Name: State of Technology - Texas Industry Forum 2026
Start: 2026-09-01T08:00
Location: Renaissance Austin Hotel

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Overview

State of Technology – Texas Industry Forum 2026 is the premier industry event focused on gov tech in the State of Texas. This half-day event is designed to provide sales and marketing leaders with insights to help validate and turbocharge business strategies and activities. Attendees at the Forum will:

Get exclusive insights from the state CIO and government tech leaders about the hottest opportunities, emerging trends and groundbreaking initiatives shaping Texas’ gov tech market.
Gain in-depth knowledge of the state’s IT priorities and plans as requests are made for the biennial budget.
Take a deep dive into technology trends revolutionizing the way that Texas’ state and local governments serve the public.
Get insights into the driving forces behind government IT spending.
Network with fellow industry leaders, share ideas, and forge partnerships.

Agenda and speakers to be announced.

A message from our Keynote Speaker

Speakers

Tony Sauerhoff

Executive Director, State Chief Information Officer, Chief Artificial Intelligence and Innovation Officer, Department of Information Resources, State of Texas

Tony Sauerhoff is the Executive Director, State Chief Information Officer, and the Chief AI and Innovation Officer of the Department of Information Resources, State of Texas. He leads statewide efforts to advance the secure and responsible adoption of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. In this role, he drives technology modernization, risk management, and public-sector service delivery, while supporting enterprise cybersecurity strategy, innovation, and cross-agency coordination across one of the nation’s largest and most complex state environments.
With more than 30 years of experience in IT and cybersecurity across the public and private sectors, Tony has held senior leadership roles with the U.S. Department of Defense and the federal judiciary, and previously served as Chief Information Security Officer for the State of Texas.
Tony currently serves as President of the GovRAMP Board of Directors, where he helps guide national strategy for secure, consistent, and risk-based cloud adoption across state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, strengthening collaboration between the public sector and cloud service providers nationwide.
He began his career as a communications specialist in the U.S. Air Force. Tony holds a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity from Champlain College, a Master of Science in Information Security and Privacy from The University of Texas at Austin and maintains CISSP and GSLC cybersecurity certifications.

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Jessica Ballew

Chief Information Officer and Chief of the Information Technology Division, Department of Public Safety

Jessica Ballew is the Chief Information Officer for the Texas Department of Public Safety, leading the agency's technology strategy and operations with a focus on innovation, reliability, security, and interoperability. Throughout her career at the agency, Jessica has managed multiple programs, including IT Applications, Enterprise Project Management, Procurement & Contract Services, Administration, Infrastructure Operations, and the Innovation and Data Office.
Jessica serves on the International Association of Chiefs of Police’s (IACP) Communications & Technology Committee, Real Time Crime Center and Artificial Intelligence Sub-Committees, and the Artificial Intelligence Workgroup. She has also served multiple terms on the State of Texas Contract Advisory Team, State Agency Coordinating Committee Procurement Sub-Committee, State Agency Coordinating Committee Records and Information Management Sub-Committee, Governor’s Commission for Women State Agency Council, and co-chaired the Texas Association for Strategic Solutions and Collaboration in Computing Special Interest Group in Project Management.
Ballew holds a Bachelor of Science in Communication from Arizona State University and a Master of Science in Operations Management from the University of Arkansas. She is a Certified Texas Contract Manager and Certified Texas Contract Developer, a graduate of the Governor’s Executive Development Program, and a Texas Fiscal Officers’ Academy graduate.

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Wendy Barron

Chief Information Officer, Department of Motor Vehicles, State of Texas

Wendy Barron, Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV), is dedicated to modernizing and improving motor vehicle services across Texas.
With more than 20 years of experience in Texas government, Wendy has built a reputation as an accomplished technology leader. Before becoming CIO, she served as Deputy CIO at TxDMV and led technology divisions at the State Office of Administrative Hearings and the Texas Water Development Board. Her career has included roles such as data analyst, systems analyst, and project manager, each contributing to her deep expertise in technology and public service.
Wendy’s academic achievements include a BBA in Computer Information Systems and a Master of Public Administration, both from Texas State University. She is also a certified Project Management Professional, underscoring her ability to deliver results in complex, high-stakes projects.
Outside of work, Wendy enjoys spending time with her husband and their elementary-aged son. She has a strong connection to the Texas Hill Country, where she helps manage her family’s cattle ranch. An outdoor enthusiast, she finds balance and inspiration in nature.
Through her leadership and focus on building strategic partnerships, Wendy is driving meaningful change at TxDMV, paving the way for more efficient and accessible motor vehicle services across the state.

