Name: California Public Sector CIO Academy 2020
Start: 2020-02-05T08:00
Location: Sheraton Grand Sacramento Hotel

Overview

To view speaker presentations where available, see Agenda section.

View photo highlights of the California Public Sector CIO Academy Here.

The California Public Sector CIO Academy is the premier leadership event for California's senior level technology executives to improve their management and business skills and to develop IT leaders of the future. The purpose of this invitation-only event is to foster discussion and dialogue on what it means to be a successful CIO in the public sector and how to use IT as a strategic tool. This event is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for government and industry executives to collaborate and address the most important policy, management and leadership issues surrounding the future of digital government and the evolving role of the public-sector CIO.

Topics Include:

Juggling Services and Personal Privacy
Building the Workforce of Tomorrow
If I Knew Then What I Know Now...
How to Create and Maintain a High-Performance Culture
Tips for Great Vendor Relationships
Got Risk?
The Evolution of the “Modern CIO”
It’s Not What You Say, It’s What They Hear
Creating a Culture of Inclusion
Do You Have the Business Support You Need?
The Right Chemistry
The “Modern CIO” Playbook
The Privacy Tightrope
Great Leaders are Great Facilitators
The IT Circle of Life: From Service Provision to Strategic Partnership
The Rise of Disruption
Making the Case
WANTED: More IT Leaders Under 40

A message from our Keynote Speaker

Speakers

Jay Rifenbary - Keynote

Author and President, Rifenbary Training & Development

Jay Rifenbary is president of Rifenbary Training & Development and author of the International Best-Seller, No Excuse! – Incorporating Core Values, Accountability and Balance into Your Life and Career, awarded Book of the Year by the North American Book Dealers Exchange. His most recent releases include True to Your Core – Common Sense Values for Living Life to its Fullest and Return To Your Core – Principles For a Purposeful and Respected Life.
Awarded the 2017 Vistage International Speaker of the Year, Jay is a professional speaker, trainer and consultant; and for over 25 years has provided his expertise in the areas of organizational culture, personal and professional core value development, servant leadership, and communication training to organizations, associations and schools across North America, Europe and Asia.
Jay received his Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point, with a concentration in Nuclear Physics.
From being a former qualified Airborne/Ranger, Military Commander, Sales Professional, Corporate Manager and Entrepreneur, Jay brings a unique background of interpersonal skills and business experience to each of his training and speaking engagements.
Jack Canfield, Best Selling Author of Chicken Soup for the Soul, said of No Excuse! that, "Jay has given the world a most generous gift. Anyone who applies the No Excuse! philosophy can create the life they want and make a difference."

David Kwong - Keynote

Illusionist, Movie Consultant, New York Times Crossword Writer

With his expertise in enigmas and magic, David Kwong delights and challenges audiences around the world with his intellectual brand of “puzzles and prestidigitation.”
A veteran “cruciverbalist” (crossword puzzle constructor), Kwong routinely creates puzzles for the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal and other national publications.
Kwong is the puzzle and secret code consultant for the hit NBC show “Blindspot.” He was the head magic consultant on the 2013 worldwide hit film Now You See Me and recently co-created Deception, a show for ABC about a magician who joins the FBI. Other films Kwong and his Misdirectors Guild have worked on include The Imitation Game, Ant-Man, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, and The Magnificent 7.
Kwong was a featured speaker at TED 2014. His talk on how human beings are “wired to solve” involved hiding secret messages in the New York Times crossword puzzle. Kwong’s book Spellbound: Seven Principles of Illusion to Captivate Audiences and Unlock the Secrets of Success was published by Harper Business.
Kwong is a graduate of Harvard University, where he studied the history of magic.

Andrew Armani

Deputy Secretary of Information Technology, Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency, State of California

As the Information Technology Deputy Secretary for Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency, Andrew Armani is responsible for setting policies, collaborating and coordinating technology activities at the Agency and statewide.
Previously, Andrew held the position of the director of the office of eServices. The office led initiatives to enhance electronic service delivery on California State Portal. Andrew was responsible for managing and supporting the growth of California's eServices, including acting as a liaison between state agencies and departments.
Andrew entered state service in 1990. Since then, he has worked for several departments, where he has held various executive and managerial positions. Andrew started his career in private sector, where he worked for a variety of companies managing teams of software and system engineers. In that capacity, he was in charge of developing enterprise applications and network architecture.
Andrew graduated from California State University in Chico with a degree in Electronics and Computer Technology.

Amy Tong

Director and State Chief Information Officer, Department of Technology, State of California

Amy Tong is the State Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Director of the California Department of Technology. Ms. Tong is responsible for advising the Governor on the strategic management and direction of the state’s Information Technology (IT) resources. She is also responsible for establishing and implementing state IT strategic plans, policies, standards and enterprise architecture while minimizing overlap, redundancy and cost to the state by promoting efficient and effective use of IT. Ms. Tong coordinates the activities of Agency Information Officers and department CIOs for the purpose of integrating statewide technology initiatives and ensuring compliance with IT policies and standards in the areas of Digital Services, Information Security, Project Delivery, Innovation and IT Workforce development.
Ms. Tong has over 20 years of business, technology, and management experience in the public sector. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Information System and a Master of Business Administration from California State University, Sacramento.

Michael Wilkening

Special Advisor on Innovation and Digital Services, Office of Governor Gavin Newsom, State of California

Michael Wilkening was appointed as Special Advisor on Innovation and Digital Services by Governor Gavin Newsom in April 2019. In this role, he is responsible for coordinating and shaping the Administration’s initiatives to improve the delivery of public services to Californians.
Wilkening previously served as Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency (CHHS) and as Chair of Covered California for Governor Brown. Prior to his appointment as Secretary, Wilkening was Undersecretary of CHHS for Governor Brown and Governor Schwarzenegger. He served in several positions at the California Department of Finance from 1995 to 2008, including program budget manager for the Health and Human Services Unit. Wilkening was executive sponsor of the California Health and Human Services Open Data Initiative and Agency Technology Governance Council. He earned a Master of Arts degree in political science from the University of California, Davis.

Jim Whitehurst - Featured Speaker

President and CEO, Red Hat

Jim Whitehurst is president and chief executive officer of Red Hat, the world’s leading provider of open source enterprise IT software solutions and services. Whitehurst is an avid advocate for open software as a catalyst for business innovation. With a background in business development, finance, and global operations, Whitehurst has proven expertise in helping companies flourish—even in the most challenging economic and business environments.
Whitehurst has grown Red Hat and its influence on a variety of industries, by reaching key milestones— in 2012 when Red Hat became the first $1 billion revenue open source software company and most notably, the landmark acquisition of Red Hat by IBM for $34 billion in 2019.
Since joining Red Hat, Whitehurst has grown revenue from more than $500 million at the end of February 2008, to almost $3 billion for the company's 2018 fiscal year. Under his leadership, Red Hat was named to Forbes’ list of “The World’s Most Innovative Companies” in 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, and 2012; named to Fortune’s list of the Most Admired Companies for 2018; added to Standard and Poor’s (S&P) 500 stock index in 2009; named one of the best places to work by Glassdoor in 2016, 2014, and 2013; named to the first-ever Fortune Future 50 list in 2017; and added to the Forbes’ Global 2000 list in 2017. In addition, in 2018 Whitehurst was named one of the World’s Best CEOs by Barron’s and just this year, Red Hat was named #3 on Forbes’ list of World’s Best Employers.
In 2015, Whitehurst published a book with Harvard Business Review Press entitled "The Open Organization: Igniting Passion and Performance" showing how open principles of management—based on transparency, participation, and community—can help organizations navigate and succeed in a fast-paced connected era. To date, the book has sold more than 42,000 copies and has been featured in more than 130 press articles.

