Abstract

Download Presentation

The city of Mobile, Alabama, has been a leader in connecting its city with technology. In this session, Mobile’s Scott Kearney, chief technology officer, and Udara Jayasena, municipal IT department deputy director, will share the city’s experience with modernizing vendor and resident access to services and information, permitting and licensing, and electronic payments. Kearney and Jayasena will discuss the city’s connected community goals, processes, challenges, results, and next steps. Attendees will hear real-world lessons of how Mobile is working to optimize constituent interactions across departments. Tyler Technologies’ Crystal Smith, a former government finance officer, will moderate the session.

Panelist: Tamara Fraterman, MIS, CGCIO - IT Manager, Toms River Municipal Utilities Authority

Tammy Fraterman is an IT Manager at Toms River Municipal Utilities. She is responsible for maintaining and supporting the Authority’s employees and Information Systems that service the wastewater of Toms River Township. After spending 15 years working in the private sector, Tammy shifted her career to Government. She spent 7 years working for and with other government agencies before taking the position at the Toms River MUA. Tammy completed her CGCIO training at Rutgers and has a Master’s Degree in Information Systems.

Abstract

Due to its popularity, we are excited to include a second GMIS Round Table panel discussion again this year! Our member panel will discuss diversity in IT. This interactive session uses live polling for attendees to send feedback, opinions and questions to the panel.

Jason Murphy - Head Nerd, N-able

Jason Murphy brings over two decades of IT industry expertise, specializing in managed services, automation, and cybersecurity. As the Head Nerd at N-able Technologies, Jason is a key thought leader, driving innovation and best practices across a global community of MSPs and IT professionals. His extensive background in enterprise IT, combined with a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by state and local governments, positions him as a trusted advisor in the public sector. Jason’s career is marked by a pursuit of excellence in IT service management, focusing on optimizing operations, enhancing security postures, and leveraging advanced technologies to deliver measurable outcomes. He has spearheaded numerous initiatives aimed at integrating AI, data analytics, and cloud solutions into traditional IT frameworks, enabling organizations to achieve greater efficiency and resilience. With a passion for empowering IT professionals and a proven track record of driving transformative change, Jason Murphy is a leading voice in the field, helping state and local governments harness the power of technology to better serve their communities.

Robert McQueen, CGCIO - GMIS Treasurer and Past President, Director of Information Technology, Township of Franklin, NJ

Robert McQueen is the Director of Information Technology for the Township of Franklin, Somerset, NJ. He provides leadership for the continued development of an innovative, robust, and secure information technology environment throughout the Township. Franklin Township’s Information Technology provides support for technology, delivery of IT infrastructure and services, information security systems and compliance, administrative systems, and client support services. Prior to joining Franklin Township, McQueen spent 21 years in information technology roles in local government. Most recently, he served as the Chief Information Officer for the town of Princeton. McQueen holds a Certified Government Chief Information Officer (CGCIO) from the University of North Carolina School of Government Chapel Hill, NC. He is also proud to have served as president of GMIS International from 2020-2022.

James E. Pacanowski II, CGCIO - Network Administrator, City of Ventnor in Ventnor City, NJ

James E. Pacanowski II is the Network Administrator for the City of Ventnor in Ventnor City, NJ. James brings an out of the box thinking mentality to the City’s IT atmosphere. A dynamic and proactive approach has shaped the City’s IT systems. As the Network Administrator, James is not only responsible for the seamless operation of the city as a whole, but also for the Communications, Media, Social Outlets, and various other projects throughout the city. As a one-man shop, James handles all support services as well as new project duties. James is also an active member of GMIS and NJGMIS. James is currently Vice President/President-elect of NJGMIS and has been the NJGMIS TEC conference chairman for the past two years. James has spoken and been involved in both regional and national conferences including the New Jersey League of Municipalities, GMIS International, and PTI’s various tech meetings. James has been in IT for over 21 years in local government and before that in the private sector. James holds the Certified Chief Information Officer (CGCIO) certification from Rutgers University as well as other IT certifications from CompTIA and Microsoft. James enjoys spending time with his wife and children and being a strong cheerleader of their college experiences and life in general.

