Andrea S. Ballinger is an executive IT leader and strategist with over 20 years of experience in higher education. She has served in various senior roles, and has led IT operations, organizational and digital transformation, and strategies for several universities. She is currently the Vice Provost and Chief Information Officer at Oregon State University (OSU) and is accountable for providing enterprise IT services and university-wide IT infrastructures. Oregon State University Information and Technology (UIT) guides policy development and governs distributed IT resources in academic, extension, research, and administrative units. UIT promotes and maintains a trusted, collaborative, and community-driven IT environment using governance and advisory groups to advance and support OSU’s mission and values. She has a passion for reimagining the student experience, building diverse and high-performing IT teams, using analytics for decision-making and achieving operational excellence. She holds an undergraduate degree and an MBA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 

Leina Gonzalez Baird serves as the Digital Equity Program Coordinator, in the Oregon Broadband Office. Leina is dedicated to public service with many years of experience in the public sector focused on policies and programs toward a more equitable and inclusive future in which all have the opportunity to utilize the full potential of technology. Leina holds degrees in political science with a focus on public policy, law, and international affairs.

Steve Corbató serves as Executive Director of Link Oregon (the dba for Oregon Fiber Partnership), the non-profit organization formed by Oregon’s four largest research universities and state government to develop and operate a high-speed, statewide broadband network in support of the founding partners’ missions of education, research, healthcare, and public service.
Prior to assuming this role in 2018, he was Chief Technology Officer with responsibility for IT infrastructure at Oregon Health & Science University. Corbató has nearly three decades of experience around Internet-based network development and deployment. While at the University of Utah (2006-2015), he served as a member of the governing board of the long-standing Utah Education Network (now UETN) and launched two long-term partnerships with public transportation agencies for access to optical fiber and conduit for network expansion.
Earlier at the Internet2 national non-profit organization, he led the national, high-speed network that supports U.S. research and education. Previously, while at the University of Washington in the 1990's, he was a member of the steering group that developed the Washington State K-20 Network connecting all sectors of public and higher education.
Over his career, he has served on numerous boards for regional and national networking organizations. He currently serves as a board treasurer for the Northwest Access Exchange (NWAX), the non-profit Internet Exchange in the greater Portland area, and board chair for The Quilt, the national affinity group of non-profit regional networks serving the research & education community. He also acts as the convenor for the Western States Broadband Alliance, a unique seven-state partnership that engages leaders of state broadband offices, state research and education networks, and state libraries as well as Tribal representatives. He has been a frequent peer reviewer for the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, and other research universities.
Corbató received a B.A. from Rice University in Houston and a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, both degrees in physics. He later conducted post-doctoral research in experimental astrophysics at the University of Utah.
He resides in Portland, Oregon.

Debbie Estabrook currently serves as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the State of Oregon Health & Human Services agencies - Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) and Oregon Health Authority (OHA). As the ODHS|OHA CIO, Debbie leads the Office of Information Services, a group of dedicated, talented, and resilient IT professionals who deliver IT services to over 1.5 million clients; 17,000 staff members; and more than 50,000 partners.
Debbie has been instrumental in the development of the agencies’ ODHS/OHA Strategic Technology Plan. In the 2024-2027 plan, the first goal (of five) in the plan is to cultivate a highly skilled, diverse, and customer focused organization. To achieve this goal requires intentional action. Debbie looks forward to sharing some successes in her organization’s journey in this highly important and strategic topic.
Debbie’s 30+ years in IT has included work in both the public and private sectors across aerospace and manufacturing industries, local and state government, consulting, and health and human services. She has a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Nevada, Reno.

Nina Fox brings over 20 years of IT experience, with a remarkable 19 years dedicated to government IT. Throughout her career, she has consistently delivered impactful and strategic leadership, project management, and technology solutions across diverse platforms.
Nina Fox's unique strength lies in the breadth of experience across the entire IT spectrum. This, combined with a passion for learning and coaching, positions her perfectly to address the critical issue of succession planning and preparing future leaders.

