Thomas Boon is the Chief Information Officer of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). Boon leads the successful GO-Biz technology team known for the development of the California Business Portal, the California Competes Tax Credit Application, and the California Film and Television Tax Credit Application. Cloud First principles have enabled the GO-Biz technology team to be a leader in the modernization of digital services for Californians. The California Business Portal was developed with the California Information Technology Leadership Academy in 7 months. The California Competes Tax Credit Application and the California Film and Television Tax Credit Application are essential to the online submission, review, and award of over $500 million in tax incentives to businesses and film production companies in California. In 2018, Boon led GO-Biz to become one of the first State of California offices to implement cloud-based desktop computers for its entire staff. Being able to work from anywhere on any device proved to be very valuable during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Previously, Boon served as the Application Architect for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation from 2009 to 2013, where he was also a lead software developer from 2001 to 2009 and an associate programmer from 1997 – 2001. Boon earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from the University of San Diego and has served as a Program Coach and Program Advisor to the California Information Technology Leadership Academy.

Chad Bratton currently serves as the Chief Information Officer for the Office of Data & Innovation (ODI). As Chief Information Officer, he is responsible for IT and security operations for ODI's office and cloud platforms. Chad is passionate about improving service delivery within state IT operations, with over 10 years of IT experience in both the public and private sector. Chad was the co-founder of Survival Servers LLC, where he worked full time from 2012-2015 before joining the state.
Chad previously served as Head of Information Technology for ODI where he procured and implemented ODI's critical IT infrastructure and systems to support engineering and administrative operations for a brand new department. Chad led the implementation of Google Workspace and MacOS for ODI, bringing in a new and innovative approach to state IT operations. In a prior role as DevOps Engineer and Digital Services Consultant with the California Department of Technology, Chad implemented improvements for critical services and was focused primarily on establishing continuous integration and deployment pipelines, and high availability architecture for ca.gov and other state websites.
Chad is a graduate of California State University Sacramento, with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration: Management Information Systems and is a Certified Scrum Master (CSM).

Jennifer Chan is the CIO for the California State Lottery. Prior to joining the state in 2010, Jennifer served as an IT consultant in the private sector providing project management, Independent Project Oversight Consulting (IPOC), Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V), and business analysis services on projects for numerous state and local county departments and agencies. From 2010 to 2012, she worked at the Board of Equalization in the Project Management Office and the Enterprise Architecture Office. Since 2012, she has served in various management and executive leadership positions at the California Department of Technology, Employment Development Department, and the California Department of Food and Agriculture overseeing all aspects of IT functions including technology governance and technology operations. Jennifer holds a Master of Business Administration from the California State University, Sacramento, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in English and a minor in Psychology from the University of California, Davis.

Shaw-chin leads IBM's consulting portfolio for state, local, and education agencies in California. She brings 18 years of extensive experience in global business transformation, digital innovation with emerging technologies, such as AI, analytics, and blockchain, process re-engineering, and organizational/change management. She has supported clients in the Government, Healthcare, Life Sciences, Consumer and Retail Industries spanning North America, Europe, APAC and Latin America. She had the pleasure of serving the state early on in her career as an HR Business Partner at the California Judicial Council.
Some of her notable achievements at IBM included infusing design thinking methodologies to drive more human-centricity through “IBM Garages,” and IBM’s blockchain-based COVID digital credential platform. She graduated with an MBA in Finance, Marketing, and Health Sector Management from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and a BA in Psychology and Anthropology from the University of CA, Berkeley. Shaw-chin is also a published author of a book dedicated to the power of working mothers called, "Integrating Me in Motherhood: A Mom's Guide to Preventing Burnout and Unleashing Her True Essence."