Dr. Trish Holliday - Featured Speaker

National Expert on People and Teams, and Former Chief Learning Officer for the State of Tennessee

As the state of Tennessee’s first Chief Learning Officer, Trish was recognized by Governing Magazine as being instrumental in the successful transformation of the state workforce. She drove change through continuous improvement, leadership development and employee learning at the macro and micro levels. Trish designed the LEAD Tennessee program to create a sustainable platform for talent retention in government. She led strategic planning and talent development for state executives in all three branches of government. Trish was the cover feature in the 2019 March issue of the national Chief Learning Officer Magazine. She was named one of the 2019 Women of Influence by the Nashville Business Journal. Trish received the Warner W. Stockberger Achievement Award in honor of a lifetime of outstanding contributions toward the improvement of public human resources management. As an adjunct professor at Lipscomb University and Trevecca University, Trish teaches undergraduates to doctoral students in areas like Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Human Resources Leadership and Management, and Personal Leadership Development. After receiving her Doctorate in Education, she wants to help students at all levels realize the importance of life-long learning.

Captain Christopher Behnam - Featured Speaker

Expert on Leadership, Synergy and Defining Moments

Captain Behnam is a noted motivational public speaker who shares new insights and ideas in problem solving that inspire and help people to exceed their goals in life. An agile and profound thinker, Captain Behnam opens eyes, and hearts changing the way we view ourselves and the world. Considered by many to be a loving father figure, Captain Behnam is a key advisor to businesses, students, and individuals who seek to overcome adversity. His concepts remove barriers that keep people from reaching their true potential.
Captain Behnam has been a pilot for United Airlines for 34 years and has flown over 15,000,000 miles. The Air Line Pilots Association recently bestowed on him the Superior Airmanship Award for his heroic actions on Flight 1175 from San Francisco to Honolulu. The 777-jet had catastrophic engine failure over the Pacific, but because of his efforts, the plane and all 381 souls onboard landed safely.
An expert on leadership, synergy, defining moments, meditation and more, Captain Behnam is in high demand to speak on numerous subjects.

Kristen Cox - Featured Speaker

Executive Director, Governor’s Office of Management and Budget, State of Utah

Kristen Cox is the executive director of the Utah Governor’s Office of Management and Budget (GOMB). Appointed to the position by Gov. Herbert in 2012, she has worked diligently to integrate operational excellence with the state’s management and budgeting practices.
The mission of GOMB is to create more value for every tax dollar invested. Under Kris’ leadership, Utah improved government performance by more than 27 percent by January 2017, exceeding the 25 percent goal set by the Governor. The work to improve government is never over, and the focus has now shifted to targeted improvements at specific state agencies.
Prior to her time at GOMB, Kris served as the executive director of the Department of Workforce Services (DWS). Kris led the DWS effort to save taxpayers nearly $30 million dollars while simultaneously improving quality for customers. This occurred during a time of significant caseload growth due to the 2008 economic recession.
Kris has also worked as the Secretary of the Maryland Department of Disabilities, was appointed to a position with the Department of Education by President George W. Bush and held numerous positions with the National Federation of the Blind. She ran as the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor of Maryland during the 2006 general election.
In December 2016, Kris was selected as one of Governing Magazine’s public officials of the year. She has also been honored by the Utah Community Foundation as an Enlightened 50 (2016), Utah Business Magazine as one of the 30 Women to Watch (2012) and by Days of 47 with the Pioneers of Progress Award for Business and Enterprise (2012).

Steven Hill - Featured Speaker

Head of Innovation, KPMG

Steven Hill is the Global Head of Innovation at KPMG. In this role, Steve is responsible for the lifecycle of innovation that leads to market strategies and investment prioritization. He works to combine the art and science of innovation to drive market relevance and sustainable growth. Steve’s close connection to market trends and growth strategies has made him a thought leader and change agent on innovation and digital transformation. Steve previously served in several KPMG leadership positions, including U.S. Vice Chair of Strategic Investments, Global Leader of Innovation for KPMG’s Advisory business, Global Leader for IT Strategy and CIO advisory services, and other major industry and geographic leadership roles.

Kori Lin Arbis, PMP

Supervisor, Network Support, Department of Technology, State of California

Kori Lin Arbis is the Supervisor over Network Support within California Department of Technology’s (CDT) Enterprise Network.
Kori oversees the team providing Wide Area Network (WAN) connectivity planning services and technical service improvement management for the CDT statewide network (i.e. California Government Enterprise Network (CGEN)) and its extended network of services (i.e. Fiber Ring Services (FRS/FRS-E), Cloud Provider Interconnect (CPI), Firewall as a Service (FWaaS), etc.).
Having started in the private sector where she managed a technical team in support of multi-media communications to a national audience, Kori did not start her State service until 2009, where she worked at the California State Lottery in Finance as a budget analyst and then Manager over the Financial Analysis and Risk Management team, with a move to IT performing business analysis, vendor management, and project management. At CDT, she has continued in the project manager and business analyst roles for numerous projects, including playing integral functions in IT projects such as Vendor Hosted Subscription Services ((VHSS) i.e. eSignature, Storage as a Service (STaaS) On-Premises, Off-Premises, Learning Management Systems (LMS), and Microsoft Office 365 (O365)), SeviceNow, and Software Defined Wide Area Network as a Service (SD-WANaaS).

Liana Bailey-Crimmins

Chief Information Security Officer, California Public Employees’ Retirement System, State of California

Liana Bailey-Crimmins was named CalPERS' chief information security officer in August 2019. As head of the Information Security Office, she provides leadership and oversees the team responsible for protecting the private data of nearly 2 million CalPERS members, as well as the $400 billion investment portfolio.
Most recently, Liana served as CalPERS’ chief health director from May 2017 to July 2019. As head of the Health Policy & Benefits Branch, she provided leadership and oversaw our health benefits program, including policy research, plan contracting and administration, member enrollment and eligibility, and the long-term care program.
Liana first joined CalPERS as chief information officer for the Information Technology Services Branch in August 2013, where she became known for her ability to lead a large and diverse cross-functional organization to meet CalPERS' technology needs through innovative solutions.
She has served in the public sector for 31 years. Before joining CalPERS, Liana served as the information technology director and CIO of California Correctional Health Care Services (CCHCS). Prior to CCHCS, she worked as the project director of the California Information Technology Infrastructure Project.
In 2015, she was honored with the prestigious "CIO of the Year" award from the California CIO Academy. Other honors include recognition for her work on CCHCS' Telemedicine Program, which helped them win the 2012 Computerworld Honors Program Laureate Award, and the Best of California award in the Government Technology Digital Internal category in 2011.
Liana studied computer science at California State University, Sacramento, and is an Information Technology Managers Academy graduate.

PJ Bajwa

Chief Information Officer, Department of Fair Employment & Housing, State of California

PJ Bajwa is the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) and oversees Information Technology (IT) and project activities of the department. He is responsible for IT strategic plans to meet DFEH’s mission critical goals and programs and efficient execution of IT operations and processes to improve technology and business alignment. Prior to joining DFEH, PJ was responsible for overseeing State departments’ Information Technology (IT) projects at Department of Technology. He provided direct oversight to ensure effective and efficient management of State IT projects and guided departments to develop IT Strategy, Business Case, Procurement and Governance activities as related to project lifecycle. Prior to that PJ led a team of developers and consultants on software development initiatives at CalPERS. PJ has over 20 years’ experience in IT in the private and public sectors. He possesses a Master’s degree in Software Systems Engineering and a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering from California State University, San Jose. He also holds a Project Management Professional certification.

Director, Department of Financial Information System for California, State of California

Miriam Barcellona Ingenito is 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. Most recently, 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.

Teri Bennett

Business Development & Sales Director, Accenture

Teri leads business development for Accenture’s Practice in Northern California; she is a seasoned technology executive with 30+ years of CA State government experience. Over the course of her career, Teri built organizations, developed business and technology strategies, led major business transformations, and managed many large, complex government IT projects. With an emphasis in public sector, she specializes in strategy, planning, program management, organizational development and organizational change management. She is particularly skilled in large system planning, acquisition and management and the methods and processes necessary to assure the delivery of high-quality products and services. Teri is motivated by innovation, opportunity and challenge.