Dr. Jimmy Godard is a visionary leader with over 25 years of experience in IT, finance, and the public sector, guiding organizations through digital transformation. As the Chief Technology Officer and strategist at the State of Oregon, he drove efficiency and innovation through strategic planning, design, risk management, and technology roadmaps. With a doctorate in Organizational Leadership, an MBA, and certifications in project management and IT governance, Dr. Godard empowers teams to be successful. He shares his expertise as a scholar, educator, coach, and community servant, inspiring leaders to lead with passion and purpose and encourage audiences to embrace technology for growth and resilience. Dr. Godard embodies visionary leadership and is deeply committed to making a difference in technology, organizations, and society. Beyond his professional endeavors, he actively engages in philanthropic activities, leading annual service projects in various countries, reflecting his commitment to positive change. His multifaceted career showcases a leader rooted in knowledge, driven by passion, and realized through purposeful action, making him a respected and influential figure worldwide.

Chance Grubb serves as the Government Engagement Director for StateRAMP. Chance possesses over 17 years of state government experience in procurement, information technology and cybersecurity. During his time at the State of Oklahoma, he oversaw several statewide programs that included establishing a vendor management program, sharing of cyber threat intelligence through the OK-ISAC and maturing a third-party security program.  

Kathryn Darnall Helms, MSIS, MA, currently serves as Oregon’s inaugural Chief Data Officer. Kathryn has recently led the development of Oregon’s first Enterprise Data Strategy, launched the State’s Open Data Program, and is currently staffing and expanding the Chief Data Office. In previous roles, Kathryn led an initiative to centralize information and data governance at the City of Austin and provided information governance and digital archiving consulting services to human rights organizations in Rwanda, El Salvador, Austin, and Guatemala as part of the Human Rights Documentation Initiative. Kathryn holds graduate degrees in Information Science and Latin American Studies, both from the University of Texas at Austin, where she focused her studies on the role of government records in addressing human rights abuses and as tools to speak truth to power.

Christine Kendrick, PhD, is the City of Portland's Smart City PDX Data Services Manager. She leads a team responsible for building modern, centralized data management services that serve both staff and communities. This includes citywide data governance, tools, analysis, and community-government partnerships. Her work focuses on supporting staff and community members throughout the data life cycle, from designing data collection to using data to inform decisions. She has a PhD in Environmental Science and Resources with a focus on air quality monitoring and data analysis.

With over a decade of expertise in Human-Centered Design (HCD), User Experience (UX) research, and management, Tori excels in guiding government agencies through their most pressing challenges. Whether it's making mission-critical services user-friendly, breaking through resistance to change, or fostering impactful citizen engagement, she loves collaborating with clients to build the right strategy to achieve their goals. At Anthro-Tech, Tori serves as a member of the leadership team responsible for assembling expert teams for each client engagement, a strategic advisor to client partners, and a project leader, HCD trainer, and coach. Anthro-Tech's team of expert user experience researchers, designers, content, strategists, and digital accessibility specialists work in partnership with their client teams to deliver innovative solutions that make government services easier for customers to use and easier for government employees to build, manage, and maintain.
Tori has collaborated with a diverse range of government, non-profit, and corporate clients throughout her career, including the City of Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections, the Federal Department of Health and Human Services, the Washington State Department of Transportation, Santa Clara County Social Services (CA), The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Amazon, and Meta. Through tailored approaches to each project, Tori ensures that agencies achieve their goals effectively while reducing risks and managing change along the way through data-driven decision-making. Reach out to Tori for practical strategies that will propel your efforts to improve and innovate toward a more user-friendly future for your agency staff and the people you serve.

Thomas MacLellan leads Palo Alto Networks’ state and local government affairs practice. In this capacity, his role is to educate policymakers on current and emerging cybersecurity threats, national and international trends, and strategic policy opportunities to improve cyber defenses.
Thomas has over 20 years’ experience working nationally on a range of issues including cybersecurity, homeland security, disaster response, public safety broadband, and digital privacy. He has led government affairs for two multinational cybersecurity companies and was Director of Homeland Security, Technology, and Public Safety for the National Governors Association (NGA). At NGA, Thomas led the Governors Homeland Security Advisors Council (GHSAC) and created the first national effort to improve state cybersecurity. Thomas also staffed the Council of Governors and led a national effort to help states implement FirstNet. In each of these roles, Thomas regularly worked with senior homeland security and public safety officials, federal agencies, the White House, and Congress.  
Thomas has trained governors and other C-Suite executives on disaster response and has worked closely with DHS, FCC, DOJ, FEMA, HHS, and DoD. He has published numerous articles and served on multiple federal and state advisory councils.
Thomas is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and the Center for Homeland Defense & Security at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey. He also earned an Executive Certificate from Harvard University on mitigating cybersecurity risks and was named by StateScoop as a Top Industry Leader.