Brenda Bridges Cruz was appointed by Governor Newsom in November 2022 as the Deputy Director over Special Projects at the California Department of Technology. She is part of the CDT Directorate and works on various initiatives that require statewide departmental collaboration and involvement as well as CDT internal strategic initiatives.
Ms. Bridges Cruz has 26 years of technology and management experience in the private and public sectors combined. She worked at multiple state departments on large integration projects around legacy modernization, and enterprise initiatives related to application development, quality assurance, data management and analytics, project management, strategic planning and organizational change management.
Ms. Bridges Cruz holds a B.A. in Political Science from Valdosta State University, Georgia along with numerous IT certifications. She is a graduate of the Sacramento State Continuing Education Leadership for the Government Executive (LGE) program and is a CIO Academy IT Leadership Award recipient.

Tristian Cormier is a charismatic technology executive in leading-edge IT management and strategy. With over 20 years of experience in IT Infrastructure Operations for the State of California, Tristian has established himself as a visionary leader known for his strategic vision and transformative initiatives. As Chief of the Information Technology Division (CIO) at the California Secretary of State (SOS), Tristian has oversight for directing the most complex multi-functional responsibilities, specifically, program development, technical and production support, and administrative functions. He is responsible for aligning technology investments with agency objectives, ensuring that IT initiatives contribute directly to the organization's growth and success. Tristian's leadership style is characterized by his ability to inspire and empower teams to achieve their full potential. He fosters a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement, enabling his teams to tackle complex challenges. Prior to the Secretary of State, Tristian served dual roles as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for the Office of Tax Appeals (OTA). Before OTA, Tristian served as technical support in Network Engineering and Operations. Tristian attended California State University, Sacramento (CSUS), earning his Bachelor's Degree in Business. Outside of his professional pursuits, Tristian is passionate about mentoring the next generation of technology leaders. In his spare time, he enjoys playing golf and volleyball. Tristian was a three-time All-American (Sacramento State) and All-State (American River College) volleyball player.

Kevin joined Covered California as Chief Information Officer in 2020, where he is responsible for the strategic direction for CalHEERS, California’s health benefit exchange platform, as well as Covered California’s enterprise technology and digital initiatives.  Prior to Covered California, Kevin held multiple technology leadership roles in healthcare, higher education, and high tech across a diverse portfolio of private-sector companies.  Kevin holds a bachelor’s degree in Human Information Processing from the University of California, San Diego.

Tonya has been a public servant since the beginning of her career in 1994, dedicating 23 years with the State of California prior to moving to serve as the Information Technology Director at the County of El Dorado in 2019.
As a self-motivated and result driven individual, Tonya continues to contribute to Public Service, providing leadership to successfully deliver secure, cost effective and efficient systems.  She continues to set personal goals to leverage her in-depth knowledge of Relationship Management, System Development Life Cycle, Project Management Methodologies, and Organizational Change Management.  Along with her strong communication and organizational skills to support business leaders, she strives to promote continuous growth, process improvements and positive change.

Maisha Dottery, the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the California Department of Community Services and Development, assumed her role in July 2021, spearheading transformative growth in information technology. Under her strategic leadership, she established a sustainable model for IT services, capital planning, and talent acquisition, advancing the Department's mission-critical work.
A visionary Executive CIO, Maisha champions a collaborative ethos encapsulated by her motto: "We Over Me." This principle underscores her commitment to teamwork, both within the organization and with external partners. Her leadership style fosters a culture valuing diverse perspectives, encouraging innovation, and driving operational excellence.
Beyond her executive role, Maisha, an adjunct professor, is dedicated to nurturing the next generation of IT professionals. Active in the broader IT community, she serves on the executive council for the Public Sector Network and contributes to California's Public Sector CIO Academy Conference.
Under Maisha's guidance, CSD gained acclaim for its cutting-edge rapid project delivery, exemplified by the $1.5-billion 2023 California Arrearages Payment Program (CAPP). CAPP, a testament to lean systems agile principles, and collaborative innovation, effectively delivers services to citizens in need.
Maisha's extensive experience in large-scale automation projects reflects a strategic vision and a commitment to innovation. Her leadership, marked by the tagline "We Over Me," inspires positive change, leaving an indelible mark on both her organization and the broader IT community.

