As Director of Human Resources for the Office of Employee Services, Justin Ackerman oversees a variety of human resources functions, including payroll, benefits, recruitment, performance management, labor and employee relations, equal opportunity employment and diversity initiatives, and strategic and workforce planning. He also serves as the Administrator for the Ohio Digital Academy, which seeks to create an information technology (IT) workforce pipeline by training and employing early entrants to the industry and setting them on a path for a successful career in high demand fields.
Ackerman joined DAS in 2013 as HR Analyst and was later promoted to Senior HR Analyst managing all aspects of employment and recruiting, including job analysis, classification reviews, development of position descriptions, creating and tracking job postings, and more. He also served as lead mediator for the DAS Employee Assistance Program Workplace Mediation Program and facilitated transformative mediations and conflict coaching sessions. Later promoted to HR Manager, he administered a variety of human resources programs and special projects for the Office of Information Technology. In this role, Ackerman created the statewide IT Apprenticeship Program and established IT Workforce Initiatives for CyberOhio.
Ackerman began his career in state government as an HR Assistant for the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office where he developed an electronic tracking system for performance evaluations and utilized NeoGov to assist with recruitment activities.
As a first-generation college graduate, he holds a Bachelor of Arts in Leadership and Management and Spanish from Capital University, and a Master’s Degree in Human Resources Management from The Ohio State University.

Jeremy has extensive experience in information technology and business management. He has a B.S. in Computer Engineering Technology, and he earned his MBA from The Ohio State University. He currently manages Workforce Development IT Certificate programs at Columbus State Community College and enjoys working with Python, self-hosted servers, AI and Machine Learning education, and cybersecurity. And don't be afraid to bring up esoteric topics to chat with Jeremy about; he is reading multiple books at any given point in time!

Charles Ash accepted the position of CIO with The Ohio Department of Transportation in May of 2018. He is a graduate of The Ohio State University with a B.S. degree in Information Systems and a J.D. from the College of Law. He is a visionary thinker who pushes boundaries and questions the status quo to ensure that the DOT will remain prepared for current and future technology demands and drives IT to improve and optimize its operations in order to become a more lean and efficient organization.

Holly Drake was appointed State of Ohio Chief Information Security Officer in February 2023 and brings extensive experience managing cybersecurity and privacy teams in complex organizations. As CISO, she leads the Office of Information Security and Privacy that supports the productivity, innovation, and organizational objectives of the state to provide secure services to Ohio citizens.
Drake was most recently Deputy Cybersecurity Strategic Advisor for CyberOhio within the office of Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. As a member of the CyberOhio team, she built cybersecurity governance and technical maturity to protect Ohioans and their state government from today's complex challenges.  
Her information governance and oversight career initially spanned senior roles in private sector organizations ranging from mid-market to Fortune 50 in size where she drove the development of privacy, cybersecurity, and compliance initiatives. Prior joining to the State of Ohio, Drake built a bespoke privacy program for The Ohio State University, one of the largest educational institutions in the United States. She also led the cybersecurity governance teams, with responsibility for policy, cybersecurity control framework, risk assessment, disaster recovery, and data governance. 
In either the public or private sectors, her mission is to always bring a pragmatic, collaborative approach to solving business and compliance challenges by balancing the uses of information while keeping core privacy and cybersecurity principles at the fore. 
A graduate of The Ohio State University, Case Western Reserve University, and Capital University, Drake also maintains CIPP, CIPT, CISSP, and CISA certifications. She currently serves several industry initiatives while outside of work, she is a volunteer and advocate for literacy initiatives in her community.

Kassy Franz was born and raised in the great state of Ohio. She attended Ohio University and graduated with a Bachelor of Communications degree. Kassy is a SHRM-SCP certified HR professional and is currently the Chief People Officer at the Franklin County Data Center. She is passionate about making a positive difference, building true genuine relationships, and having fun. She believes in living life to the fullest and enjoys doing it with her husband Alex and their three children; Axel (9), Kinley (7), and Baylor (2).