Adam McBride-Smith is a Certified Professional in Web Accessibility (CPWA), an Accessible Document Specialist (ADS), and a JAWS Certified tester. He has worked as a digital accessibility and UX consultant for a number of public and private entities including Clackamas HHHS (Health, Housing, and Human Services), the City of Portland, and Real Choice Initiative. Adam is currently the Digital Accessibility Strategist at Oregon Health Authority (Equity and Inclusion Division). He also teaches a class on Digital Accessibility at Portland State University. Adam lives in Portland, Oregon.

Skip is a frequent speaker on topics related to technology and entrepreneurship, tech policy, economic development, workforce, public-private-academic partnerships and civic innovation. Skip serves on the Oregon Cybersecurity Advisory Council and the Workforce & Talent Development Board. Before founding TAO, Skip was an economic development policy advisor to Portland Mayor Sam Adams, where he helped create Portland’s first comprehensive economic development strategy in 16 years, recognizing software as a key industry cluster. While at the City of Portland, Skip’s projects included the adoption of the nation’s first open-source software procurement policy at the municipal level, an award-winning regional open data initiative and the development of resources to support entrepreneurship, like the Portland Seed Fund. Previously, Skip was an attorney and entrepreneur. Skip served as Chair of the Board of Directors of TECNA, Technology Councils of North America, which is a global network of technology and entrepreneurship associations, and he serves on the advisory board for the OSU Advantage Accelerator and several community-based organizations in the Portland area. Skip is a 2011 recipient of the Society of Professional Journalists First Freedom award, a 2012 recipient of the Portland Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 award and a 2020 recipient of the Oregon League of Minority Voters Liberty & Hope award.

For 15 years, Dugan Petty served in Oregon state government. His goal was to improve its effectiveness at the enterprise level. He served as the state’s chief information officer for six years. His collaborative leadership led to a new e-government delivery system, open government applications, strengthening security, and improvements in IT governance.
He moved to Oregon in 1998 to become the state’s chief procurement official. During this time, he co-led a cross jurisdictional taskforce in the modernization of Oregon’s procurement statutes. In 2003-2004, he led a sourcing initiative called Smart Buy that improved contract outcomes and reduced spending. During this time, he gained a reputation as a trusted leader who could work with diverse groups to achieve consensus-based outcomes in procurement, risk management, sustainability, and information technology. 
Before coming to Oregon, he served in Alaska state government for over 24 years. He started his career in facilities management. His effectiveness as an innovator and leader was recognized, and he was promoted to deputy director of General Services and eventually director of General Services. Then, his knowledge and effectiveness in managing state procurement resulted in an appointment as the state’s chief procurement officer.
Dugan is a past president of both the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) and the National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO). Additionally, he was a founding member and past chair of the Western States Contracting Alliance (WSCA). He received the Julio Mazzone Distinguished Service Award in public purchasing in 2004, and Government Technology magazine named Dugan one of its Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers for 2011.
Petty holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Political Science from the University of Oregon.

William (Bill) Rials, Ph.D., is a professor and associate director (department chair) of the Tulane University School of Professional Advancement IT and Cybersecurity Program, where he focuses on continually delivering and updating the program curriculum based on innovative and emerging technologies. Before transitioning to academia and higher education, he had a diverse gov tech career delivering value to state agencies, local governments, and law enforcement agencies throughout the state of Mississippi. He has served in CIO, CTO, and CISO roles for local governments and also in various leadership positions within the state of Mississippi’s IT organization as a deputy to the state CIO. Dr. Rials holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Belhaven University, a master’s degree in computer information systems and cybersecurity from Missouri State University, as well as a Ph.D. in higher education administration and public administration from Jackson State University. His dissertation research involved the critical factors that affect the adoption of cloud services within the public sector. He is a noted expert in the IT and cybersecurity space and is frequently quoted by national media outlets. He is also a frequent contributor to national IT government organizations such as NASTD and NASCIO.