Chinyere ‘Chi’ Emodi was appointed Deputy Director and Chief Project Officer for the Office of Statewide Project Delivery at the California Department of Technology in 2021. She is a state technology veteran with several senior-level positions under her belt, including Director of Application Services at the Los Rios Community College District and CIO of FI$Cal’s Information Technology Division. Emodi also spent five years as CDT’s Principal Data Processing Manager.

Scott is new to State service, having just joined the Incarcerated Population and Community Solutions Communication Team within the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in November 2023. As a Senior Project Manager and Business Analyst, he leverages over 25 years of experience in the technology sector, acquired through roles at companies including Microsoft and Washington Mutual Bank. Scott's expertise encompasses cross-functional leadership, strategic planning, service operations, and business intelligence, complemented by various program and project management methodologies such as Waterfall, Scrum, and DevOps. Scott earned his Management Information Systems (MIS) undergraduate degree and completed an Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) program at Washington State University. In addition, he also holds PMP, CSM, ITIL, and AWS Cloud Practitioner certifications. In his free time, Scott enjoys serving as a volunteer fly fishing instructor with Project Healing Waters, backpacking, and travel.

Don Foley comes to DTSC with over 25 years of experience in information technology from both private and public sectors. He most recently served as Chief over the Innovative Technology Solutions Branch at the Department of Social Services (CDSS), supporting enterprise applications and services. Prior to CDSS, Don worked for the Department of Water Resources (DWR) in various roles supporting the California Natural Resources Agency Multi-Tenant Data Center and State Water Project (SCADA) environments. He’s worked in various industries including health care, banking, and IT consulting, holding multiple positions such as Enterprise IT Project Director, Network and Security Manager and consultant. Over his career, Don obtained industry certifications such as PMP, ITIL, CSM, CCNP, CNA and MCSE.
Don is inspired daily by his family and the people around him. Don is native to Guam, USA and moved to Sacramento, CA in 1984. The people around Don will say he is a champion in the concept of “Teamwork makes the Dream work.” He focuses on culture and promotes collaboration and employee engagement.

Prior to her 2021 appointment as Deputy Director of Strategic Initiatives, Pam Haase served as CDT’s Chief of Statewide Technology. She joined CDT in 2006 as the Account Director in Customer Engagement and held other state positions with the departments of Conservation, Water Resources and Correctional Health Care Services. Previous to her roles in state government, Haase worked in private management consulting for Price Waterhouse.

Katie Hagen was appointed to the California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) by Governor Gavin Newsom in March 2020.
Director Hagen has a long civil service career, spanning 25 years in various leadership capacities where she held a variety of roles – but with a consistent focus on supporting and educating employers and workers on their obligations and rights in the workplace. Director Hagen served as chief deputy director at the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, deputy director of operations at the California Department of Human Resources, chief of human resources at the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, deputy director at California Correctional Healthcare Services and assistant deputy director at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Director Hagen also served as adjunct faculty at the University of San Francisco for more than a decade teaching public administration, leadership communication and human resources administration. She earned a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of San Francisco.

Crystal Holcomb is the Deputy Director for the Office of Professional Development at the CA Department of Technology (CDT). With over 23 years of state government experience, and more than 20 years in technology, Crystal has led multiple high performing teams always focused on providing top notch customer service. Her leadership experience includes workforce development, customer engagement, change management, project management, application development, Service Desk, and IT procurement. She is passionate about making a positive impact on California and serving others.
Crystal has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the CA State University, Sacramento. She is also a proud graduate of ITLA Class 22. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family at sporting events, or anything outdoors.

Miriam Barcellona Ingenito was appointed Undersecretary of GovOps by Governor Gavin Newsom in August 2022.
Ingenito was the first Director of the Financial Information System for California (FI$Cal) since its formal recognition as the Department of FI$Cal in July 2016. She began her tenure at FI$Cal in September 2015 with the benefit of 20 years of public policy experience in California State government.
Her range of expertise includes legislative, fiscal, administrative, and environmental issues. Miriam served as the Chief Deputy Director of the Department of Toxic Substances Control from 2013 to 2015. Previously, she served as the Deputy Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency from 2011 to 2013, Deputy Director of Legislation at the California Department of Finance from 2009 to 2011 and as a principal consultant for the California Senate Committee on Appropriations from 2001 to 2009.
Additionally, she held positions in policy and analysis at the California Resources Agency and the California Legislative Analyst’s Office. Miriam received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of San Francisco, and her master’s degree in public policy from the Irving B. Harris Graduate School of Public Policy Studies at the University of Chicago.

