Registration and Morning Refreshments in the Exhibit Area

Kona Coast Ballroom

Welcome and Opening Remarks

Coral Reef Harbor Ballroom

Jonathan Behnke, Chief Information Officer, City of San Diego

Keynote – AI & the Octopus Organization™: Adapt or Fail

Coral Reef Harbor Ballroom

In an era defined by rapid technological change, organizations that fully embrace AI will pull decisively ahead of those that treat it as a side experiment. This keynote explores how leading organizations are moving beyond traditional hierarchies toward more agile, “Octopus Organization™” models - where centralized strategy is paired with empowered, decentralized teams that can think, decide, and act in real time. Drawing on extensive research and real-world transformations, this session will highlight how AI can be used not just to automate tasks, but to fundamentally redesign how work gets done - enabling faster decision-making, greater adaptability, and more innovative, high-performing teams. Attendees will leave with practical insights on building AI-driven organizations that are designed to evolve, compete, and thrive.

Jonathan Brill, Futurist, AI Inventor, Bestselling Author

Networking Break in the Exhibit Area

Kona Coast Ballroom

Refuel and reconnect over premium refreshments courtesy of Recharge Break Sponsors: Apptio, an IBM Company

Concurrent Sessions

Agentic AI and the Future of Work: Identifying High-Value Use Cases

Tropic Surf, Floor 2

Are AI agents the new tool for automating the manual and repetitive tasks we've learned to tolerate? This session focuses on practical, low risk use cases where agents can realistically step in today and potentially deliver measurable value. Panelists will discuss what that means for how work gets done and how leaders can rethink roles, training, and accountability without weakening the workforce they depend on. Hear how agencies are evaluating opportunities and building momentum without overcommitting too early.

Moderator: Rob Lloyd, Executive Director, Center for Digital Government

Jonathan Behnke, Chief Information Officer, City of San Diego

Brendan Daly, Chief Information Security Officer, Deputy Director, IT Architecture and Engineering, City of San Diego

William D. "Bill" Eggers, Executive Director, Center for Government Insights, Deloitte

Amir Sabet, PhD, Partner, AI Practice Leader, IBM Consulting

Data Enrichment for Government: Pulling Context from Chaos

Bay

As data volumes grow, so does the challenge of knowing what information is accurate, relevant and usable. This session explores how data enrichment can help bring clarity and context to information across the organization. Panelists will discuss practical steps to improve data quality and enable better decision making, positioning their teams for more advanced analytics and AI uses.

Moderator: Andrell Bower, Chief Data Officer, City of San Diego

Mazen Abugharbieh, Program Manager: Business Intelligence Manager, City of San Diego

Kiran Singh, Data and AI Manager, San Diego Association of Governments

David van Gilluwe, Chief Data Officer, City of Carlsbad

Marc Webb, Deputy Director, Office of the City Clerk, City of San Diego

Building Digital Access: Connecting San Diegans to Opportunity

Pacific, Floor 2

San Diego’s Broadband Master Plan outlines the path forward, and implementation is already underway. This session explores how digital navigators, public Wi-Fi, and community partnerships are expanding access and building digital skills that open doors for San Diegans. Hear directly from the people delivering these services and what it takes to connect residents to critical resources and opportunities.

Moderator: Ian Brazill, Assistant Deputy Director of Compliance and Digital Equity, City of San Diego

Jed Layson, Lead Digital Navigator, City of San Diego

Quentin Peterson, Skillbridge Intern, City of San Diego

Stephanie Swift, Lead Digital Navigator, Computers2Kids in partnership with City of San Diego

Lunch

Coral Reef Harbor Ballroom

Bits and Bytes – No Free Lunch: Understanding Your Digital Privacy Tradeoffs

Coral Reef Harbor Ballroom

Free tools and online services are part of everyday life, but they often come with tradeoffs that we don’t fully understand. Your digital footprint doesn’t stop at work, and it can create real risk for government employees and the organizations they support. This session explores how data is tracked, aggregated, and shared, and what steps you can take to better manage your exposure.

Moderator: Brendan Daly, Chief Information Security Officer, Deputy Director, IT Architecture and Engineering, City of San Diego

Joe Schiffman, Security Manager, City of San Diego

Short Break

Please proceed to the concurrent sessions.

Concurrent Sessions

In AI We Trust? Civic and Public Acceptance of AI in Use

Tropic Surf, Floor 2

Cities deploying AI across service delivery, enforcement, and civic engagement face immediate risks alongside opportunities for transformation. This panel examines three urgent policy challenges: First, AI is reshaping complaint systems, legal filings, and regulatory participation while enabling potential misuse that distorts democratic processes and regulatory backlash. Second, realizing AI’s value requires moving beyond tool adoption toward operational transformation and proactive infrastructure management using real-time data. Third, one-time surveys to measure public trust are insufficient, failing to capture how acceptance evolves after deployment. Drawing on technical and policy research, this panel emphasizes longitudinal evaluation, organizational innovation and adaptive regulation, providing a framework to manage legal risk, guide innovation and measure public acceptance.

Moderator: Erik Johnson, Visiting Professor, Rady School of Management, UC San Diego

Professor James Cooper, California Western School of Law

Professor Anya Samek, Rady School of Management, UC San Diego

Dr. James Short, Lead Scientist, San Diego Supercomputer Center, UC San Diego

Building Trust in Real Time: Government Comms in the Digital Era

Bay

Traditional approaches are no longer enough in a world shaped by social media, video and real-time information. As communication habits shift, agencies are taking a closer look at how they reach and engage the public. This session examines how organizations are beginning to adapt to more timely, accessible and effective approaches.

Moderator: Rob Lloyd, Executive Director, Center for Digital Government

Nicole Darling, Director of Communications, City of San Diego

Exclusive Briefing for Industry Partners

Coral Reef Harbor Ballroom

Hosted by: Jonathan Behnke, Chief Information Officer, City of San Diego

Networking Break in the Exhibit Area

Kona Coast Ballroom

Refuel and reconnect over premium refreshments courtesy of Recharge Break Sponsors: Apptio, an IBM Company

General Session – AI in San Diego: Use Cases at Work

Coral Reef Harbor Ballroom

Across San Diego, agencies are beginning to test where AI can make a difference. This session brings those efforts together, showcasing practical use cases and early lessons learned. From reducing manual work to improving decision-making, hear what is being explored today and what it takes to move from idea to implementation in a government setting.

Moderator: Rob Lloyd, Executive Director, Center for Digital Government

Serena Blanks, Assistant Deputy Director, Department of IT – Architecture & Engineering, City of San Diego

Stefan Grundmann, Interim ERP Development Manager, City of San Diego

Kiran Singh, Data and AI Manager, San Diego Association of Governments

Networking Reception in the Exhibit Area

Kona Coast Ballroom

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

End of Conference

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