Sara Schley is a learning scientist who focuses on finding strategies to reduce unhelpful levels of classroom learning friction, partnering closely with students to help build more inclusive educational spaces for those with and without disabilities. Sara was trained in developmental psychology and quantitative methods and she has many years of experience working with small populations and qualitative methods. She collaborates with people across disciplinary boundaries, including science and social sciences, math, engineering, and education and teacher training. She is now the Chair of the Department of Educational Practice and Research at Oregon State University's College of Education, heading up undergraduate and graduate teaching licensure programs and a doctoral program in educational research.

With over a decade of experience in the educational technology sector, Ian Swanson has been at the forefront of digital transformation, leveraging the power of agile methodologies and product management to drive substantial improvements in user experience and organizational efficiency. As the Vice President of Product Management, Ian pioneered the development of the product management function, focusing on gathering critical user and stakeholder feedback, crafting visionary product strategies, and evolving development processes to maximize value delivery.
Leading an ambitious agile and product transformation, Ian demonstrated exceptional leadership and a deep commitment to excellence. Under his guidance, his team launched two groundbreaking products, enhancing user satisfaction and setting new standards for product development. Ian also established a new cross-collaborative team, integrating new functions seamlessly with the broader organization to foster an environment of innovation and mutual support.
Looking forward, Ian envisions a future where digital services redefine and improve government interactions through rethinking and reimagining of existing processes. He advocates for a shift from mere digitization to a holistic digitalization strategy, emphasizing the need for services that are not only technologically advanced but also deeply human-centered and accessible.

Lucas is currently serving as the Executive Director for Digital Extension and Inclusion at Oregon State University. His unique position bridges the gap between technology and outreach programming. He is a champion internal to the university for systems that serve the extension and outreach mission of the university, and he’s actively engaged at the state, regional, and national level in digital equity. Lucas has over 20 years’ experience as an IT professional and leader, with an emphasis on being data informed and enabling the success of others through appropriate use of technology.
Lucas is a proud co-founder of the Oregon Broadband Equity Coalition who is working to bring knowledge and connections to all Oregon communities supporting them to bridge the gap between broadband availability and safe adoption.
He brings a wealth of experience including serving as IT Director for the College of Agricultural Sciences at OSU, serving on the FCC taskforce sub-committee: Reviewing the Connectivity and Technology Needs of Precision Agriculture in the United States, and receiving the Digital Inclusion Leadership Certificate through ASU in their inaugural class.

Recognized by Thinkers360 as a Global Thought Leader and Influencer in the Top 10 for Project Management and Business Strategy, and in the Top 50 for Leadership, Saby Waraich is not just a speaker—he's a practitioner in the trenches every single day. Delivering keynotes and workshops that are as inspiring as they are practical, Saby marries actionable insights with a captivating storytelling style. His mission is not just to inspire but to equip you with the strategies needed to excel personally and professionally.
A veteran in driving change and fostering innovation, Saby offers a unique perspective backed by real-world experience. Whether on stage or virtually, his energetic and engaging approach provides the tools you need to stand out as a leader, build trust, and ultimately drive better results. Don't just listen to a speech; gain a professional edge from someone who's living it.

Before being appointed State CIO in 2018, Terrence was the State Deputy CIO, the Department of Revenue CIO, the Oregon Health Authority Director of IT, and the Department of Human Services Deputy CIO. 
Prior to joining state government, Terrence was the Human Resources Manager and Regional Technology Manager for Safeco Insurance. 
Taking to heart the interests of state government and the Oregonians it serves, Terrence is the Chair of the Board of Directors for Link Oregon, a non-profit organization providing high-speed, fiber-optic broadband connectivity to our state’s public and non-profit sectors. 
Terrence earned a Master of Arts in Organizational Behavior from Gonzaga University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Information Systems from Portland State University. 
Extending his education of organizational behavior and passion for people, Terrence is a Prosci Certified Change Practitioner as well as a Leadership and Executive Coach certified by the Hudson Institute of Coaching. 
When the opportunity arises, Terrence is an outdoor enthusiast enjoying camping and ATV riding.

Sherri Yoakum serves as the supervisor for the Business Security Advisors for the Oregon Enterprise Information Services, Cyber Security Services. She has been in a cyber security role for 10 years with 6 of those being at the enterprise for state government. The Business Security Advisor team she leads enables executive branch agencies to meet their business needs in a secure manner through improved security, procurement, and workforce. They advise on documented best practices, as well as statutes, policies, standards, regulations, and guidelines. She and her team are currently working with StateRAMP to have Oregon become a StateRAMP state.