Chief Information Officer, Department of Toxic Substances Control, State of California

Jennifer Benson is DTSC’s Chief Information Officer, beginning with the Department in 2017. She served as a Systems Software Specialist II (Supervisor) for the California Environmental Protection Agency beginning in 2015 and previously worked for DTSC in the Office of Environmental Information.
Jennifer has over 30 years of information technology experience, with the last 20 focused on project, program, and portfolio management in state and local government and the private sector. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management information systems, and has earned several technical certifications including project management professional, VMware certified associate, information technology infrastructure library and Microsoft certified systems engineer.

Carrie Bishop

Chief Digital Services Officer, City & County of San Francisco

Carrie Bishop is Chief Digital Services Officer for the City and County of San Francisco. Having started her career in local government in the UK, Carrie believes passionately about public services designed around the people that use them. Prior to moving to SF, Carrie spent eight years running FutureGov, a digital design agency for public services, working with cities in the UK, Europe and Australia. Fulfilling a lifelong dream to live in the US, Carrie moved to San Francisco in 2017. In her role at the city she is leading the team that builds new digital services, including making a seamless online permitting experience for construction, business, and events; making it possible to apply for affordable housing online; and creating a whole new website for the City that puts residents at the heart of everything we do.

Brenda Bridges Cruz

Deputy Director, Office of Professional Development, Department of Technology, State of California

Brenda Bridges Cruz is the Deputy Director of the Office of Professional Development at the California Department of Technology. She is responsible for the oversight of Statewide Information Technology (IT) Professional Development initiatives and programs which include IT Leadership Academies, IT Workforce Development, and the Statewide Technology Training Center. Ms. Bridges Cruz is part of CDT’s executive team and serves as a key advisor and provides direct input to the State Chief Information Officer on issues that affect statewide IT professional development, workforce continuance, structured training and overarching policies. Ms. Bridges Cruz was instrumental in developing and implementing a statewide mainframe apprenticeship program and also sits on the Governor’s Cybersecurity Taskforce, Workforce Development and Education Subcommittee.
Ms. Bridges Cruz has nearly 25 years of technology and management experience in the private and public sectors combined. During her career, she has worked at various state departments and worked on large integration projects around legacy modernization, and enterprise initiatives related to application development, quality assurance, data management and analytics, strategic planning and organizational change management.
Ms. Bridges Cruz has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Valdosta State University, Georgia along with various IT certifications such as ITIL, Program Management, Project Management, and Agile Project Management. She has been on the California CIO Academy Advisory Board since 2017 and was a 2012 CIO Academy IT Leadership Award recipient.

Tristian Cormier

Section Chief of Systems Engineering, Secretary of State, State of California

Tristian Cormier has more than 15 years of experience in IT Infrastructure Operations and Network Management for the State of California. Tristian currently serves as Section Chief of Systems Engineering at the Secretary of State (SOS), where he provides oversite for Network & Cyber Security, Systems Administration, and Client Services. Before joining SOS, Tristian served as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the Office of Tax Appeals (OTA). Tristian was responsible for the overall management of the information technology resources for the OTA. Tristian directed the work of the IT unit, including personnel in business technology management, client services, information security engineering, project management, software engineering, and system engineering. Before OTA, Tristian served as a Network Engineer in which he was responsible for the design, implementation, and administration of the Departments Wide Area Network (WAN) and Local Area Network (LAN). He served as Project Lead on Data Center Campus and Core Designs and managed over 800 network devices and 30,000 interfaces statewide. Tristian also worked at the Employment Development Department (EDD) for seven years in the Infrastructure Division, where he provided support for EDD’s Enterprise Information Technology Operations, including all associated hardware/software components. Tristian attended California State University, Sacramento (CSUS), where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Business. 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.

Christian Farland

Chief Information Officer, CalPERS, State of California

Christian Farland was named CalPERS' chief information officer in February 2018.
He manages the administration and direction of CalPERS' information technology (IT) services and strategy and provides leadership and counsel to the board and executive team.
Christian's duties include overseeing the 600-plus members of the information technology team, as well as the technology portfolio that makes up CalPERS' $100 million IT budget.
He previously served in a number of leadership roles at CalPERS, including chief technology business officer; interim chief for the Technology & Strategic Services Division; chief of IT Performance and Accountability; and enterprise transition management project manager for CalPERS' transformation initiative for five years.

Dawn C. Ford

U.S. Public Sector-State and Local Government, Education and Public Healthcare Chief of Strategy-Business Development, NetApp

Dawn Ford joined NetApp as the chief of strategy for business development for U.S. Public Sector-SLED where she is responsible for building C-level relationships and driving large project capture across the United States. Prior to NetApp, Dawn held several leadership positions including General Manager, Public Sector at Xerox and Sales Management in Large Corporate Accounts at Dell.
Dawn has led public sector teams for the past ten years helping government entities drive innovation and adopt new services, including digital transformation. Dawn holds a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification and has been in the technology industry for over 25 years.

Katie Hagen

Chief Deputy Director, Department of Tax and Fee Administration, State of California

Katie S. Hagen is Chief Deputy Director at the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration where she leads an executive team engaged in fairly and efficiently collecting the revenue that supports California’s essential services.
Prior to joining the CDTFA in 2017, Katie served as the Deputy Director of Operations at the California Department of Human Resources from 2015 to 2017, Chief Human Resources Officer at the California Public Employees Retirement System from 2011 to 2015 and served in several leadership roles at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation from 1999 to 2011. For many years Katie also taught undergraduate and graduate courses in Organizational Leadership Development, Organizational Communication, Public Policy Analysis, and Human Resource Administration as an adjunct professor at the University of San Francisco. She is a respected, authentic leader and is skilled at leading teams in identifying and implementing creative solutions to “unsolvable” organizational public sector challenges.
Katie holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of San Francisco and a bachelor’s degree in political science and French from Humboldt State University.

Scott Howland

Chief Information Officer & Chief, Information Management Division, California Highway Patrol

Dr. Scott Howland is a 29-year veteran of the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and is the CHP’s Chief Information Officer and Chief of Information Management Division. Chief Howland provides oversight for the CHP’s information technology and telecommunications environments and is responsible for implementing and maintaining a durable technology infrastructure to support the CHP’s 24/7 operations statewide. He is also responsible for providing reliable communications to meet the needs of all CHP commands, the CHP’s mobile fleet, and 25 communications centers statewide. Additionally, he oversees the CHP’s Computer Crimes Investigations Unit that investigates computer crimes involving state information technology resources. His prior assignments have included overseeing statewide community outreach and media relations, serving as the CHP's legislative liaison, as well as multiple field assignments.
Chief Howland is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association. He holds Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership and Master of Business Administration degrees from the University of La Verne.

Director, KPMG

Todd Jerue is a Director for KPMG in the Sacramento office, serving as the Lead Account Director for the California Government Account. He has been at KPMG since September 2018. Previously, Todd spent over 21 years at the Department of Finance for the State of California. As the Chief Operating Officer at Finance from 2011 to 2018, Todd was also the Sponsor of the FI$Cal project and chaired the FI$Cal Steering Committee. Todd received his Bachelor of Science degree and MBA from California State University, Sacramento.

Chief Information Officer, Department of Rehabilitation, State of California

Jon Kirkham has been the CIO at the Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) since 2014. In this time, his team has established IT as a key partner in providing programs and services to 130,000 Californians with disabilities annually. Jon’s 18 years of state service span several departments and include experience from database administration and project management to information security and strategic planning. He has a BA in Psychology, is an alumnus of the National Rehabilitation Leadership Institute, and has been recognized individually with a Most Dedicated Employee award while working at a dot-com startup and as part of the DOR IT team honored with a 2018 Department of Technology Directorate Partnership Award. Jon has been in formal leadership roles in both the private and public sectors since the mid-1990s and is passionate about solving problems and delivering value to improve the lives of others.