Jake Johnson is Deputy Director of the Information Technology Services Division (ITSD) and Chief Information Officer (CIO) at the Department of Rehabilitation (DOR). He is a member of DOR’s executive leadership team. He serves as a voice for assistive technology, accessibility, employment, and independence in the information technology arena, including with CalHHS Agency, California Department of Technology, Department of Finance, CIO peers, information technology providers, and information technology stakeholders throughout state government. He provides executive oversight to DOR’s ITSD, leading approximately 65 managers and staff who provide support in Database Administration and Applications Development, Project Management and Administration, Software Quality Assurance, Web Services, Technical Support Services and Assistive Technology, Field Support, Infrastructure Services, and Information Security and Privacy.
Mr. Johnson has been legally blind since birth and is a former DOR consumer. He has been with DOR since 2012, and most recently, serving in an acting role as Deputy Director and CIO since July 2022. Prior to his current role, he was the Customer Service and Administration Branch Chief in ITSD. Previous roles at DOR include managing the Applications Development, Software Quality Assurance, Web Services, and Accessible Technology Services functions. Before joining DOR, Mr. Johnson worked for Franchise Tax Board as an Information Security Specialist and for the Department of Finance as Enterprise Budget Systems Technical Lead. He has a bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in Linguistics, a master’s degree in education, and is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional. He is a graduate of the California IT Leadership Academy and Sierra Health Foundation Leadership Program.  He has served as President of the Association of California State Employees with Disabilities (ACSED) and remains active in the State’s civil rights community as a member of ACSED and the Asian Pacific State Employees Association.

Jared Johnson’s career spans nearly 30 years of public technology service beginning as an IT analyst at the California Technology, Trade and Commerce Agency. He devoted 15 years at FTB, holding various management positions. In 2021, Johnson brought his technical and administrative experience to CDT where he served as Deputy Director of Data Center Support Services before receiving his current appointment to help guide and optimize CDT programs and services.

Stephanie Jones is celebrating her 30th year working for the State of California. She currently serves as the Assistant Chief of the Incarcerated Population and Community Solutions section of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. She manages teams responsible for supporting applications used by the incarcerated people and their friends/families as well as all communication between the incarcerated and their loved ones outside institutions. Her teams engage stakeholders throughout the organization as well as working directly with the incarcerated population to ensure that the technologies used meet their needs. She enjoys process improvement, discovering new ways to deliver services, and helping her team achieve their goals and reach their potential. Stephanie has a BA in Psychology and a MA in Industrial/Organizational Psychology that she relies heavily on in her job as an IT manager. In her free time, she loves to travel, spend time watching her boys play sports, and all things Disney.

Marcie Kahbody currently serves as the Agency Chief Information Officer (AIO) for the California Transportation Agency (CalSTA). In this capacity, Marcie oversees information technology (IT) responsibilities for all of CalSTA’s Boards, Offices, Commissions, and Departments (including DMV, Caltrans, CHP, High Speed Rail, and others). With over 31 years of public sector experience in IT, Marcie possesses a record of proven outcomes as a collaborative leader, directing highly technical teams and successfully implementing enterprise transformation initiatives and programs. Marcie focuses on fostering collaboration, building effective teams, encouraging two-way communication, and providing mentorship. She believes in the strength of diversity, building relationships, finding innovative approaches to updating policies, and is passionate about cultivating up and coming leaders. Marcie believes that success begins with a People First foundation and has championed it throughout her career.