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Anh Selissen

Chief Information Officer, Department of Transportation, State of Texas

Anh Selissen serves as the Chief Information Officer at the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) with a $500 plus million annual information technology portfolio. Anh has served as the Chief Information Officer for TxDOT since September 2019. In this position, Anh serves as a principal technology advisor to TxDOT’s Executive Director and the senior leadership team. She leads the department’s efforts to transform TxDOT by implementing smart technology solutions, promoting innovation, and strengthening TxDOT’s cybersecurity. She is responsible for transforming the agency’s technology services to exceed the expectations of the customers to meet the mission of the agency – Connecting you with Texas.
Anh has led information technology organizations in both the public and private sectors. She previously held positions as Chief Information Officer (CIO) at NuStats Inc., Director of Enterprise Systems at the University of Texas at Austin, and Deputy CIO at the Texas Comptroller’s Office. In each of her leadership roles, Anh has built a diverse range of experience working across the organization to deliver IT services to meet the needs of the organization and customer community. She is passionate about providing strong customer service and strives to work with her team to provide strong support and services to the organization and their customers. This has resulted in improved interactions with the end user communities and positive positioning of the organizations. Among several professional affiliations, Anh is on the AASHTO Transportation Technology Committee. She served two years as President of the Texas Association of State Systems for Computing and Communications, and IT Chair of the State Agency Coordinating Council.
Most recently in April 2023, Anh received a State Leadership of the Year award from StateScoop 50. In 2022, Anh was awarded the Trailblazer Award by the CIO Roundtable 2022. She was named one of the 2021 Boss Ladies by the non-profit, Austin Women in Technology. She received the 2021 IT Executive of the Year Award sponsored by Society of Information Management (SIM) Austin. In 2020 under Anh’s leadership, the Information Technology Division was awarded the TxDOT Grit Award for exemplary performance during the agency’s ransomware event. In 2019, she was the recipient of the Austin Women in Technology - Women in Tech Excellence Award also sponsored by SIM.

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Agenda

Tuesday, September 1
12:30 pm Central	Registration Check-in and Networking
1:00 pm Central	Welcome and Opening Remarks Grand Ballroom B Tony Sauerhoff, Executive Director and State Chief Information Officer, Department of Information Resources, State of Texas
1:10 pm Central	Building Partnerships for Better Public Service Grand Ballroom B Government faces numerous IT challenges—from modernizing legacy systems to delivering seamless digital services—that cannot be solved alone. Strong collaboration, shared innovation and a focus on constituent outcomes can help deliver more effective, secure and responsive public services. In this session, government IT leaders will share what they value in industry partnerships, how vendors can align with agency priorities, and the qualities that distinguish strategic partners from technology providers. Moderator: Joseph Janecka, CEO, Parsolvo
1:45 pm Central	The State of AI in Texas Government Grand Ballroom B Gain a firsthand look at how Texas government is utilizing artificial intelligence to improve operations, strengthen decision-making and enhance delivery of public services. Government leaders will share their current AI priorities, use cases and lessons learned, offering valuable insight into where agencies are seeing success today and where opportunities for collaboration may emerge in the future. Anh Selissen, Chief Information Officer, Texas Department of Transportation
2:30 pm Central	Networking Break
3:00 pm Central	Cybersecurity Update Grand Ballroom B Texas has one of the most mature cybersecurity programs in state government but also faces one of the most challenging threat environments—its size, critical infrastructure and concentration of energy, transportation and defense assets make it a frequent target for cybercriminals. This panel will review the current state of cybersecurity in Texas, including workforce challenges, how AI has changed the landscape, centralizing cyber defense via the Texas Cyber Command (TXCC) and how vendors can work with government to safeguard the state’s critical infrastructure.
3:45 pm Central	CIO “Hot Topics” Panel Grand Ballroom B A panel of state agency CIOs with a wealth of public sector IT knowledge and experience will discuss their priorities and plans as part of our annual look at the topics that are “top of mind” for Texas IT leadership. Wendy Barron, Chief Information Officer, Texas Department of Motor Vehicles Jessica Ballew, Chief Information Officer, Texas Department of Public Safety
4:30 pm Central	Networking Reception
5:15 pm Central	End of Event Event times, agenda, and speakers are subject to change.

Renaissance Austin Hotel

9721 Arboretum Boulevard
Austin, TX 78759

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Renaissance Austin Hotel

Made Possible by Our Corporate Sponsors

Registration Information / Contact Us

Event Date: September 1, 2026

Registration Fee per person: $150 for Industry Insider – Texas members, $250 for non-members*, $25 discount if registering by 8/3/2026 .

Registration by credit card only; no billing.

This event is open to all individuals who meet the eligibility criteria, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, age, disability, or any other protected class. We are committed to fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment for all participants.

Contact Information

Need help registering, or have general event questions? Contact:

Brad Loebs
Industry Insider – Texas
A division of e.Republic
Phone: (916) 932-1409
Email: bloebs@erepublic.com

*To learn more about becoming an Industry Insider — Texas member,
visit this page or reach out to our team at hello@industryinsider.govtech.com.

State of Technology - Texas Industry Forum 2026

Overview

A message from our Keynote Speaker

Speakers

Tony Sauerhoff

Executive Director, State Chief Information Officer, Chief Artificial Intelligence and Innovation Officer, Department of Information Resources, State of Texas

Jessica Ballew

Chief Information Officer and Chief of the Information Technology Division, Department of Public Safety

Wendy Barron

Chief Information Officer, Department of Motor Vehicles, State of Texas

Anh Selissen

Chief Information Officer, Department of Transportation, State of Texas

Agenda

Tuesday, September 1

12:30 pm Central

Registration Check-in and Networking

1:00 pm Central

Welcome and Opening Remarks

Grand Ballroom B

1:10 pm Central

Building Partnerships for Better Public Service

Grand Ballroom B

1:45 pm Central

The State of AI in Texas Government

Grand Ballroom B

2:30 pm Central

Networking Break

3:00 pm Central

Cybersecurity Update

Grand Ballroom B

3:45 pm Central

CIO “Hot Topics” Panel

Grand Ballroom B

4:30 pm Central

Networking Reception

5:15 pm Central

End of Event

Renaissance Austin Hotel

Made Possible by Our Corporate Sponsors

Registration Information / Contact Us

Event Date: September 1, 2026

Contact Information

Venue

Renaissance Austin Hotel

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Accomodations

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