Ryan Labbe

Advisor, Strategic Partnerships, Western US, NIC, Inc.

As a former State CIO of Vermont, Ryan brings his IT leadership and innovation expertise to California with NIC, Inc. Besides his experience in the public sector, Ryan has worked with venture funded early and mid-stage SaaS companies on the east coast and Europe focusing on collaboration software in the consumer research and consumer packaged goods industries. Founded in 1992, NIC works in twenty-eight states delivering best-in-class citizen engagement services.

Brian Metzker

Senior Fiscal & Policy Analyst, Legislative Analyst’s Office, State of California

Brian Metzker is a Senior Fiscal and Policy Analyst with the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO), a nonpartisan office that provides fiscal and policy advice to the Legislature. The office serves as the “eyes and ears” for the Legislature to ensure that the executive branch is implementing legislative policy in a cost efficient and effective manner. Brian is the LAO’s lead analyst on information technology-related fiscal and policy issues, including budget requests.

Subbarao Mupparaju

Chief Information Officer/Deputy Director, Department of Financial Information System for California, State of California

Subbarao Mupparaju is the Chief Information Officer and Deputy Director of the Information Technology Division at the Department of Financial Information System for California (FISCal). Subbarao has over 27 years of IT experience with increasing responsibilities for leading and supporting a broad range of information systems, IT and business transformation initiatives, IT operations, and enterprise architecture programs in government, retail, finance, and insurance industries. Subbarao has a Master's Degree in Engineering, Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, and various technical certifications. He is a recipient of the California CIO of the Year award, HP Most Valuable People (MVP) award, and IBM Hundred Percent Club award for his leadership and team building skills.

Kem Musgrove

Chief Information Officer, Franchise Tax Board, State of California

Kem Musgrove is the Franchise Tax Boards Chief Information Officer and Chief of the Technology Services Division.
Kem develops information technology policy and formulates the department's vision and strategic direction for its use of technology. He represents the department's technology interest to the Government Operations Agency, the state's control agencies, and other departments. Kem started his career with FTB in 2000 as an information technology (IT) application developer. Since that time he has been a project manager for numerous projects, held numerous IT manager positions, and director over the IT Operations and Infrastructure areas in the Technology Services Division. Most recently he was the Technical Director of FTB’s 66-month Enterprise Data to Revenue (EDR) Project and instrumental in the project’s highly successful modernization of FTB’s business and IT systems. He also has 20 years of Federal Project Management and Service Operations experience managing multiple large-scale IT projects for the United States Air Force.
Kem has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science/Software Engineering and earned Associate of Science Degrees in Information Systems Technology, Scientific Analysis Technology, and Instructor of Scientific Technology.

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Chris Neff

Vice President of Marketing, NIC Inc.

Chris Neff leads the marketing, market research, and consumer insights functions for NIC – the nation’s largest provider of digital services and secure payment processing solutions for state and local agencies. The company’s user-friendly self-service solutions are used nationwide by more than 6,000 federal, state, and local agencies nationwide.
Prior to joining NIC, he developed the Coca-Cola Company’s consumer marketing programs for entertainment and retail clients. At MCI Communications, he was the brand manager for several consumer telecom services. Chris began his career as a cable television broadcaster and producer in Detroit.
Chris is a frequent speaker on understanding the evolving citizen mindset and how to build great digital experiences for constituents. When not working, skiing, or mountain biking, he is also a professional voiceover artist and occasional radio host for the National Public Radio member station in Park City, Utah. Chris received an MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management and a BA from the University of Michigan.

Russ Nichols

Director/Chief Information Officer, Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, State of California

In 2015, Governor Jerry Brown appointed Russ to the position of Agency Chief Information Officer and Director of the Enterprise Information Services Division for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). Enterprise Information Services (EIS) is responsible for the development and support of enterprise IT solutions for approximately 63,000 staff and 170,000 inmates and parolees in approximately 88 locations department-wide; 35 adult facilities, 3 juvenile facilities, and remote locations, including fire camps, parole offices, and other administrative offices throughout the state. Prior to this role, Russ served as the Director of the CDCR Strategic Offender Management Systems Program from 2010 to 2015.
Russ also served as the Technical Project Manager of MyCalPays for the State Controller’s Office and Application and Customer Services Manager for the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. In total, Russ has 30 years of state government service.
Russ also holds positions as the President for the Corrections Technology Association and is a Vice-Chair of the Information Technology Committee for the American Correctional Association. Russ also served in the United States Marine Corps.

Vitaliy Panych

Acting Chief Information Security Officer, Department of Technology, State of California

Vitaliy Panych joined the Office of Information Security as the Deputy Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), effective beginning of 2019, and then taking over as the State CISO in the acting capacity shortly thereafter. In this role he has been focused on enabling the continuous maturity of Statewide Risk Governance, Security Operations, and Incident Response within the Executive branch in California. Panych has more than 17 years of public and private sector experience, including security leadership roles within three of the largest California Agencies, including the largest Correctional organization in the world. Under the leadership of Panych, he has established highly functional information security teams to build cyber security defenses and operational capabilities from the ground up. This includes building new security operations practices for multiple agencies and supporting all facets of risk management for large scale multi-billion business operations in support of missions covering Law Enforcement, Public Safety, Medical, Educational, Financial benefit/collection and Industrial complex. Panych’s education includes a bachelor’s degree from California State University, Sacramento, and possession of multitude of industry security professional certifications (CISSP, CICSP, GREM, GXPN, GPEN, GCFA).

Heather Pettit

Chief Information Officer, Judicial Council of California, State of California

Heather L. Pettit has over 20 years of experience working in technology. She has worked in such industries as gaming, software development, retail, service and hospitality. Her technology expertise spans all areas of IT including project management, software development, product management, quality assurance, infrastructure, service desk and education. She has worked for the California Judicial Branch for over 13 years. Prior to working as the Chief Information Officer at the Judicial Council, she was the Chief Information Officer for Contra Costa Superior Court, and the Chief Technology Officer for the Sacramento Superior Court. Highlights of her career within the Judicial branch include, the California Statewide RFP for Case Management. This effort lead to the creation of three Master Service Agreements for Case Management systems. Winner of CITOC’s Innovations Award for 2013 for Sacramento’s Public Access Program. Chair/Co-Chair of the California Court Information Technology Managers Forum and Faculty for ICM’s Managing Technology and Resources and Strategic Planning and Visioning.

Sarah Plantenberg

Design Principal, IBM

“The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity.” – Carl Jung
Sarah Plantenberg is a design principal with IBM and a life-long creative. Sarah takes great satisfaction collaborating with clients to create and harvest ideas to solve deep, profound problems.
For the last 5 years, Sarah has specialized in bringing human factors to the areas of transformation and innovation with many of the world’s most recognizable enterprises. As a 20-year veteran of design, Sarah uses the principles of design and design thinking to develop holistic approaches to help clients translate initiatives like cloud adoption, agile transformation, and innovation, into demonstrable outcomes to reach their business and user experience goals. Sarah works with clients to sustain these radical changes by helping them modify their cultures and communication styles to create space for their new business outcomes.
Sarah is also an innovator of new design practices, inventor with numerous IBM patents, and former serial-startup junkie.

Ron Robinette

Branch Chief, Project Approvals and Oversight, Department of Technology, State of California

Ron Robinette serves as Branch Chief in the Office of Statewide Project Delivery for the California Department of Technology. He leads a team focusing on project planning and oversight and guides state departments initiating IT projects from conceptualization to completion using the Project Approval Lifecycle framework.
With a career in public service spanning more than 22 years, Ron served as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) at the California Department of Community Services and Development before joining CDT in 2017 and was recognized as a CIO of the Year in 2016. His state service includes roles in the Application Development Branch of the California Department of Public Health where he worked on numerous key projects, and as a Senior Project Analyst at the State Water Resources Control Board. Over the years, his technology teams have received numerous state and national awards.
Ron received a Bachelor of Science in Business with an emphasis on Management Information Systems from Sacramento State University. He is an alumni of several IT leadership programs.