David Krause is the Deputy Chief Information Officer for Covered California. He is responsible for oversight of Enterprise Applications, Program and Project Management, Enterprise Data and Analytics, and the CalHEERS product team. David has had many IT roles in his career, but he has been focused on business relationship management, strategic planning, and process improvement in recent positions. Having earned an English degree from Sacramento State, David also brings a love of storytelling to his roles as a means to communicate with IT audiences more effectively.

Koji currently serves as CDT's (Department of Technology) Web Services manager, providing leadership for statewide digital service design, front-end development, accessibility, analytics, domain name registration, and the state web publishing system. Starting as a student assistant, he has worked for the state of CA his entire career and has over 15 years of experience in the civic technology domain. He also facilitates and leads the state's Digital Web Services Network, a community of practice for all web and digital services teams. 

Jason Lally has more than a decade of experience in the use of civic data including data management, analysis, visualization, and engineering. He currently serves as the Deputy Director for Data Engineering and Services with the Office of Data and Innovation, a department of the State of California. He works with his team to help departments across the State adopt modern data infrastructure and Data Operations practices. Before joining the State, he was the Chief Data Officer of the City and County of San Francisco. There he drove efforts to make open data and dashboards available about the County’s pandemic response. He also worked with his amazing team to plan and implement comprehensive, automated reporting for PPE inventory and distribution. Prior to the pandemic, Jason helped operationalize the City’s data strategy under the first CDO of San Francisco, setting up processes that were copied the world over for managing an open data program.

Brian Lee led Delegata's transformation management practice for ten years and now specializes in strategic planning and the development of leadership teams for effective strategy management.
Brian has over 25 years of experience in business and IT organizations in state government, international government, healthcare, biotech, banking, finance, manufacturing, and transportation. He is a gifted facilitator who taps into collective wisdom by actively listening to diverse perspectives to bridge the gap between people, business, and technology. Brian has a successful history of partnering with senior business and technology leaders to design and implement the changes that will deliver the transformations that realize the intent of the strategic plan.
Prior to joining Delegata, Brian operated his own OCM consulting practice serving clients such as Genentech, Siemens, Charles Schwab, Kaiser Permanente, Bank of America, State of Louisiana, State of New Mexico, State of Alaska, and Oneida Nation of Wisconsin.

Lloyd Levine is a former member of the California State Legislature where he served as Chair of the Assembly Committee on Utilities and Commerce. Currently, Mr. Levine serves as T-Mobile for Government’s National Senior Executive for State Government Strategy and is a Senior Policy Fellow at the University of California, Riverside School of Public Policy.
As a Legislator, Mr. Levine established himself as one of California’s leading experts in energy, telecommunications, and technology policy. Mr. Levine’s desire to accelerate the deployment of broadband technology led him to author and pass the Digital Infrastructure and Video Competition Act (DIVCA), which changed the way video and telecommunications companies were regulated, bringing statutes into par with the current technologies. He also successfully authored legislation streamlining and expediting the process of siting high-speed communications equipment on state property, and legislation changing the way school districts can procure technology.
Mr. Levine served as a member of Governor Schwarzenegger’s Broadband Taskforce and was a Founding Member of the Board of Directors of the California Emerging Technology Fund. Mr. Levine currently serves as a Founding Member of the Advisory Board for the UC Riverside School of Public Policy, where he and the school’s Dean, Anil Deolalikar, co-founded the Center for Technology, Policy and Society.
Through his work and academic publications, Mr. Levine has earned a reputation as a nationally recognized leader in government technology and policy, including recently being named “one of the 40 most thought-provoking innovators in New York city and state” by the prestigious New York City & State magazine. Mr. Levine has appeared on television and radio programs across the country and has been published and cited widely in print media, with articles published in everything from daily newspapers to legal publications. Mr. Levine has also served as a panelist and keynote speaker at energy, and technology conferences around the world, and been a guest lecturer in many universities and law schools.
As a Senior Policy Fellow, Mr. Levine has multiple peer reviewed articles and book chapters on technology, utiliites, broadband and the digital divide and the intersection with government. Currently, Mr. Levine working on an edited book volume on the intersection of technology and government. Titled, “Technology vs. Government: The Irresistible Force Meets the Immovable Object it will be out later this year.
Mr. Levine currently resides in Sacramento with his wife, Emmy award winning KCRA Anchorwoman Edie Lambert and their two children.