Abbie Frase is the Learning and Change Manager for the State Data Office. She leads the Organizational Change Management team for IOP Data Analytics and is Administrator of the Data Analytics Learning Center. In her previous roles she served as the Human Resource Training Manager at Ohio Department of Medicaid and Training Specialist with Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities. She has a passion for organizational change management, learning, and employee development. Abbie is certified in DISC, True Colors and Windmills Attitudinal Training Program. She earned a Master of Education and Human Resources: Organizational Learning, Performance and Change from Colorado State University. Abbie has more than 26 years of experience with the State of Ohio.

Adam Frumkin is a leader with experience in developing, directing, and executing business transformation and strategies. He has an established record collaborating with other executives to bring clarity to strategic business decisions and implementing technology to transform business processes.
He has focused experience in strategic planning, cultural & organizational development and emotional intelligence, process reengineering, enterprise system implementations, cybersecurity and disaster recovery and business continuity planning.
Council Chair to the PTI Executive Committee of the City/County CIO Leadership Council and Vice Chair for the NACo IT Standing Committee. Additionally, named as one of the 2023 Top 25 Doers, Dreamers, and Drivers by Government Technology and StateScoop – Local Smart County Executive of the Year 2021 and the Columbus Business First – BizTech Executive of the Year 2021.
He is an adjunct professor at The Ohio State University, and for the PTI Certified Government Chief Information Officer (CGCIO) through Rutgers University.

Tommy Gardner is HP’s Chief Technology Officer for HP Federal, spanning the US Federal Agencies, Higher Education, K-12 Education, State and Local government customer segments, as well as Federal Systems Integrators. His current responsibilities include technology leadership, strategic technology plans, product and technology strategies, sales force technical support, and customer and partner relationships.
Previously, Tommy has served as the Chief Technology Officer for Jacobs Engineering, Scitor, and ManTech. Earlier in his career he was a senior technical executive at Raytheon. In the U.S. Navy he served as the Deputy for Science and Technology for the Chief of Naval Research. He oversaw the Navy’s Deep Submergence Program as well as its Advanced Technology Program. He also commanded the nuclear submarine, USS San Juan (SSN 751).
Tommy’s educational background covers multiple disciplines and fields of interest including: cybersecurity, data science, blockchain, quantum information science, artificial intelligence, high performance computing and systems integration.
Tommy holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy, a Masters in Public Administration from Harvard University, an M.S. in Management of Technology from MIT and a Ph. D. in Energy Economics from George Washington University. He is a Professional Engineer, an ASME Fellow, and serves on the ASME Board of Governors, the ANSI Board of Directors and the U. S. Council on Competitiveness as the Co-chair of the Advanced Computer Roundtable.

Tom Greiner serves as a Senior Managing Director at Accenture, where he leads the Technology services for the Health & Public Service industry group. With over 17 years of experience, including 15 years at the helm of the Federal Technology business, Tom is a seasoned expert in driving modernization initiatives. His deep understanding of cloud economics, risk mitigation, and achieving impactful business outcomes positions him as a thought leader in the evolving landscape of technology modernization.

Kirk Herath is currently Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted’s Cybersecurity Strategic Advisor and Chairman of CyberOhio, the State of Ohio’s Cybersecurity Advisory Board. His role spans coordinating and enhancing the State of Ohio’s cybersecurity capabilities, working with local governments to prepare and remediate cyber-attacks, and helping to build a modern cyber workforce.
Kirk is also an Adjunct Professor of Law at both Ohio State’s Moritz School of law and Cleveland State’s Cleveland-Marshall Law School. He retired as VP, Associate General Counsel and Chief Privacy Officer for Nationwide after 32 years.
Kirk is Past President and past board member of the International Association of Privacy Professionals, and he served on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee from 2005 to 2011.
Kirk is admitted to the Ohio Bar.

