Texas IT Leadership Forum 2026
Overview
The Texas IT Leadership Forum is where tomorrow’s government leaders grow today.
This invitation-only gathering brings together state and local IT executives, emerging leaders, and visionary thinkers for candid conversations on the future of public-sector technology. Focused on leadership development, innovation, and strategy, the Forum goes beyond the tech to address the people, policies, and practices shaping digital government. Through peer exchange and practical sessions, participants gain the insights, relationships, and skills needed to lead their organizations and communities into the future.
Speakers
Agenda
Thursday, November 19 |
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8:00 am Central |
Registration and Morning Refreshments in the Exhibit Area |
9:00 am Central |
Welcome and Opening RemarksTony Sauerhoff, Executive Director and State Chief Information Officer, Department of Information Resources, State of Texas |
9:10 am Central |
Debrief to Win: Building Teams that Succeed in DisruptionIn times of turbulence and disruption, even the best teams can struggle to stay focused, aligned, and accountable. Overcoming these challenges requires a mindset shift and the right leadership tools to create resilient, high-performing teams. Learn from a former U.S. Air Force Fighter Weapons School ("Top Gun") instructor how elite military teams succeed by centering on a shared mission, driving purpose, and embracing accountability as a path to growth, not blame. Walk away with actionable strategies and inspiring insights to help your teams thrive under pressure and achieve lasting success.
Robert “Cujo” Teschner, Speaker | Author | Elite Fighter Pilot | Inventor, Vmax Group |
10:10 am Central |
Bits and Bytes: Security and Governance in the New Era of AI AgentsAs AI evolves from tools that provide answers to agents that can access information and make decisions, government leaders face a new set of security, governance, and accountability challenges. This session explores how agencies can safely embrace agentic AI while maintaining trust, compliance, and operational control. Attendees will gain practical insights into managing identity and access, protecting sensitive data, and building a secure foundation that enables innovation while safeguarding mission-critical systems and services.
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10:45 am Central |
Networking Break in the Exhibit Area |
11:15 am Central |
Concurrent SessionsLeading in the Age of AI: A Playbook for Texas CIOsAI isn't simply changing technology; it is changing what organizations expect from their technology leaders. CIOs must increasingly set direction amid uncertainty, make confident decisions as risks and opportunities evolve, communicate complex issues to diverse stakeholders, and build trust across the organization. Through live polling and peer discussion, this interactive session explores how public-sector technology leaders can meet these expanding expectations, strengthen their role as strategic advisors, and lead with clarity when the path forward is still being defined.
Modernization Without Mayhem?Modernization is rarely a simple matter of replacing aging technology. What should be changed, when, and why? This session explores how agencies can connect modernization priorities to business outcomes, involve stakeholders early, manage technical debt, and realistically sequence their investments. Leaders will discuss how they made modernization decisions balancing innovation, limited resources, and organizational capacity while keeping essential government services running.
The Trust MandateThe interaction of employees, contractors, vendors, applications, cloud environments, and emerging technologies creates questions about access, accountability, and trust. In this session, speakers will explore how leaders can establish a more holistic approach to digital trust, clarifying ownership, managing identities and privileges, assessing third-party risk, and creating governance that protects critical operations without becoming a barrier to innovation. Learn how security can evolve from a technical function into a shared leadership responsibility across the enterprise.
The Business Value of TechnologySuccessful technology leaders do more than deliver systems; they help business leaders understand how technology advances the organization's mission and goals. How can IT strengthen relationships with business units, improve digital fluency, and translate technical requirements into a language that executives, councils, and budget owners understand? Participants will discuss approaches such as relationship management, design thinking, and rapid visualization that can help build consensus, demonstrate value, and gain support for technology investments.
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12:15 pm Central |
Lunch |
1:15 pm Central |
2026 Texas IT Leadership AwardsOur annual “Texas IT Leadership Awards” honor state and local government individuals demonstrating exceptional leadership skills in their departments and organizations.
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1:45 pm Central |
Short Break |
2:00 pm Central |
Concurrent SessionsThe Adaptable OrganizationTechnology is changing not only how government employees work, but how organizations should be structured to accomplish it. This session examines how leaders can prepare their workforce for continuous change through digital literacy, reskilling, role redesign, and thoughtful workforce planning. Participants will discuss how to communicate change, address employee concerns, and foster an adaptable culture that embraces new ways of working while maintaining engagement and trust.
