Registration and Morning Refreshments in the Exhibit Area

Welcome and Opening Remarks

Liz Rodgers, Chief Information Officer, Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, Commonwealth of Kentucky

Keynote – Debrief to Win: Building Teams that Succeed in Disruption

In times of turbulence and disruption, even the best teams can struggle to stay focused, aligned, and accountable. Overcoming these challenges requires a shift in mindset 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

Best of Kentucky IT Awards

Networking Break in the Exhibit Area

Concurrent Sessions

Cybersecurity Governance in the Age of AI

Cybersecurity is not just an IT issue; it’s a business risk and a challenge to public trust. The acceleration of AI adoption requires public-sector agencies to rethink governance, risk and compliance (GRC) alongside data privacy and regulatory obligations. This session explores how to build an AI governance roadmap within existing GRC frameworks while addressing data exposure, AI-generated records, data subject requests, and the risks that emerge when sensitive data is shared, analyzed, or managed in AI-enabled environments.

From Administrative Assistant to Agentic AI

You’ve created guidelines and put safeguards in place, but is your data ready for AI? And as soon as it is, where should you begin and what will AI do for you? This session focuses on data clean-up and preparation, real-world use cases for Agentic AI, prompt building for LLMs and a review of standards to help agencies align with Commonwealth Office of Technology’s framework for the use of artificial intelligence in Kentucky government.

Optimizing the Workforce for the Next Generation

As public-sector IT evolves, agencies must grapple with different expectations from existing and upcoming generations of professionals. How do leaders guide current teams through rapid change to retain talent and capture institutional knowledge? How are students being prepared for careers in the public sector? How does government attract new talent and what does meaningful mentorship look like when they arrive? This session focuses on the human side of technology transformation, exploring how to build and sustain a resilient IT workforce.

Constituents, Communication and Compliance

No matter how much technology changes, the mission of government remains the same: serving the needs of its people. Constituent engagement is evolving right alongside advancements in technology. How can agencies more effectively communicate with the people they serve? What are the current and future trends focused on improving such engagement? How does accessibility play a part in serving the public and building trust, and what can state and local governments do to ensure that they are meeting compliance standards?

Lunch

Kentucky Leadership Challenge: Public Sector Trivia Showdown

Just because the public sector must collaborate to solve problems doesn’t mean they can’t also be competitive! Test your knowledge of governance, policy, emerging tech…and Kentucky…in this high-energy, team-based trivia showdown. This is your chance to brag about your expertise, but also to network, build new relationships, share insights and strengthen connections across the Commonwealth’s public sector. Are you ready to lead your team to victory?

Short Break

Please proceed to the concurrent sessions.

Concurrent Sessions

Smart City Journeys

Cities are tasked with specific responsibilities, including managing local infrastructure and public safety, that place them in a unique position to use technology to enhance efficiency and directly improve their residents’ quality of life. In this session, you’ll hear firsthand from local government leaders about their comprehensive smart city strategies, key initiatives and how they are using technology and data analytics to update traditional systems and structures.

Modernizing the Backbone

Behind every digital service is a system backbone that must be reliable, flexible, and ready to evolve. For many agencies, that backbone includes aging ERP platforms, growing technical debt and complex cloud transitions. What systems should take priority? How do you migrate without disrupting operations? Join a discussion exploring real-world lessons from ERP lifecycle management, cloud migrations and efforts to reduce technical debt. Panelists will discuss how to build a stronger foundation for future innovation without breaking what already works.

Aligning Technology with Educational Mission

Kentucky’s Office of Education Technology recognizes that AI will “undoubtedly be part of every KY K-12 student’s and adult’s future,” requiring schools to constantly adapt. Education presents a set of unique challenges, from communicating with students and parents and providing equitable access to using technology to assess learning and dealing with identity fraud such as the rise of “ghost students.” Join a panel of K-20 IT leaders as they discuss the impact of evolving technology on their mission to advance student success, academic excellence and institutional sustainability.

Exclusive Briefing for Industry Partners

Hosted by: Jim Barnhart, Chief Information Officer, Commonwealth Office of Technology, Commonwealth of Kentucky

Networking Break in the Exhibit Area

General Session – From Dial-Up to Digital Twins: 25 Years of the Center for Digital Government and the Road to 2050

In 2001, "digital government" meant moving paper forms to static PDF downloads. Today, it means real-time, AI-driven resident services, "whole-of-state" cybersecurity, and cloud-native infrastructure that never sleeps. As the Center for Digital Government (CDG) celebrates its 25th anniversary, we invite you to a high-energy retrospective and a forward-looking strategy session that tracks the evolution of the public sector’s digital DNA. We will walk through the "waves" of transformation we’ve navigated together and will provide a roadmap for the next quarter-century of innovation.

William “Bill” Rials, Senior Fellow, Government Technology

Networking Reception in the Exhibit Area

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

End of Conference

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