Calvin McGee II has over three decades of experience in information technology, with a distinguished 25-year track record in IT management across both the public and private sectors. As a proud alum of California State University, Sacramento, Calvin holds a Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems and an MBA, credentials that have underpinned a career marked by innovation, leadership, and a profound commitment to leveraging technology to drive organizational success.
Currently serving as the Chief Information Officer for the California Department of Real Estate, Calvin has a rich history in IT leadership roles, including significant tenures within California state government. Notably, Calvin's expertise has been instrumental in transforming and leading initiatives that significantly enhanced service delivery and operational efficiency.
A certified Project Management Professional (PMP), Calvin is known for his pragmatic and results-focused approach to technology services, consistently delivering solutions that enhance business outcomes while optimizing cost-effectiveness. Calvin's leadership extends beyond IT management to encompass comprehensive enterprise programs, organizational restructuring, and change management.

Kim Mirabella serves as the Vice President, Business Development and Strategic Sales for Verizon Public Sector Federal and SLED and oversees the development, design and capture of strategic opportunities as well as a new team focusing on Fixed Wireless Access.
Kim’s tenure at Verizon spans 26 years and includes a variety of roles within Enterprise and Government sales, Fios consumer sales, Verizon Lean Six Sigma and marketing. In her previous role, Kim served as the Director of Southeast Government Sales within the Public Sector team, focused on state and local government, public safety, K-12 and higher education. She started her career serving wireline customers, selling IP networking, voice/data networks, security, managed services, advanced comms and more.
In 2021 Kim was honored with the Verizon Credo Award for her work in delivering excellence for our customers, employees, shareholders and society. She worked with various law enforcement partners ahead of Super Bowl 55 in Tampa, FL to make sure all aspects of Verizon were ready for the big game. Kim has been instrumental in enabling hybrid learning for thousands of students through Verizon's Distance Learning program and delivery of affordable wireless solutions.
Kim is a Tampa, FL native and graduate of the University of Tampa with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and a minor in Marketing. Kim is also active in volunteerism and leads volunteer initiatives at Verizon. She founded the “Ladies Boardroom” in 2020 which serves to mentor and develop women seeking to improve business acumen and overall career development. As a Hispanic woman, Kim celebrates diversity. As part of Kim’s responsibilities, her term leads the small diverse business partners focusing on partnerships with small, diverse, women, minority and disabled owned businesses.
Kim remains active in her local community serving on the Board of Directors for the Tampa Chamber of Commerce.

Kristin is the CIO and Director of Enterprise Information Services for CDCR. She provides leadership for the continued development and management of an innovative, robust, and secure information technology environment throughout CDCR. Prior to taking the role of Director she was the Deputy Director of Operations and Support at CDCR. In this role she managed all the enterprise infrastructure functions including network services, storage/server services, telephony management, radio management, and active directory management.
Prior to CDCR, Kristin served as Controller at California Public Employees’ Retirement Fund (CalPERS). She managed all functions in the Financial Reporting and Accounting Services Division, which included accounts payable, accounts receivable, cashiering, pension and health accounting, investment accounting, financial reporting, and treasury management.
Kristin has more than 20 years of experience in the investment, financial, and pension industries. Before joining CalPERS she worked as a consultant, providing technology and change management services for accounting, investment, and enterprise-wide pension projects.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) operates all State adult prisons and juvenile facilities, oversees a variety of community correctional facilities, and supervises all adult and juvenile offenders, including adults released to parole supervision. Their mission is to facilitate the successful reintegration of individuals back to their communities equipped with the tools to be drug-free, healthy, and employable members of society by providing education, treatment, rehabilitative and restorative justice programs, all in a safe and humane environment. CDCR is one of the largest State departments, with over 57,000 employees and a $14 billion total annual budget.

