Elizabeth Brennan brings emerging technology to the public safety end-user through her leadership of the Research & Development group at REJIS.  With over 15 years of IT experience in the fields of public safety, logistics, and education, Elizabeth has led implementations of AI, geospatial, Machine Learning, image recognition, and school safety technology.  In her current role, Elizabeth educates and evangelizes the use of AI for internal and external knowledge management .  To share her experience and continue learning, Elizabeth teaches Python for Data Science courses as an Adjunct Professor in the Sever Institute of the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in Saint Louis.  Elizabeth serves as Programs Chair for the Society for Information Management’s Saint Louis chapter and enjoys networking with IT leaders.  Elizabeth received a B.S. in Computer Science and Applied Math from Fontbonne University and a Masters of Science in Computer Engineering from Saint Louis University.

Erin Egan is the Tax System Modernization Leader in the Finance, Administration, Cybersecurity and Tax team with Amazon Web Services. Prior to joining AWS, she worked for the State of Wisconsin for more than two decades. She spent twelve years as the Director of Tax Operations at the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, overseeing the processing of millions of tax returns and collecting more than $15 billion annually. She won several national awards during her tenure for innovative technology projects in tax administration as well as unclaimed property.

Julian Erber is the Director of Technology and Innovation at Parkway School District in Chesterfield, MO, where he has served for 11 years in various roles. He began his career as a technician in a school building and progressively advanced through positions in programming, systems engineering, and operations management. A dedicated leader in the K-12 technology community, Julian is passionate about driving innovation, optimizing technology systems, and enhancing educational experiences through technology.

Theresa Frommel is the Enterprise Cyber Risk Manager for the Office of Administration, Information Technology Services Division, State of Missouri. Her primary duties involve overseeing cyber risk, audits, project and regulatory compliance, security awareness, and vulnerability management.  Theresa has a background in the security operations center, access controls, policy development, and end user education.  Her prior work experience includes the Missouri Research and Education Network and Missouri’s Office of State Courts Administrator.  Theresa has been in the information security field since 2002. 

Joe has decades of experience in supporting public sector organizations with transformational technologies.   Joe is a Missouri native who suppports Agencies, Universities, and local Government with AI, Data & Analytics, and Cloud strategies, enabling better citizen services, reducing cyber risk, and driving more efficient  IT operations.  

A 25 year technology veteran in the fields of networking, technology security, project management, data storage, and technology operations. Over the past 11 years with the City of St. Louis i've been part of many of the advancements in technology from increasing network security, implementing MultiFactor Authentication, expanding our reach into the public cloud systems, private network and server infrastructure, disaster recovery advancements, business continuity planning, and upgrading of our incident response plans. As the Network Manager, I oversee the workstation teams, email systems, public and private cloud systems, disaster recovery, SOC Team, NOC Team, assist with the budgetary constraints, keypoint team member for any cyber related incidents, and much more.

Pam Keep currently holds position as the Application Development Manager in the Office of Administration, Information Technology Services Division, Supporting the Department of Health and Senior Services.
Experienced Information Systems Professional with 40+ years of work experience. With IT knowledge across Retail, Manufacturing and State Government. Companies include the following: Seifert’s / Retail with focus on data conversions and application Development.
Unilever Home and Personal Care / Manufacturing with fucus on data conversions, application development and, managing plant systems & desktop support. Missouri State Government, OA /ITSD Supporting Application Development: Department of Social Services, Children’s Division, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and the Department of Health and Senior Services. Application Development Supervisory and Management.
Pam received her associate’s degree as a Systems Analyst from Indian Hills Community College, Ottumwa, Iowa, as well as a BS in Business with emphasis in Systems from Columbia College, Jefferson City, Missouri, and an MO Project Manager Certification, Jefferson City, Missouri
Born and raised in Oskaloosa, Iowa.  Happily married for 42 years with three children and three grandchildren.  Enjoys the outdoors camping and flower gardening, and crafting in spare time.