Uday Katira is a Managing Director at Deloitte Consulting and serves as the leader for State, Local and Higher Education AI & Analytics practice. In his role, Uday leads nearly 1,200+ personnel and delivers value to clients through technology enabled business solutions in the area of data, analytics, automation and artificial intelligence across multitude of product vendor platforms.
Uday has over 24 years of technology consulting experience selling and delivering large end-to-end transformational initiatives spanning the entire analytics and artificial intelligence spectrum. His core expertise spans across enterprise data management, advanced analytics, artificial intelligence implementations delivered on premise and/or as cloud-based solutions across AWS, Azure, GCP, Snowflake and Databricks platforms. More recently, he has been active in delivering AI/ML, Computer Vision and Generative AI engagements to enable enterprises to harness power of machine learning, NLP / NLG, LLMs and broader Artificial Intelligence.
He also has deep experience in supporting public health agencies across multiple states during pandemic emergency management and recovery efforts. In that capacity, he has sourced and managed data from various emergency management and supply chain systems including WebEOC.
His primary client base has spanned across insurance, healthcare, federal & state government as well as higher education institutions. He has most recently been serving various government agencies within Central and South Eastern US states to enable AI & Data driven decision making.

Joe Markwith is an accomplished professional at CDW, where he serves as a key leader in driving innovative technology solutions for a diverse clientele. With over a decade of experience in the IT industry, Joe combines his deep technical knowledge with a passion for customer service, ensuring that clients receive tailored solutions that meet their unique needs.
At CDW, Joe has successfully led numerous projects, leveraging his expertise in cloud computing, cybersecurity, and network infrastructure. His collaborative approach fosters strong relationships with clients and partners alike, making him a trusted advisor in navigating the ever-evolving tech landscape.
Joe holds a degree in Information Technology and is dedicated to continuous learning and professional development. Outside of work, he enjoys mentoring young professionals and engaging in community service initiatives. His commitment to excellence and innovation makes him an invaluable asset to the CDW team and its clients.

Advisor and architect of cybersecurity, risk mitigation and compliance to chief executives throughout North America. Mitigating risk across infrastructure, network, operations, and people. Evangelist/host of non sales security knowledge sharing programs and events. Founder, Moderator, Secretary for 16 "SECRT" (Security <Leaders> Round Table) chapters across the US.

Experienced technology sales leader and passionate evangelist for driving innovation and business outcomes with an emphasis on customer obsession.

Dean Pickett, Assistant State Chief Data Officer and Chief Data Officer for Department of Administrative Services. As part of the State Data Office, he helps agencies drive their data management and data analytics maturity. In addition, he oversees the State’s data governance and data management and analytic portfolio of the State Data Office and InnovateOhio Platform – Data Analytics program. He joined the InnovateOhio Platform – Data Analytics as one of the founding members in 2018. Since 2018 he has helped enable the State in making data driven decisions by having almost 150 data analytics projects leverage the InnovateOhio – Data Analytics ecosystem. Prior to State, Dean has worked in the private sector for a variety of Fortune 10 and100 companies across manufacturing, retail, pharma and financial services in a variety of data management and analytic leadership roles.

Jasmine Ramaradjou is the Chief Information Officer at the Department of Public Safety, State of Ohio. Department of Public Safety includes Ohio State Highway Patrol, Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Emergency Management, Ohio Homeland Security, Emergency Medical Services, Office of Criminal Justice Services, Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center, Ohio School Safety Center and Ohio Traffic Safety Office.
Jasmine is a thought leader and has extensive experience gained through her careers in Academics, Healthcare and Government. She has a broad educational background with degrees in Computer Science and Life Sciences. She has served on several national/federal IT committees and now serves in the Technology Advisory Council for the State of Ohio Department of Administrative Services.  She lives in Columbus, Ohio with her husband, two children and a dog.

Amit is a seasoned professional with over 13 years of experience working with state and federal agencies to implement data governance projects. His expertise lies in data management, governance, integration, and data science.
In this session, Amit will share his insights on how comprehensive data governance practices can enhance operations and ensure data integrity, accessibility, and security. He will also discuss the importance of utilizing data as a valuable asset to inform strategic decisions and drive equity and innovation.

Ken Simmons, Deputy Director and Chief Data Officer (CDO) with the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS).
Ken manages OhioMHAS’ data management initiatives along with leading the Bureau of Quality, Planning, and Research. In his role, Ken co-chairs the OhioMHAS’ data governance committee, oversees the agency’s data modernization portfolio, and leads a team of nationally recognized leaders in the field of behavioral health service research and evaluation.
Prior to joining OhioMHAS, Ken held numerous roles in the areas of data analytics and data management at Department of Developmental Disabilities, Department of Job and Family Services, and Cuyahoga County’s Health and Human Services.