Warren Nicholson - President and CEO, Nfina Technologies

Warren Nicholson, Founder, President, and CEO, started Nfina Technologies in 2012, armed with decades of technology experience creating rugged, high reliability networking equipment and a desire to bring that quality and performance to the mainstream data storage market. Prior to Nfina, Warren was Founder, President, and CEO of N-Tron Corp. in Mobile, Alabama. N-Tron designs, manufactures, and markets high performance industrial network switches. From it’s founding as a startup in 1999, N-Tron grew to become a recognized leader in Industrial Ethernet products. N-Tron Corp. was sold to Spectris LLC (a Publicly traded FTSE company) in 2010.

Before establishing N-Tron, Warren was CTO for RTP Corporation in Florida, an international company that designs, manufacturers and markets data acquisition and control systems for industrial and nuclear power plants.

Mr. Nicholson holds a MSEE degree from The University of South Alabama. He currently serves on the University of South Alabama Industrial Advisory Board, and recently received the Distinguished Alumni Award from that institution.

Eric Burgess - Chief Growth Officer, Interpersonal Frequency

Eric is the Chief Growth Officer at Interpersonal Frequency and is responsible for cultivating new business and developing strategies to ensure ongoing client satisfaction. Drawing on over two decades of experience with complex systems and processes, Eric helps carve out flexible, customized solutions that speak to the unique technological challenges facing local governments and public institutions.

He combines findings from our innovative Voice of Citizen® analytics platform with client input, team expertise, and logistical prowess to craft data-driven project plans that answer the client’s most pressing needs and chart a course for future success. From this foundation, Interpersonal Frequency is able to build sites that not only answer client needs but also improve the lives of the millions of people living in the U.S. who depend on digital access to public services.

Michael Lee - Technology Services Manager, Cobb County Government

Mike Lee became the first Webmaster for Cobb County Government 1999. His duties and responsibilities have evolved through the years and he now holds the position of Technology Services Manager with Cobb County’s Information Technology Services Department. He leads an extremely talented team that administers the county web portal (Cobbcounty.org), Salesforce CRM & Marketing Cloud, the CobbGov app, and other public-facing systems that provide a wide range of information and online services for Cobb County residents.

Cobbcounty.org is a portal connecting department sites with other internal, external, and vendor-hosted systems. The website and system serve the public and support over 150 Cobb County employees that provide services and information online.

Cobbcounty.org sees an average of more than 500,000 user sessions per month. With 45 percent of those visits accessing the website via a mobile device or tablet, our division is dedicated to providing a responsive, touch-friendly website that is easy to use no matter the device.

Abstract

Download Presentation

Government websites often overflow with content from passionate writers but lack organization and consistency. Deadlines loom large, approvals are confusing, and visitors get lost in the labyrinthine structure. Sound familiar? You're not alone. Many government websites struggle with siloed information, accessibility issues, and confusing governance structures.

In this collaborative session, Cobb County Government Technology Services Manager Mike Lee and Interpersonal Frequency Chief Growth Officer will untangle the complex world of workflows and show how government website job functions are maximized through clear governance. The result? Stronger content cultures that better serve internal and external constituents.

We’ll look at how to assess your current content landscape, including mapping your team and performing a content audit. Next up, matching team members with roles that leverage their strengths and establishing streamlined workflows. Plus, a look at how artificial intelligence (AI) can support editors and publishers with accessibility, reading level, and maintaining your brand.