Melissa Kozakiewicz serves as Assistant City Manager and Chief Innovation Officer for the City of Kansas City, Missouri, where she leads initiatives focused on digital transformation, cross-sector collaboration, and modernizing public services. Her work spans data governance, AI integration, and community-centered innovation, with a strong emphasis on equity, transparency, and user-focused design. Melissa has overseen major civic projects, including Kansas City’s rebrand, citywide AI pilots, and the development of the Digital Equity Office, and brings a deep background in public-private partnerships, strategic communications, and operational reform.

Chris LaCour is the Chief Technology Officer for Academy Bank and Armed Forces Bank. He has worked in the technology field for more than 30 years and spent the last 3 with a primary focus in the emerging technology of GenerativeAI, setting up Cener's of Excellence and R & D departments at enterprise companies. Chris's main area of expertise is in technology leadership, team building, and professional development. 

As a Director for T-Mobile Accessibility (32 Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) states plus US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico), her primary responsibilities are overseeing T-Mobile Accessibility to ensure State and FCC compliance for TRS, iTRS and other accessibility service offerings. Most importantly, Jacque has a passion for connecting people, digital equity, and accessibility where people live, work and play.
Jacque Lee has sequentially held the following positions with T-Mobile since 1996:
Public Sector Experience with T-Mobile
T-Mobile’s Project 10 Million
T-Mobile’s Connecting Heroes
Government, GSA, NASPO, Sourcewell NPP State and Local Contracts
State and Local Government Voice and Mobile Broadband Solutions
Education Connectivity Solutions K-12 and Higher Education
Public Safety and Emergency Management Vertical
T-Mobile Accessibility
T-Mobile Accessibility offers a wide range of telecommunication products and services for consumers who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Late-Deafened, DeafBlind, blind/low vision or have a speech disability.  Jacque empowers her team to work closely with the community and business customers on how to enhance connectivity and communication.

Al brings 25 years of deep technical experience in IT development, support, services, and technical sales.

Abbie O’Sullivan is the Enterprise Architect for the University of Missouri and has over 25 years of higher-ed IT leadership experience including IT support, Infrastructure, software licensing, IT compliance, strategic planning and innovation, creating policy, educating, building relationships, and creating an accessible digital campus for persons with disabilities.
Abbie directs the work of the Enterprise Architecture and IT Accessibility programs and services which include information technology compliance for purchase and reviewing technology, proactive consulting, architectural diagram reviews, and provides leadership to drive future state technologies that support the business processes, regulations and align with the strategic goals of the University.

Brad is a distinguished business technology leader with over 20 years of experience at leading companies including AT&T, Microsoft, Verizon, and Avaya. In his current role as AI Practice Lead for AT&T's Connected Solutions business unit, Brad heads AT&T's Connected AI initiative where he is creating an integrated platform combining IoT analytics, conversational AI, and AI-assisted code generation. Brad holds a Master of Science in Applied Computational Math & Statistics from The University of Notre Dame, equipping him with the analytical rigor and computational expertise necessary to push the boundaries of AI and IoT applications in business.

Melissa Randol serves as the Executive Director of the Missouri School Boards' Association (MSBA). She was appointed to this role in 2015 after more than 20 years with the association in various leadership positions, including General Counsel, Deputy Executive Director, and state and federal lobbyist. She also serves as Chief Executive Officer of the Missouri Center for Education Safety and the MSBA FutureBuilders Foundation.
Melissa holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Accounting from Missouri State University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She has contributed to the education community through a variety of statewide leadership roles, including as a member of the Governor’s School Safety Task Force, a board member for Jobs for America’s Graduates, an officer of the Missouri Securities Investment Program, and Co-Chair of the Local Leaders Partnership. She is also a former chair of both the Education Roundtable and the Missouri Bar Committee on Civics Education.