Right-Sizing AI for GovernmentAI has moved beyond experimentation to everyday use, forcing leaders to decide where the technology truly adds value, and what level of investment is justified. This session explores how agencies can select the right AI tools for the right problems, measure productivity gains against costs, and define meaningful efficiency. Leaders will also discuss how AI may reshape workforce planning and how to communicate its value to employees and executives for responsible adoption.
Resilience As a Leadership DisciplineWhen disruption occurs, technology alone cannot determine how well an organization responds. Explore the leadership side of cyber resilience, from making decisions under pressure and coordinating across departments to testing plans through scenarios and tabletop exercises. Hear from leaders as they discuss lessons learned from real-world incidents, discuss emerging threats, and learn how to build the organizational readiness needed to maintain essential services when the unexpected becomes reality.
Rethinking Data StewardshipAs AI increases the value of government data, effective stewardship is becoming a leadership imperative. What information should agencies keep, protect, govern and make available? Explore how agencies should rethink data ownership, retention, privacy, access and AI readiness as IT leaders discuss how to keep information trustworthy and protected while addressing new questions about agent access and the growing costs and risks of retaining information indefinitely.
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3:00 pm Central |
Networking Break in the Exhibit Area |
3:30 pm Central |
General Session: Defending the Investment: Making Your Case at the CapitolUnder pressure to reduce spending, technology leaders must be prepared to explain why critical IT investments cannot be treated as just another line item. How do CIOs translate technology needs into mission and constituent outcomes that resonate with legislators and budget leaders? How should leaders prepare legislative hearings to defend funding requests and communicate the consequences of delaying critical investments? Make the case for investments in priorities such as AI, cybersecurity, and modernization.
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4:15 pm Central |
Networking Reception in the Exhibit AreaNetwork with your colleagues and discuss technology solutions with the event exhibitors.
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4:45 pm Central |
End of ConferenceConference times, agenda, and speakers are subject to change.
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Austin Marriott Downtown
304 E. Cesar Chavez Street
Austin, TX 78701
512-457-1111
Austin Marriott Downtown
Advisory Board
Government Representatives
Fuat Aki
Director of Development
Texas Education Agency
State of Texas
Patricia Avitia
Chief Information Officer
Water Development Board
State of Texas
Jessica Ballew
Chief Information Officer
Department of Public Safety
State of Texas
Carl Drescher
Chief Information Officer
Lower Colorado River Authority
State of Texas
Kerrica Laake
Chief Information Officer
City of Austin
Jim Malmros
Application Development Manager
Office of Comptroller
State of Texas
Prasanth Manukonda
Chief Information Officer
Texas Facilities Commission
State of Texas
Drew McGrath
Chief Information Officer
Department of Family and Protective Services
State of Texas
Tony Sauerhoff
Executive Director and State Chief Information Officer
Department of Information Resources
State of Texas
Richard Semple
Chief Information Officer
Williamson County
Jennifer Whitman
Deputy Chief Information Officer
Teacher Retirement System of Texas
Cory Wilburn
Chief Information Officer
McCombs School of Business
The University of Texas at Austin
Industry Representatives
Kindra Allen
Managing Director
Deloitte
David Arington
Cloud Platform Representative
Oracle
John Forshay
Account Executive
Dell Technologies
Brad Gardiner
Enterprise Account Executive, SLED
NinjaOne
Chad Lersch
Client Relationship Executive
KPMG
Amanda Luther
Managing Director and Senior Partner
Boston Consulting Group
Rob McClay
Director of Strategic Accounts
Tanium
Kathryn McGirk
Client Advocate
Google Public Sector
Jack O'Connell
Senior Account Executive
Google Public Sector
Dan Parham
Head of State & Local Government, U.S.
OpenAI
Graeme Steakley
Director of Sales
Wasabi
Dan Teczar
Lead Client Partner
IBM
Registration Information / Contact Us
Event Date: November 19, 2026
This is an invitation-only event, open to Public Sector only. For more information or to request an invitation, please contact Abigail Suiter.
If you represent a Private Sector organization and are interested in Sponsorship Opportunities, please contact Heather Earney.
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:
Abigail Suiter
Government Technology
A division of e.Republic
Phone: (916) 932-1405
E-mail: asuiter@erepublic.com
Already a sponsor, but need a hand? Reach out to:
Mireya Gaton
Government Technology
A division of e.Republic
Phone:(916) 296-2617
E-Mail: mgaton@erepublic.com
Want to sponsor and stand out? Reach out to explore opportunities!
Heather Earney
Government Technology
A division of e.Republic
Phone: (916) 365-2308
E-mail: heather.earney@erepublic.com