Mark began service as Chief Information Officer at the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services in July of 2021. The department is responsible for supporting Ohio’s workforce and unemployment programs, along with the programs for cash assistance, food assistance, and child support. The agency is also responsible for the end-point support of 17,000 users in 180 county departments, administering the above statewide programs.
Prior to joining JFS, Mark served as the Chief Operating Officer at OIT in the Ohio Department of Administrative Services. Over the course of a 30+ year career in state service, he has also held leadership positions at the Ohio Attorney General’s Office and Ohio Office of Budget and Management.
Mark lives in central Ohio, is a graduate of Franklin University.

As Chief of Infrastructure Services, Jeff Swan leads the Infrastructure Services Division of the DAS Office of Information Technology.
Jeff oversees data center operations, which includes the Network, Storage, Servers, Mainframe, Cloud Brokerage and Engagement, Office 365, Identity Management, Customer Service Center, Business Relationship Management, ServiceNow, and Desktop Services teams. Jeff’s focus is on customer engagement and delivering service, support, and solutions to state agencies. He provides leadership and guidance for critical operations and initiatives as well as strategies for rate optimization, disaster recovery, and the Cloud Smart platform.
Prior to being appointed Chief of Infrastructure Services in November 2023, Jeff served as the Chief Information Officer for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for nearly 4 years. Before working at DNR, he was at DAS, leading the Servers and Cloud teams for 6 years. Prior to that, he was the Network Services Supervisor at the Ohio Department of Health, where he began his state service in 1996 after a private-sector career.
Jeff holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Franklin University.

Kevin Talbert is a dedicated Senior Solutions Engineer with Cloudera Government Solutions. He comes from an architecture background working with large, distributed data platforms, and designing customer-centric solutions for problems at scale. He provides technical expertise to customers looking to modernize their data stack and builds solutions to integrate Cloudera wherever they are on that journey.

Victor Weis is a Consulting Solutions Architect for Fortinet. A Dayton native, Victor has been delivering computer networking and cybersecurity solutions to Ohio organizations for over 15 years. He now consults with public sector institutions on some of the most daunting cyber challenges around the country, including right here in Ohio. When he's not working, he enjoys long walks in the woods and reading RFCs by candlelight.

Kim Roy Wilson has spent her career of 28 years focusing on technology in the public sector. She has hands-on as well as management experience in every aspect of technology. Kim has developed the political acumen to interact with a range of constituents – from executives, technical professionals, and legislators to administrative and support staff, and vendors.
In her current role as Commissioner of Information Technology & Services, Kim oversees several high impact strategic initiatives(311/Citizen Engagement Software, Cybersecurity Program, Cloud Migrations, SmartCity Technology Implementations), and day to day operations. Before this role, Kim held the previous roles of Deputy Commissioner, Project Manager and Network & Telecom Engineer.
Kim is a proud graduate of John Carroll University as well as Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban affairs, Leadership Academy, XXII and the Cleveland Management Academy, Cohort #1. In her free time, she enjoys, traveling and spending time with her family and friends.

Vanitha Zacharias is an employee of Ohio Department of Administrative Services where she leads the agency’s IT Investment and Governance Division. As part of her public service, she has an extensive experience gained through her careers in software development, architecture, and strategy. As a member of the State of Ohio AI Council, she oversees several aspects of the AI Governance program. Vanitha believes in the transformative potential of AI and focuses her efforts on its ethical use to benefit the society.

Joe has been supporting data platforms, governance, and advanced analytics in the federal, state and local governments, and education across the United States since 2000. He has helped agencies understand and accelerate insight generation to modernize and drive business outcomes. Areas of focus have included health and human services, social services, labor and workforce, child protection, and education. His latest work has been helping agencies understand and securely leverage Generative AI. He is a Medina County resident, and always appreciates the opportunity to drive citizen outcomes in his home state.