Keith Cousins - Director, Business Relations and Governance, State of Alabama Office of Information Technology

Keith Cousins serves as Director of Business Relations and Governance for OIT where he leads contracts management, statewide IT sourcing, vendor management, service catalog, grants management, GRC, EPMO, and records disposition. Before OIT, Keith held senior leadership positions (aka nomad, gunslinger, engineer, and rainmaker) in publicly traded and privately held companies including KinderCare as Senior Director of Development, Movie Gallery and Hollywood Entertainment as EVP and Chief Development Officer, AT&T Prime Communications as Senior VP Development, Aronov as Senior Accountant, Newton Oldacre McDonald as Developer, and Triton Management as Chief Operating Officer. He has keyman experience in federal government IT acquisitions and modernizations, business analysis and process improvement, life cycle costing, and program control management with Computer Sciences Corporation as Program Control Manager, MCR as Cost Analyst, and Tecolote Research as Senior Cost Estimator. Keith’s management, development, and operations experience span every market in the US, Canada, and Mexico. Keith builds trust and motivates others to be kind, do the right thing, add value, and deliver within budget and ahead of schedule. A husband to a wonderful wife, Melissa, father of two talented daughters, Victoria and Emily, and grandfather to the best gifts ever, Liam, Graham, and Maisie.

Warren Nicholson - President and CEO, Nfina Technologies

Warren Nicholson, Founder, President, and CEO, started Nfina Technologies in 2012, armed with decades of technology experience creating rugged, high reliability networking equipment and a desire to bring that quality and performance to the mainstream data storage market. Prior to Nfina, Warren was Founder, President, and CEO of N-Tron Corp. in Mobile, Alabama. N-Tron designs, manufactures, and markets high performance industrial network switches. From it’s founding as a startup in 1999, N-Tron grew to become a recognized leader in Industrial Ethernet products. N-Tron Corp. was sold to Spectris LLC (a Publicly traded FTSE company) in 2010.

Before establishing N-Tron, Warren was CTO for RTP Corporation in Florida, an international company that designs, manufacturers and markets data acquisition and control systems for industrial and nuclear power plants.

Mr. Nicholson holds a MSEE degree from The University of South Alabama. He currently serves on the University of South Alabama Industrial Advisory Board, and recently received the Distinguished Alumni Award from that institution.

Jeremy Ward - Communications Director, State of Alabama Office of Information Technology

Jeremy Ward serves as the Communications Director for the State of Alabama Office of Information Technology (OIT). With two decades of experience in the field of institutional advancement and communications, Jeremy has held leadership roles in various higher education and non-profit organizations. Prior to joining OIT in 2022, he most recently served as Chief Development Officer for the American Village Citizenship Trust, a nationally acclaimed American history and civics education center. Jeremy attended the University of Montevallo where he earned a BA in English.

Felina Harris, MBA, MS, CGCIO, ITIL - IT Business Relationship Manager, State of North Carolina

Felina Harris has nearly 30 years of IT and Customer Relationship Experience. She recently joined the Customer Experience Team at the North Carolina Department of Information Technology as a Business Relationship Manager. Her primary focus is communication and building relationships with local government organizations throughout the state. Prior to joining NCDIT, she was responsible for the coordination and facilitation of technology initiatives at Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation for 23 years. She also supervised a team of Customer Experience Specialists. Her background includes communication training, software support, customer experience, and quality assurance. She has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Computer Information Systems from Western Carolina University, an MBA from Gardner-Webb University and a Masters in Sociology from Appalachian State University. Felina graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill's Certified Government Chief Information Officer program in 2018. She served as the president of NCLGISA in 2017/2018 and is currently serving on the board as the Conference Chair as well as the Membership Director for GMIS International. Felina has a strong passion for helping others and spends lots of time volunteering in the community. Felina either volunteers for or serves on the Board of Directors for The Circle of Giving, Success Institute Charter School, Iredell Christian Ministries, Another Path, Iredell County MLK Planning Committee, and the NAACP. When she is not volunteering in the community for other organizations, including her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., or serving on the Town Council for her small town, she can be found on the sidelines cheering on her two teen-aged sons, Andrew and Ethan in their various sports or sitting in the audience while her husband of 23 years, Kenny, performs at a music gig!

