applications.   
Currently, Poplawski heads the N.C. Department of Information Technology's Solutions Delivery Division, which includes the Enterprise Project Management Office, the Project Management Office, Business Analysis Services, Solutions Architecture Services, Software Quality Assurance Services, Digital Commons Services and several general government CIOs. 
Poplawski is a certified project management professional and government chief information officer.  He has a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering from Virginia Tech and a Master of Business Administration from George Mason University.

Vijay Ramanujam is a dynamic leader whose passion and energy stem from his deep connection and relationships with people. He thrives on helping individuals and teams, solving problems, and fostering a joyful and humorous work environment. Vijay is dedicated to inspiring others to achieve great things, continuously listening and learning from those around him, not afraid to be bold, and maintaining a culture of mutual respect. Outside of work, he enjoys a diverse range of music, riding motorcycles, and cherishing quiet moments with his spouse and kids while they talk.

As a trusted thought leader with over 25 years of demonstrated success, Robert helps organizations in establishing strategic vision, creating digital transformation strategies, nurturing innovation, and building collaborative relationships across the enterprise, thereby helping lead organizations and their technology initiatives to successful outcomes. During his career, Robert has consulted for the federal government and corporate clients helping them to improve operations and IT security. Robert has held senior leadership positions in corporate, State and Local Government organizations with extensive IT operations and security experience in law enforcement and military high value mission critical environments. Robert holds a Master of Science in Cybersecurity and an MBA from the University of Maryland. He also holds the CISSP, MCSE, and Certified Government Chief Information Officer (CGCIO) certifications. Robert is an active member of FBI InfraGard, ISSA, ISC2 Raleigh Chapter and the U.S Secret Service Electronic Crimes Task Force. Robert has also served in the United States Navy.

Reid Rose serves as Vice President for IBM’s Data Platform in the U.S. Public Market, partnering with government, education, and public sector organizations to harness data and AI for mission success. With over 20 years at IBM, Reid has helped agencies modernize operations, improve citizen services, and unlock insights through secure, scalable technology solutions.
Throughout his career, Reid has led initiatives that enable digital transformation and foster innovation across the public sector. His experience spans strategy development, solution design, and client advocacy - always with a focus on delivering measurable outcomes for organizations and the communities they serve.
Reid is a graduate of St. Olaf College with a degree in Economics and with an emphasis in Mathematics. He is passionate about collaboration and building bridges between technology and business to solve complex challenges.

Justin Sherwood serves as the Director of Information Technology for Franklin County, NC, where he leads county-wide IT strategy, modernization, and service delivery. Prior to joining Franklin County, he served as the Deputy Chief Information Officer and Assistant Director for the Town of Cary. Justin’s work is shaped by a passion for public service and a belief that technology should meet people where they are. He focuses on building partnerships, improving user experiences, and advancing digital transformation that has a real impact on communities.
With a background that includes more than ten years in higher education, local government, and the private sector, Justin brings a blend of strategic leadership, operational management, and hands-on technical experience. His career has centered on solving complex challenges, strengthening cross-department collaboration, and promoting technology adoption that supports organizational goals.

Dr. Mark A. Sorrells is the President of Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC), where he oversees 86+ programs and services for 30,000+ students. He previously served as FTCC's Senior Vice President of Academic and Student Services and as Senior Vice President/COO at the $1.2 billion Golden LEAF Foundation, leading statewide workforce grants in life sciences and aerospace.
He co-founded the Carolina Cyber Network (23 colleges/universities addressing NC's cybersecurity talent needs) and serves on boards including Vice Chair of the NC Association of Community College Presidents’ Legislative Committee, Fayetteville Cumberland Economic Development Corporation, the National Technical Honor Society, and NC Department of Labor’s Occupational Health & Safety Advisory Committee.
Sorrells holds degrees from the University of Tennessee (BS, MBA) and East Carolina University (EdD). Honors include the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, William C. Friday Fellowship, and Stanford leadership programs in non-profit and philanthropic leadership. Earlier roles: executive director of a statewide non-profit and NC Community College instructor.

Sarah Taylor is the Chief Financial Officer for MCNC, a non-profit, client-focused technology organization providing high-performance services for education, research, libraries, healthcare, public safety, and other community anchor institutions throughout North Carolina. A hands-on leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment, Sarah has nearly two decades of experience in finance, accounting, decision support and analytics in a variety of industries, including healthcare, technology, and public accounting.  Outside of number crunching, she is passionate about perfecting homemade pecan pie and learning how to garden.

Victor is a Chief Technologist at OpenText.  He works to help organizations understand various cybersecurity risks and challenges they might face and how they can help manage that risk.  He has over 20 years of experience in the enterprise security industry and over 25 years of experience overall in technology.  Victor graduated from University of California, Berkeley and holds a bachelor’s degree in Statistics.  He also is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP).  Victor is based in Northern California.  Outside of work, he enjoys practicing and teaching martial arts and watching baseball and football. 