Richard Rogers

Chief Technology Officer, Department of Technology, State of California

Richard Rogers wears many hats at the California Department of Technology. He is the department’s acting Chief Deputy Director and acting Deputy State Chief Information Officer, as well as California’s Chief Technology Officer. His responsibilities include running the State Data Center and providing IT services for state and local government entities. Richard was part of a small solutions engineering team that partnered with the private industry to create the Employment Development Department’s Document and Imaging Management Solution that achieved the Center of Excellence.

Chief Innovation Officer, Information Technology Services Division, California State Lottery, State of California

John has over 20-year in State service as a strategic thought leader. He has held several critical roles and positions during his career and places a strong focus on aligning business and technology goals and objectives to deliver measurable value.
He utilizes his practical experience in multiple business and technology disciplines (digital transformation, horizontal services, enterprise architecture, governance, strategic planning, project management, legacy system modernization, application rationalization, development and business analysis) to facilitate successful outcomes.
His acknowledgements include: Best of California Award, California Boomerang Project (Retired Annuitant Database) & Gold Award, State Information Officers Council (SIOC), Franchise Tax Board Strategic Plan.

Karen Ruiz

Chief Information Officer, Covered California, State of California

Ms. Ruiz currently serves as the Chief Information Officer for Covered California since her appointment in March 2015. Covered California provides affordable insurance for over nearly 1.5 million Californians, supporting consumers with a network of over 10,000 private insurance agents, and an over 1,000 seat contact center.
Ms. Ruiz previously served as the Project Director for the CalHEERS system project which is a joint venture between Covered California and the Department of Health Care Services. The system will be used by consumers to apply and enroll in new Covered California plans beginning October 1, 2013, and as the Project Director for CalPERS $500 million pension and health system consolidation and modernization project. The system, launched in September, 2011, replaced over 49 legacy systems and serves as the single solution managing pension and health benefits for over a million public employees.
Prior to her appointment at CalPERS, Ms. Ruiz served as the Deputy Director and Chief Information Officer for the Department of Social Services and also served as part of the IT executive management team at the Employment Development Department, overseeing IT Governance, project management, and enterprise architecture.

Lead Consultant of Statewide Workforce and Succession Management, Department of Human Resources, State of California

Erica Salinas serves as the lead over the California Department of Human Resources’ (CalHR) Workforce and Succession Management Programs, delivering customized consulting services to organizations developing their workforce and succession plans. She began her state career in 2013 when she was selected to help develop and launch CalHR’s Workforce Planning Unit from its inception, including the Workforce Development Division’s first strategic business plan. As Team Consultant for the Governor’s Civil Service Improvement Workforce and Succession Management initiative, she led the development of the State of California Workforce and Succession Management Models (Models). The Models became the foundation for the Unit’s subsequent programs and services, and were adopted across state and public entities. Previously she served as Head Counselor, and acting Principal, of Calvine High School where she established and managed a comprehensive school counseling program to ensure the academic and personal success of students. Throughout her careers, Erica has provided expertise and support to directors, executives, administrators, project teams, and educators regarding organizational and human development.

Chief Learning Officer, State of California

John Sanborn currently oversees the California Lean Academy, the California Leadership Academy, and the California Statewide Training Center. Through the statewide competency model, his programs focus on delivering blended learning experiences for civil service employees in areas such as upward mobility, continuous improvement, and leadership development. John has created statewide policy on leadership development and training in an effort to give California a singular leadership language. John served as a Corporate Talent Development leader for the Fortune #1 company (Walmart) from 2012 – 2019 and was a driving force with the companies $2.3billion investment in people in initiatives, to include the implementation of a global retail academy model that trains over 75,000 supervisors and managers annually leveraging virtual reality, eLearning modules, and classroom experiences. While with Walmart, he helped drive the narrative to make a case to identify the company as a Learning Organization and worked to be recognized as such through Training Magazine Top 125 list, moving from Rank 86 in 2018 to 45 in 2019. In his current role, John is working to break down developmental silos and connect civil service employees with learning opportunities that have measurable results through cost-effectiveness, sustainability, and leadership empowerment.

David Simpson

Group Vice President, State and Local Government, Oracle America, Inc.

David is a leader in technology sales management with a focus on the public sector marketplace. As Group Vice President for Oracle, David manages all aspects of State and Local sales in North America.
Joining Oracle in 2006, David has held a series of increasingly expanding positions, including, Regional Sales Manager, Area Vice President and now Group Vice President of Public Sector Technology Sales North America.
Leading the North America Oracle State and Local Team, David oversees sales to State & Local governments. His responsibilities include ensuring Oracle’s products meet the needs of the public sector by working closely with customers and the company’s Development organization.
David received his bachelor’s degree in Biology and minors in Computer Science and Economics from UC San Diego. David is married with four children and resides in Laguna Niguel, CA.

John Sulenta

Chief Technology Officer, Franchise Tax Board, State of California

John Sulenta is a Chief Technology Officer for the California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) and is responsible for the department’s application development, infrastructure, and operation services. John develops information technology policy, helps formulate the vision and strategic direction for use of technology, and is responsible for the delivery of applications and services supporting FTB’s automated systems and related technology. John has worked at the FTB for almost 30 years in a variety of leadership roles in both program and technology areas and has been involved in many IT projects and service improvement initiatives. John attended the University of Hawaii and has participated in various leadership and technology programs.

Assistant Deputy Secretary of Innovation and Accountability, Government Operations Agency, State of California

Ms. Whitten is leading efforts to launch civil service apprenticeship programs that are first in the nation. Since July 2017, Ms. Whitten has been instrumental in the development of apprenticeship programs for Network Services, Help Desk, Mainframe, Financial Services and has begun to develop a cybersecurity program. Ms. Whitten was the Civil Service Improvement Project Director at GovOps and part of the DMV Strike Team. Ms. Whitten’s public service experience includes various management and IT roles at FTB, Public Health, CAL FIRE, OSHPD, Food and Agriculture and the Conservation Corps. Ms. Whitten received her Bachelor of Science degree in Management from Sacramento State University.

Rami Zakaria

Chief Information Officer, Sacramento County

Rami Zakaria is the Chief Information Officer for the County of Sacramento and also serves as the Chief Information Security Officer and Director of the County Department of Technology. Sacramento County is a recognized leader in Digital Counties earning top 5 ranking in the past five years and committed to excellence in delivering innovative and highly efficient information technology services.