Leidy Quitian Varon, a Colombian immigrant, has resided in Kansas City, MO, for the past 12 years. She possesses a teaching license, a law degree, and a master’s degree in Human Rights and Democratization. Over the last decade, Leidy has been employed by the City of Kansas City. She began her career as a Civil Rights Investigator in the Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity (CREO) Department, progressed to an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Investigator in Human Resources, and currently serves as the Language Access Manager for the Office of Language Access, a role she assumed in October 2024. Throughout her tenure with the City, Leidy has hosted both Spanish and English language radio shows and Spanish language television infomercials to engage with diverse communities. Her collaborations with various organizations and City departments aim to implement policies and enforce anti-discrimination laws to ensure inclusiveness and equity within the city.
Having personally experienced language barriers before achieving proficiency in English, Leidy understands that language complexity and limited linguistic resources may prevent some individuals from accessing available services. She is committed to implementing the office's Comprehensive and Equitable Language Access Plan and investing in solutions to ensure language accessibility for all.
Leidy leads a team of two Language Services Specialists who are dedicated to providing translation, interpretation, and plain language services to all City departments and Kansas City residents. A third team member will be focused on bridging language accessibility gaps for individuals with disabilities.

Travis currently serves as the Manager of Employee Engagement and Operational Excellence for ITSD. He started his career with the State of Missouri as a member of the Call Center and has also served as a Business Analyst as well as a Business Relationship Manager with ITSD. In 2019, Travis graduated from the ITSD-U Leadership Program and during that same year he earned his Green Belt in Lean Six Sigma from The Ohio St. University. In 2024 Travis graduated from the Missouri Leadership Academy. Travis has a passion in helping  ITSD employees succeed at each stage of the Employee Lifecycle based on their current needs.

Dr. Robert Voss is the founder of Voss AI Consulting and Associate Professor of History at Northwest Missouri State University, where he leads the development of the Applied AI minor program and serves as Faculty Senate President. As the recipient of both the prestigious Tower Service Award and a Teaching and Learning Grant to study AI’s impact on humanities majors, Dr. Voss brings academic rigor to practical AI implementation challenges.
With a unique background in Digital Humanities, Dr. Voss specializes in developing AI governance frameworks and implementation strategies for CPA firms and educational institutions. His methodology emphasizes human-centered design while ensuring compliance with ethical standards, translating complex AI concepts into practical tools that enhance operational efficiency and strategic decision-making.

Joshua is a United States Air Force Veteran with 15+ years of experience in government and law enforcement data/software management. He started his career as a Signals Intelligence Analyst in the USAF in 2006. He completed two tours in Iraq during his five years with the Air Force. Since then, he has grown his skills in data analytics, data management/migration, and ultimately project/program management. He has had the opportunity to work at the National Security Agency, Drug Enforcement Agency, and various state governmental agencies. His time with the DEA afforded him the opportunity to complete a yearlong tour in Afghanistan where he was training local government officials and acted as the implementation specialist for new data projects.
After a year in Afghanistan, he was in need of a break and took the time to complete a Bachelors program in Culinary Arts at Auguste Escoffier in Austin, TX. His first Bachelors is in Information Systems Management from the University of Maryland and most recent is in Applied Science from Tarleton State University. While his retirement is still a long way off, the plan for retirement is to return to school and complete a PHD in Clinical Psychology. Hoping to always be a lifelong student.
In 2015, he helped start a consulting company, DNA Solutions and Consulting, in Baltimore, Maryland. They focus on federal and state data driven contracts and IT support services. After 5 years and 26 unique applications, he decided to step away from contracting and seek the stability of a permanent position again. While he is still an active member of the advisory board at DNA Solutions, he currently resides in St. Louis, Missouri and manages a software development program of 13 different applications for REJIS (Regional Justice Information Services) Commission. He grew up in rural Southern Illinois, so St Louis was the closest metropolitan area he could get to coming home.
He is an avid adventurer and enjoys backpacking, camping, and hiking. He travels every chance he gets and has been fortunate enough to have visited 18 countries and 21 National Parks so far. While the sightseeing is always a draw, the real reason he travels is food. His love of food is what inspired him to get a degree in culinary arts, and he firmly believes that nothing brings people together quite like food!