Stephen Pieraldi is a security expert who works comfortably in both hardware and software. Stephen has designed advanced Machine Learning-based detection systems and highly secure mobile to cloud-based protection systems. An internet search will highlight many of Stephen's accomplishments.  His unique capabilities are now being used at HP, as a Distinguished Technologist, while continuing to teach at U.C. Berkeley.

Cathilea is Chief Executive Officer of e.Republic, where she oversees operations for the company’s award-winning media platforms: Governing, Government Technology and Emergency Management. Cathilea also oversees e.Republic’s websites, conferences and events, and its national research and advisory groups: the Center for Digital Government, the Center for Digital Education and the Governing Institute.
In 2014 Cathilea directed the launch of the Governing Institute’s Women in Government Leadership Program, an innovative initiative that encourages future generations of women to participate in public service.
Cathilea is a frequent speaker for government and education organizations worldwide, including the United Nations, Harvard University, the State Legislative Leaders' Foundation, the National Conference of State Legislatures, the Council of State Governments, and the World Congress on Information Technology. She has been quoted frequently in publications including the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, Forbes and others.
Cathilea is a recipient of NASCIO’s National Technology Champion Award for her outstanding contributions to advance public sector information technology innovation. She is also the winner of an Outstanding Women Leadership Award from the Sacramento Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners and is a Greater Sacramento Business Hall of Fame Laureate.

Hong Sae is renowned for his leadership in advocating for diversity, innovation, and effective leadership within government technology sectors. His core mission revolves around maximizing organizational efficiency through a keen focus on People, Process, & Performance. As a seasoned Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Executive, Sae's impact spans across various key positions, including influential roles in the MISAC (Municipal Information Systems Association of California), the Sacramento CIO/CTO Leadership Forum, and the California State CIO Advisory Workgroup. An honor graduate of Rutgers' Certified Government Chief Information Officer Program, Sae brings over 30 years of experience in pivotal CIO roles across distinguished institutions.
Hong Sae's outstanding career is decorated with prestigious awards and recognitions, including the 2023 California Public Sector CIO Leadership Award, the 2023 Oncon Top 10 CIO/CTO Icon Award, and being named a Top 10 CIO by Government CIO Outlook Magazine in 2022. His efforts in the City of Roseville have been instrumental in earning accolades such as a Top 10 Digital Cities and Top 10 IT Team globally, alongside 2024 awards for Best CitiBot AI Ambassador Chatbot and Best KnowBE4 Cybersecurity Training Campaign. These are all testament to his leadership and vision for a more inclusive, efficient, and secure future in public sector technology; and to inspire and influence the future technology leaders, furthering the advancement of our critical field.

Luc Sou has served the State of California for over 15 years and is currently the Project and Business Management Division Chief within the Information Technology (IT) Program. In this capacity she ensures the delivery of IT projects valued at over $150 million to support the informational infrastructure of the state’s transportation system. Her leadership portfolio and duties include identifying project improvement needs and maintaining quality assurance. She is responsible for IT staff operations, resource allocation, procurement processes, recruitment, project delivery, and strategy management. She has created new partnerships with universities to bring Caltrans recruiting efforts to the next level. She has led the Caltrans IT Culture Evolution and inspired culture champions across IT to come together and build a culture vision and articulate behaviors to bring Caltrans values to life in everyday interactions. She is passionate about strengthening diversity, utilizing innovative and creative approaches to difficult problems, and cultivating up-and-coming leaders.