View Speakers

Wednesday, February 5
7:45 am Pacific	Registration and Morning Refreshments Magnolia Room and Grand Nave Lobby
8:45 am Pacific	Opening Remarks Camellia/Gardenia Room Andrew Armani, Deputy Secretary of Information Technology, Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency, State of California Amy Tong, State Chief Information Officer, Department of Technology, State of California View Presentation Here
9:15 am Pacific	Keynote Camellia/Gardenia Room No Excuse! – Incorporating Core Values, Accountability and Balance into Your Life & Career Jay Rifenbary, Author and President, Rifenbary Training & Development If you want to improve the effectiveness of your leaders, the performance of your team, and the overall atmosphere of your organization, this is a session you can’t afford to miss. Based on a solid foundation of core values, Jay teaches the importance of key principles and skills including: self-responsibility, accountability, integrity, professionalism, self-respect, forgiveness, passion and positive attitude as they pertain to one’s personal and professional success, and the success of others. It is within your grasp to win on every level. There really is No Excuse! View Presentation Here
10:15 am Pacific	Featured Speaker Camellia/Gardenia Room Leadership in the Digital Age Jim Whitehurst, President and CEO, Red Hat Digital transformation is forcing us to change how we manage. It’s disrupting what we might call the traditional Pillars of Management - planning for success, organizing for efficiency, and paying for performance. In this world, forget about planning as we’ve known it. Management needs to care about winning the hearts and minds of its people. It needs to focus on capturing discretionary effort and inspiring excellence. In this keynote, Red Hat President and CEO Jim Whitehurst will discuss what leadership needs to look like in this digital age and how that changes/reframes the conversation we're having in our organizations. View Presentation Here
11:00 am Pacific	Networking Break Magnolia Room and Grand Nave Lobby
11:30 am Pacific	Concurrent Sessions Juggling Services and Personal Privacy Tofanelli In an era where the public expects their lives to be integrated and simplified, government finds itself in a balancing act between providing integrated person-centered services and protecting the privacy of those individuals. How do we create a whole-person model while maintaining privacy? How can government build public trust and support for the value that integration and data sharing can provide? This session discusses the opportunity and challenges of big data vs. big brother. Moderator: Dave Lyle, Vice President, NTT Data Ryan Labbe, Advisor, Strategic Partnerships, NIC, Inc. Heather Pettit, Chief Information Officer, Judicial Council of California, State of California David Sanabria, Data Architect, Health and Human Services Agency, State of California Building the Workforce of Tomorrow Bataglieri Workforce development is a critical component of an organization’s future success and often does not get properly prioritized. Succession planning lays an essential foundation to identify capable staff and assess others for specific leadership aptitudes. Recruitment tactics must be revised to reach the millennials and apprenticeship programs instituted to broaden the IT talent pool. This session offers a holistic approach to strategizing your workforce development plan. Moderator: Brenda Bridges Cruz, Deputy Director, Office of Professional Development, Department of Technology, State of California Erica Salinas, Lead Consultant of Statewide Workforce and Succession Management, Department of Human Resources, State of California John Sanborn, Chief Learning Officer, State of California Julie Whitten, Assistant Deputy Secretary of Innovation and Accountability, Government Operations Agency, State of California If I Knew Then What I Know Now... Carr If you were to write a letter to your younger self, what would it say? Or better yet, if you were to approach seasoned CIOs for guidance and cautionary tales, what would you ask? Well, here’s your chance! This session features a panel of veteran IT leaders who will open the floor for questions and share their war stories, lessons learned, hard-won successes, favorite moments and – most important – how they’ve managed to make it this far. Moderator: Patrick Dennis, Chief Information Officer, Department of Parks & Recreation, State of California PJ Bajwa, Chief Information Officer, Department of Fair Employment & Housing, State of California Dale Jablonsky, Public Sector CIO Advisory Director, Advisory Services, KPMG Keson Khieu, Chief Information Officer, Emergency Medical Services Authority, State of California Russ Nichols, Director/Chief Information Officer, Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, State of California How to Create and Maintain a High-Performance Culture Beavis To meet digital transformation demands, technology leaders need to establish a culture that boosts innovation and agility by encouraging employees to take risks, fail fast and learn. This is also a key to recruiting and maintaining talent. Losing talent is expensive, and most industries lose 9 to 20 percent of their employees yearly according to a recent article by Forbes. This session offers practical applications in creating and maintaining great cultures that really perform – and survive. Moderator: Kori Lin Arbis, PMP, Supervisor, Network Support, Department of Technology, State of California Teri Bennett, NorCal Business Development & Sales Director, Accenture Sarah Plantenberg, Design Principal, IBM Karen Ruiz, Chief Information Officer, Covered California, State of California John Sulenta, Chief Technology Officer, Franchise Tax Board, State of California Tips for Great Vendor Relationships Bondi Negotiating about pricing and performance leads to the completion of a transaction, but that’s only the beginning. Play the long game - relationships should be built to last. This session delves into better ways to understand your vendor’s business, set the right ground rules, communicate openly and fairly, work together strategically and, above all, ensure that the relationship is ultimately win-win for everybody. Moderator: George Akiyama, Chief Information Officer, Department of Transportation, State of California Andrew Armani, Deputy Secretary of Information Technology, Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency, State of California Jason Green, Area Vice President, NTT Data Kem Musgrove, Chief Information Officer, Franchise Tax Board, State of California Mark Roese, Assistant Vice President, AT&T
12:30 pm Pacific	Lunch Camellia/Gardenia Room
1:15 pm Pacific	Featured Speaker Camellia/Gardenia Room Inspiration vs. Motivation Dr. Trish Holliday, National Expert on People and Teams, and Former Chief Learning Officer for the State of Tennessee Often leaders think inspiration and motivation mean the same thing, yet there is a clear distinction between the two. To lead effectively, it is important to understand when and how to deploy a motivational approach and when to be inspirational. Knowing the difference can be a game-changer in improving performance and driving an engaging organizational culture. Dr. Trish Holliday is widely known as one of the nation’s most passionate advocates for workforce transformation. In this session, “Doc Holliday” helps you expand your executive toolset to take your leadership to the next level. View Presentation Here
2:15 pm Pacific	Featured Speaker Camellia/Gardenia Room Focus Forward Captain Christopher Behnam, Expert on Leadership, Synergy and Defining Moments Each and every day the work you do and the decisions you make impacts the lives of others around you. But what would you do if you were captaining a full flight and one of the engines went out? And every decision you made could mean the difference between life or death? Hear from Captain Christopher Benham about how he used all of his leadership skills and teamwork to safely land his crippled jumbo jet against all odds when this happened to him. This was a defining moment where he was able to pull together all his resources and use advanced problem-solving skills to turn a potential disaster into a successful result. View Presentation Here
2:45 pm Pacific	Networking Break Magnolia Room and Grand Nave Lobby
3:15 pm Pacific	Concurrent Sessions Got Risk? Tofanelli In the private sector, there is an old proverb about survival: “Don’t rest on your laurels.” The very best companies say it more fiercely: “Innovate or die!” But here is the problem: initial innovations are relatively risk-free. Then it gets much harder – the low-hanging fruit is gone, and the rest comes with risks and uncertainties. When properly fused, innovation and risk management can help organizations pursue opportunities that a risk-averse culture might leave behind. This session explores how to be bold, yet sensible, in keeping the momentum going over the long haul. Moderators: Dawn C. Ford, Chief of Strategy, Business Development, NetApp Mike Rockenstein, Director, Program Management, Red River Panelists: Jennifer Benson, Chief Information Officer, Department of Toxic Substances Control, State of California Subbarao Mupparaju, Chief Information Officer/Deputy Director, Department of Financial Information System for California, State of California David Simpson, Group Vice President, State and Local Government, Oracle America, Inc. Susan Slaven, Chief Information Officer, CalRecycle, State of California The Evolution of the “Modern CIO” Bataglieri We live in an age of continuous disruption and transformation, which means CIOs have to become brokers, integrators and orchestrators. As brokers, we must understand the role of each government agency and help them to understand emerging technologies. As integrators, we redesign legacy systems for an evolving digital ecosystem. As orchestrators, we manage user services and vendor relationships. This session explores the three-pronged approach that is increasingly required of today’s IT leaders. Moderator: Scott Reilly, Strategic Account Manager, VMware Pete Cervinka, Chief Operations Officer, Department of Social Services, State of California Tim Garza, Agency Information Technology Director, Natural Resources Agency, State of California Herb Thompson, Former CIO of Wisconsin & SLED Strategist, VMware It’s Not What You Say, It’s What They Hear Carr IT is front and center in virtually everything that government does. Success – and survival – depends on being adept at winning friends and influencing people. Not just your immediate colleagues, but upper leadership, budget directors, legislators, service providers and peers in other agencies and jurisdictions. It’s all for naught if you can’t convey things in the right way. This session dives into the vital subject of communication and why it must be the cornerstone of your role as an IT executive. Introduction: Dennis Firenze, Sr. Major Account Manager, Juniper Networks Moderator: Russ Nichols, Director/Chief Information Officer, Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, State of California Ben Bonte, Chief Information Officer, Industrial Relations, State of California Gail Overhouse, Chief Information Officer, Employment Development Department, State of California Julie Quinn, Sacramento Marketplace Leader, Deloitte Creating a Culture of Inclusion Bondi To understand how to create a culture of inclusion, we must think differently about the generational aspects of culture. Each generation brings new expectations, and as a result, organizations must adapt and meet – or surpass – those expectations in order to find better ways to attract and retain the top talent. Doing so is crucial for organizational success, particularly in the IT world. This session reveals the three landmines to avoid and explores why a new perspective is the key to creating a culture of inclusion. Moderator: Dr. Trish Holliday, National Expert on People and Teams, and Former Chief Learning Officer for the State of Tennessee Jon Kirkham, Chief Information Officer, Department of Rehabilitation, State of California Heather Pettit, Chief Information Officer, Judicial Council of California, State of California Rami Zakaria, Chief Information Officer, Sacramento County Do You Have the Business Support You Need? Beavis It can be a challenge to get a seat at the table, but it is the only way to effectively communicate the value of IT and the business impact of your initiatives. Fortunately, getting a seat is easier than it used to be. Customers are more empowered today than ever and senior leaders outside of IT are more technically savvy. It is time for CIOs and IT executives to be more inclusive with their business stakeholders in the spirit of solving business problems together. This session offers tips and techniques for a more seamless engagement. Moderator: Todd Jerue, Director, KPMG Katie Hagen, Chief Deputy Director, Department of Tax and Fee Administration, State of California Chief Scott Howland, Chief Information Officer, Highway Patrol, State of California Miriam Barcellona Ingenito, Director, Department of Financial Information System for California, State of California
4:15 pm Pacific	Networking Reception Magnolia Room and Grand Nave Lobby Network with your colleagues and discuss technology solutions with the event sponsors.