James Thaxton is the Director of Strategic Accounts at Tanium, serving the State of North Carolina. As a cybersecurity and endpoint management expert, James partners with state and local government, education, and public sector organizations to help them achieve real-time global visibility and enterprise-scale protection.
He is passionate about bringing people together to share ideas and strategic best practices around cybersecurity and leveraging AI for good to drive innovation and resilience.
James believes in a collaborative leadership approach by empowering teams through trust, transparency, and shared purpose. His philosophy centers on creating environments where diverse perspectives thrive, fostering innovation and building strong partnerships that deliver meaningful outcomes.

Jared Thomas serves as the Chief Information Security Officer for the Town of Cary, where he leads cybersecurity, networking, and infrastructure operations for one of the most innovative and data-driven municipalities in the region. He brings more than twenty years of experience across security architecture, technology strategy, and enterprise operations, and has previously served in both CISO and CIO capacities. His leadership at Cary focuses on building resilient architectures, strengthening governance, and enabling secure technology adoption in support of Cary’s broader innovation agenda.
Mr. Thomas’s professional background spans public sector, higher education, professional associations, and regulated industries that include healthcare, finance, manufacturing, and audit and accounting. This breadth of experience has shaped his expertise in enterprise risk management, compliance, cloud transformation, and the development of adaptable and mature security programs suited to complex operational environments.
He holds dual master’s degrees from Harvard University and Duke University, grounding his approach in analytical rigor and collaborative consideration. Throughout his career, Mr. Thomas has guided organizations through modernization of policy frameworks, adoption of emerging technologies, and integration of advanced capabilities such as artificial intelligence. His work reflects a collaborative and strategic commitment to ensuring that security not only protects organizational mission but actively enables innovation, operational excellence, and long-term technological advancement.

Steven Tiell is the Global Lead for AI Governance Advisory at SAS Institute. A recognized pioneer in Data Ethics and Responsible Innovation, Steven previously founded and led Accenture’s global Responsible Innovation practice, where he coined the term in 2018. He has advised and led AI initiatives at more than 60 organizations across 10 industries. His influential work includes developing AI policy frameworks with the Monetary Authority of Singapore and contributions recognized by the Atlantic Council GeoTech Center, where he is a Nonresident Senior Fellow. Steven also served as Vice President for AI Strategy at DataStax (acquired by IBM), holds patents in data trusts, and has held fellowships in Digital Trust and Metaverse Governance at the World Economic Forum. Based in San Francisco, Steven holds a BS in Computer Science Engineering and an MBA in Sustainable Management and enjoys playing and coaching underwater hockey.

Michael Ware works for the North Carolina Department of Information Technology and serves as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality.  Michael has over 22 years of IT leadership experience and is a 24-year veteran of the US Air Force.  Over the years, Michael accumulated a robust range of IT experience with numerous domestic and international business partners across a diverse portfolio of technologies. 

Arvind is Director of Solution Architecture with NC Dept. of Information Technology. He leads a team of seasoned Solution Architects who serve as trusted consultants to Government Agencies, guiding them in making informed technology decisions. His team supports agencies throughout the project lifecycle—from identifying and implementing technologies to designing infrastructure, resolving technical issues, and providing strategic technology advisory services.

Martha Wewer is the State's Chief Privacy Officer and oversees the Office of Privacy and Data Protection within NC DIT.  The Office manages the state’s privacy program, ensures transparency in the use of data, and provides guidance and support to state agencies seeking to accomplish the important task of protecting the privacy of residents.  Previously, Wewer served as the global privacy officer and senior counsel at RTI International for 10 years and prior to that role, as the privacy officer at the State Health Plan for North Carolina for five years.  She is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP) and holds a law degree from the University of San Diego, School of Law and bachelor’s in political science from the University of California, San Diego.

Billy F. Whitehead is a recognized leader in civic innovation and digital transformation, currently serving as the Smart City Program Manager for the Town of Morrisville in North Carolina. With 20 years of experience in the public sector, spanning both education and local government, Billy has garnered recognition at the local, state, national, and international levels. His work encompasses numerous initiatives that leverage many disciplines such as AI, IoT, data analytics, and smart infrastructure to enhance urban mobility and foster community engagement.

Mark Wittenburg is the Chief Information Officer for the City of Raleigh. Mark has extensive public sector experience working with city and regional leaders in Arizona and now North Carolina to develop strategic direction and manage IT operations. His knowledge helped advance initiatives such as deploying smart water meters to conserve water, advancing regional digital equity by accelerating 5G and fiber installation, and building a culture that embraces innovation. Mark brings that same passion for public service to Raleigh, leveraging thoughtful and appropriate technology to advance the priorities of the community.