Appointed in March 2022, Crystal Taylor serves as Chief IT Strategy Officer and Chief of the Information Technology Strategy Services Division within the Enterprise Technology Services at DHCS. With nearly two years in this pivotal role, Crystal has been a driving force in implementing strategic changes, enhancing programmatic efficiency, and delivering exceptional business value, exemplifying leadership in public sector technology management. In her current role, Crystal is instrumental in guiding department-wide IT leadership, orchestrating the development and execution of enterprise-level product modernization and architecture strategy, managing a vast portfolio of projects, and delivering comprehensive IT administrative services. Her efforts are central to DHCS's commitment to strategically modernize its technological infrastructure and services in support of the programmatic needs of DHCS.
More broadly, Crystal career spans over 18 years with the State of California, marked by various impactful, high visibility leadership positions and a track record of successfully managing complex strategic initiatives. Crystal has excelled as Chief of the Product Branch within DHCS's Medi-Cal Enterprise Systems Modernization Division, served as Assistant Director and Acting Deputy Director of the California Project Management Office at the California Department of Technology, Information Technology Manager for Franchise Tax Board’s Systems Engineering and Access Management Section within Technology Services Division, Budget Officer for the Franchise Tax Board’s entire fiscal portfolio, and Fiscal & Policy Analyst for the California Legislative Analyst’s Office. In these roles, Crystal directed state project portfolios, developed and implemented project management processes and tools, managed technology operations, modernized technology systems, testified to the Executive Branch and Legislative Committees on state programs and budgets, and oversaw the day-to-day operations of state offices.  Crystal holds a Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics from Lafayette College and two Master's Degrees from Princeton University in Public Affairs and Urban & Regional Planning.

Blaine Wasylkiw is California's Deputy Chief Technology Innovation Officer within the California Department of Technology. Before being appointed to this role, he was the Chief Web Officer for the state of California. In both his previous and current positions, he plays a key role in state government's digital transformation and supporting the recently launched California State Digital Strategy.

Tommy Wenzlau is the Talent Leader for IBM’s Talent Pipeline Programs including New Collar Initiatives and University Programs.
In this role, he is helping IBM and the IT Industry reorient the labor market - and organizational talent models – to be skills-first. His team is focused on creating more open and equitable pathways to employment for all regardless of background. He manages IBM’s USDOL Registered Apprenticeship Program, Returnship Programs (Tech Re-Entry), and P-TECH hiring programs, as well as University Internships. In support of this mission, Tommy represents IBM externally on several boards: he is the chair of the Consumer Technology Association’s Apprenticeship Coalition, the chair of the Business Roundtable’s Multiple Pathways Initiative’s Metrics committee, and the co-chair of OneTen’s Skills-First Working Group.
Tommy has spent the last 14 years with IBM. Prior to this role he spent 5 years building out the AI business within IBM. He was the HR Leader for IBM’s Data & AI organization and before that, he helped launch IBM’s Watson Group as its first Talent Leader.
Tommy grew up in Southern California, and recently relocated back to Los Angeles after living in the Northeast for 15 years. His family makes wine on the Central Coast and he is a certified sommelier and all around wine snob. Tommy is also a soccer fan and big supporter of Arsenal FC.

Jefferson Willoughby serves as the Chief Information Officer at the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board. His tenure has benefitted from over 25 years of technical experience in network, data center and managed service development prior to joining California State government. Under his leadership, CUIAB recently undertook and launched a major modernization project for appeals processing.  Jefferson received his Master’s degree from Sacramento State University and has served as both class coach and advisor for the IT Leadership Academy. 

Wright began his career with the state in 1994 as an IT manager for the Department of Motor Vehicles, a position he held for 24 years, with one two-year break. In 2005, he left DMV and moved to CDT. He worked at what was then Teale Data Center until 2007, returning to the DMV in 2007 and remaining until his promotion to the deputy directorship for IT for the Office of Traffic Safety in 2018.
In May 2018, Wright was named Deputy Director and CIO for Technology and Administration for the Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), whose mission is “to effectively and efficiently administer traffic safety grants while fostering partnerships to deliver innovative programs that reduce traffic deaths, injuries and economic losses.” Wright held that position for just under two years before being named to the CDT position in March.
Wright has held various positions in Enterprise Architecture, Program Supervisory, and IT Technical and Management classifications. He is also a graduate of the 25th Information Technology Leadership Academy (ITLA), one of several career-development programs that the state offers. He’s also a member of the Sacramento Blockchain Code Forum.