Thursday, February 6
8:00 am Pacific	Registration and Morning Refreshments Magnolia Room and Grand Nave Lobby
8:45 am Pacific	Opening Remarks Camellia/Gardenia Room Michael Wilkening, Special Advisor on Innovation and Digital Services, Office of Governor Gavin Newsom, State of California
9:00 am Pacific	Keynote Camellia/Gardenia Room Think Inside the Box - “Creativity Within the Lines” David Kwong, Illusionist, Movie Consultant, New York Times Crossword Writer In this spellbinding talk, David Kwong explores the complex relationship between boundaries and productivity. Though it may seem counterintuitive, most people are at their most creative when they innovate within a given set of boundaries. How can you tell a clever story while obeying the construction rules of a crossword puzzle, the three-act structure of a screenplay, or the sensitive angles of a stage illusion? Kwong, a master of working within the lines, explains how constraints give us the freedom to create. We are at our most innovative when we design a new form for something familiar, and subsequently express it in a novel and compelling way. Kwong demonstrates some of his own groundbreaking puzzles and illusions by way of inspiring a new method of problem solving.
10:00 am Pacific	Featured Speaker Camellia/Gardenia Room How to Get Breakthrough Results in Government: Leverage the Power of IT Kristen Cox, Executive Director, Governor’s Office of Management and Budget, State of Utah Technology has the power to transform how government performs but it can also create a new set of challenges if initiatives are not well-conceived and properly implemented. With the right mindset and tools, IT teams can figure out why and how to overcome these “inevitable” challenges and barriers in order to get real breakthroughs. The first step is to start thinking differently about the business value of each and every project. This session outlines how you can get bottom-line, measurable results that will have a powerful impact on your organization. View Presentation Here
11:00 am Pacific	Networking Break Magnolia Room and Grand Nave Lobby
11:30 am Pacific	Concurrent Sessions The Right Chemistry Carr Connection. Empathy. Trust. Insight. Do these words describe the interactions in your workplace? If not, your organization has chemistry challenges, likely due to clashing work styles. The first step to improving business chemistry is understanding your own behavior and the personality traits of those around you. This workshop offers an opportunity to assess your own style while learning how to adjust to others’ styles. The right chemistry rarely happens on its own – it needs to be created! Josh Nisbet, Director, US Government Markets, Deloitte Matt Schueller, Chief Deputy Director, Office of Systems Integration, State of California The “Modern CIO” Playbook Tofanelli Every CIO needs a playbook to be effective. Learn the plays that effective CIOs use in today's dynamic environment. This session features a panel of experienced CIOs who discuss how they keep up with technology, drive transformation, cope with expectations, master the art of prioritization and strategically align with changing business needs. Embrace the chaos! Moderators: Fred Gomez, IT Director & Chief Information Officer, Public Utilities Commission, State of California Dale Jablonsky, Public Sector CIO Advisory Director, Advisory Services, KPMG Panelists: Andrew Armani, Deputy Secretary of Information Technology, Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency, State of California Chief Scott Howland, Chief Information Officer, Highway Patrol, State of California Marcie Kahbody, Deputy Secretary & Agency Chief Information Officer, Transportation Agency, State of California Patty Nisonger, Chief Information Officer, California High Speed Rail The Privacy Tightrope Bataglieri This session will recap the discussion of the “big data vs. big brother” conundrum illuminated in the earlier session, “Juggling Services and Personal Privacy,” and move on to explore ways to functionally and organizationally address the balancing act that is being required of every IT leader, day in and day out, through culture, risk, leadership, and governance. In other words, the earlier session described the tightrope and now we’ll talk about how to walk it! Moderator: Kim Hewitt, Director, California Public Sector, IBM Scott Christman, Chief Information Officer/Deputy Director, Information Technology Services, Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, State of California Chris Neff, VP of Marketing & Research, NIC, Inc. Michael Wilkening, Special Advisor on Innovation and Digital Services, Office of Governor Gavin Newsom, State of California Great Leaders are Great Facilitators Bondi The word “facilitate” is often misunderstood. Some think it means getting people to do what needs to be done. Others think it means getting agreement. Many think it means to steer things adroitly. But its actual definition is simply “to make something easy or easier.” Isn’t that the ultimate goal of a successful leader? To smooth the way and help resolve barriers that inevitably arise? This session focuses on how to become a more effective – and respected – leader by becoming a skillful facilitator. Moderator: Jason Piccione, Chief Information Officer, Department of Consumer Affairs, State of California Liana Bailey-Crimmins, Chief Information Security Officer, California Public Employees’ Retirement System, State of California PJ Bajwa, Chief Information Officer, Fair Employment & Housing, State of California John Roussel, Chief Innovation Officer, Information Technology Services Division, California State Lottery, State of California
12:30 pm Pacific	Lunch Camellia/Gardenia Room
1:15 pm Pacific	Featured Speaker Camellia/Gardenia Room Innovation in the 21st Century Steven Hill, Head of Innovation, KPMG Steve Hill is a thought leader and frequent speaker on disruptive trends, emerging technologies and digital transformation. In this session, Steve discusses how organizations can understand the signals of change and transform to meet the challenges and opportunities of the 21st Century. Steve will also cover artificial intelligence (AI) trends and what organizations need to know to both gain value from AI investments and empower employees. View Presentation Here
2:00 pm Pacific	Networking Break Magnolia Room and Grand Nave Lobby
2:30 pm Pacific	Concurrent Sessions The IT Circle of Life: From Service Provision to Strategic Partnership Carr In the past, efforts to align technology and business brought more tension than synergy. But the sheer speed of digital evolution is forcing new perspectives on traditional roles, boundaries and interaction. There’s just no time for battles or misunderstandings. We need strong partnerships and accord. This session discusses how to skillfully identify needs and priorities, clearly demonstrate value, provide meaningful metrics and predict future risks and requirements. Moderator: Jennifer Benson, Chief Information Officer, Department of Toxic Substances Control, State of California Christian Farland, Chief Information Officer, California Public Employees’ Retirement System, State of California Francesca Negri, Chief Deputy Director, Department of Toxic Substances Control, State of California Michael Wilkening, Special Advisor on Innovation and Digital Services, Office of Governor Gavin Newsom, State of California The Rise of Disruption Tofanelli Disruptive technologies have been around for a long time and courageous leaders have to utilize them to drive results. How do you prepare your team and build processes to take advantage of these new technologies while maintaining your standard services? This session discusses how to keep up with the times and implement new technologies without painting oneself into a corner. Moderator: George Akiyama, Chief Information Officer, Department of Transportation, State of California Michael Bushong, VP of Product Management, Juniper Ramiro Carrazco, Branch Chief, Caltrans, State of California Dan Green, VP, Red River Karen Ruiz, Chief Information Officer, Covered California, State of California Making the Case Bondi Successful CIOs cultivate sponsor and stakeholder relationships by jointly strategizing on how to attain their transformational goals. It requires collaboration with control agencies, cognizance of specific timeframes, understanding of the approval process and continued resilience throughout the journey. This session offers valuable tips on how to convince others that you have a sound business case and therefore warrant Budget Change Proposal (BCP) support. Moderator: Julie Quinn, Sacramento Marketplace Leader, Deloitte Erica Gonzales, Assistant Program Budget Manager, Department of Finance, State of California Brian Metzker, Senior Fiscal & Policy Analyst, Legislative Analyst’s Office, State of California Ron Robinette, Branch Chief, Project Approvals and Oversight, Department of Technology, State of California WANTED: More IT Leaders Under 40 Bataglieri Face it, there aren’t enough public sector IT leaders under 40. Why not? Is it because of a lack of experience and inherent capability? Of course not! Some of the biggest tech companies in the world were founded by people in their 20’s. So how do we ramp up career paths to get the “younger” generation into high-level leadership positions more quickly? In this session you will hear from three successful 30-somethings about their journey, the trials and tribulations along the way, and how they proved that age is just a number. Moderator: Richard Rogers, Chief Technology Officer, Department of Technology, State of California Carrie Bishop, Chief Digital Services Officer, City & County of San Francisco Tristian Cormier, Section Chief of Systems Engineering, Secretary of State, State of California Vitaliy Panych, Acting Chief Information Security Officer, Department of Technology, State of California
3:30 pm Pacific	Awards Welcome Reception Grand Nave Lobby
4:00 pm Pacific	CIO Academy Awards Program and Closing Reception Camellia/Gardenia Room View Presentation Here
5:30 pm Pacific	End of Conference Conference times, agenda, and speakers are subject to change.

Sheraton Grand Sacramento Hotel

1230 J Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 447-1700

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Advisory Board

Government Representatives

George Akiyama
Chief Information Officer
Department of Transportation
State of California

Andrew Armani
Deputy Secretary of Information Technology
Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency
State of California

PJ Bajwa
Chief Information Officer
Fair Employment & Housing
State of California

Jennifer Benson
Chief Information Officer
Department of Toxic Substances Control
State of California

Ben Bonte
Chief Information Officer
Industrial Relations
State of California

Brenda Bridges Cruz
Deputy Director, Office of Professional Development
Department of Technology
State of California

Jennifer Chan
Agency Information Officer
Department of Food & Agriculture
State of California

Scott Christman
Chief Information Officer, Deputy Director, Information Technology Services
Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development
State of California

Chad Crowe
Chief Information Officer
Department of Human Resources
State of California

Chris Cruz
Chief Information Officer
San Joaquin County

Patrick Dennis
Chief Information Officer
Department of Parks & Recreation
State of California

Adam Dondro
Agency Information Officer
Health and Human Services Agency
State of California

Christian Farland
Chief Information Officer
CalPERS
State of California

Tim Garza
Agency Information Technology Director
Natural Resources Agency
State of California

Rita Gass
Chief Information Officer
Secretary of State
State of California

Bill Glaholt
Chief Information Officer
Horse Racing Board
State of California

Barney Gomez
Vice Chancellor
California Community Colleges

Fredrick Gomez
IT Director & Chief Information Officer
Public Utilities Commission
State of California

Erica Gonzales
Assistant Program Budget Manager
Department of Finance
State of California

Sergio Gutierrez
Agency Information Officer
Environmental Protection Agency
State of California

Chief Scott Howland
Chief Information Officer
Highway Patrol
State of California

Marcie Kahbody
Deputy Secretary & Agency Chief Information Officer
Transportation Agency
State of California

Keson Khieu
Chief Information Officer
Emergency Medical Services Authority
State of California

Jon Kirkham
Chief Information Officer
Department of Rehabilitation
State of California

Maria Macgunigal
Chief Information Officer
City of Sacramento

Isaiah Mall
Agency Information Officer
Department of Veterans Affairs
State of California

Ricardo Martinez
Branch Chief, Policy, Training and Customer Services, Procurement Division
Department of General Services
State of California

Subbarao Mupparaju
Chief Information Officer, Deputy Director
Financial Information System for California
State of California

Kem Musgrove
Chief Information Officer
Franchise Tax Board
State of California

Rosanna Nguyen
Chief, Information Technology Consulting Unit
Department of Finance
State of California

Russ Nichols
Director, Chief Information Officer
Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
State of California

Cruz Nieto
Deputy Chief Information Officer
Secretary of State
State of California

George Okamoto
Agency Information Officer
Labor and Workforce Development Agency
State of California

Gail Overhouse
Chief Information Officer
Employment Development Department
State of California

Enrique Parker
Chief Technology Officer
Covered California
State of California

Heather Pettit
Chief Information Officer
Judicial Council of California
State of California

Jason Piccione
Chief Information Officer
Department of Consumer Affairs
State of California

Gary Renslo
Chief Information Officer
Department of General Services
State of California

Chris Riesen
Chief Information Officer, Deputy Director
Department of Health Care Services
State of California

Richard Rogers
Acting Deputy Chief Information Officer
Department of Technology
State of California

Karen Ruiz
Chief Information Officer
Covered California
State of California

Matt Schueller
Chief Deputy Director
Office of Systems Integration
State of California

Alice Scott-Rowe
Deputy Director of Communications
Department of Technology
State of California

Susan Slaven
Chief Information Officer
CalRecycle
State of California

Sarb Takhar
Chief Technology Officer
Natural Resources Agency
State of California

Amy Tong
Director, State Chief Information Officer
Department of Technology
State of California

Jeff Willoughby
Chief Information Officer
Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board
State of California

Brian Wong
Chief Information Officer, Information Security Director; Deputy Director
Department of Social Services
State of California

Ben Word
Chief Architect
Deptartment of Technology
State of California

Kelly York
Chief, Document Technology Services
Employment Development Department
State of California

Rami Zakaria
Chief Information Officer
Sacramento County

Adelina Zendejas
Special Advisor to the Director
Department of Technology
State of California

Industry Representatives

Teri Bennett
NorCal Business Development & Sales Director
Accenture

Dennis Firenze
Sr. Major Account Manager
Juniper Networks

Dawn C. Ford
Chief of Strategy, Business Development
NetApp

Jason Green
Area Vice President
NTT

Tom Hartman
Manager, Data Center Sales
Dell Technologies

Greg Hussey
VP, Consulting Services
CGI

Dale Jablonsky
Public Sector CIO Advisory Director
KPMG

Todd Jerue
Director
KPMG

Ryan Labbe
Strategic Partnerships
NIC, Inc.

Jim Matteoni
Client Executive
IBM

Nate Merrill
Customer Relationship Executive
Deloitte

Steve Nagai
Enterprise Account Executive
NWN Corporation

Todd Olmeda
Technology Account Manager
Oracle America, Inc.

Scott Reilly
Strategic Account Manager
VMware

Mike Rockenstein
Director, Program Management
Red River

Mark Roese
Assistant Vice President
AT&T

Ron Speno
Director, Enterprise Sales
Comcast Business

Randy Wong
Client Executive
IBM

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Contact Information

2021 Sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, contact:

Heather Earney
Government Technology
Phone: (916) 932-1339
E-mail: hearney@govtech.com

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California Public Sector CIO Academy 2020