Abstract

Download Presentation

Effective communication in the workplace ensures that employees have the information that they need to perform well, it builds a positive work environment, and it eliminates inefficiencies. In this session, we will collectively discuss ways that we can promote and encourage better communication in our respective agencies.

Mastering the Art of AI Prompt Engineering

Incidents and Disasters: IT and Emergency Management Working Together

Reduce your Attack Surface … Wait, what exactly is an Attack Surface?

Ted Gruenloh - CEO, Nomic Networks

Ted has worked with network security and web technologies for more than 25 years. He began his career as a full-stack engineer in web development and design, before 'full-stack engineer' was a thing.

One of Nomic Networks' first employees, Ted supports the Nomic team's operations, the CINS Active Threat Intelligence System, and all other supporting technologies. Although he doesn't do it nearly as often as he used to, he's not afraid to get his hands dirty supporting customers or lending a hand in software development.

He is also a well-regarded public speaker, presenting at cybersecurity conferences across the country, spreading the word about shared threat intelligence and cyber hygiene.

Abstract

If you hate industry buzzwords, this one's for you. "Attack Surface" is another in a long line of cybersecurity terms that have been usurped by marketing teams and lost all meaning.

That's a shame, because understanding your Attack Surface can actually paint a really helpful picture when prioritizing those precious cybersecurity dollars. We'll dissect and define "Attack Surface" and a few other trendy terms, revisit our old friends "Threat Intelligence" and the CIS Controls, and walk through some no-nonsense use cases to reduce your Attack Surface - for real.

Enhancing Cybersecurity: The Value of Implementing a Framework

Kevin Fuller, MBA - President, ThinkGard

As an MBA graduate from UAB and a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, Kevin offers a unique ability to understand business needs and the technologies that facilitate them. Over the course of his career Kevin has created and implemented Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Plans for companies of all sizes and has a proven ability to work effectively with both technical teams and business executives. Kevin is an esteemed technology speaker in the public sector.

Abstract

Cybersecurity threats continue to evolve, posing significant risks to organizations of all sizes and sectors. To effectively mitigate these risks, organizations must adopt a structured approach to cybersecurity. This presentation explores the importance of using a cybersecurity framework as a foundational strategy for managing cyber threats. It highlights the benefits of implementing a framework, such as improving security posture, reducing vulnerabilities, and ensuring compliance with regulations. Through real-world examples and case studies, this presentation demonstrates how a cybersecurity framework can help organizations better protect their assets and maintain trust with stakeholders. Attendees will gain valuable insights into selecting, implementing, and optimizing a cybersecurity framework tailored to their unique needs, ultimately enhancing their overall cybersecurity resilience.

This presentation is geared for both organizations that just starting out their cybersecurity journeys as well as sophisticated cyber experts.

---

Endpoint Security: A Critical Step in Delivering Quality Community Services

Brandon Stiers - Manager, SLED, NinjaOne

Brandon Stiers is the Manager, SLED, for NinjaOne responsible for managing the NinjaOne Public Sector team and adhering to the needs of our State/Local Government & Education customers nationally. He joined NinjaOne in August of 2021 and works out of the Austin, TX office.

Abstract

IT organizations supporting state & local government agencies continue to invest in the latest cybersecurity technologies to defend against potentially devastating attacks that could impact their ability to deliver quality community services. In fact, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) reports that cyber security has remained the top priority for state CIOs for 10 consecutive years. However, the importance of good, consistent cyber hygiene is often underestimated. This is alarming considering Verizon’s 2024 Data Breach Investigations Report found that 80% of breaches involved basic hygiene failures.

NinjaOne consolidates workflows, reduces silos, and provides a single source of truth for all your security and endpoint data. Join NinjaOne Manager of SLED , Brandon Stiers, as he demonstrates how the power and simplicity of the NinjaOne platform can enable you to:

• Gain comprehensive oversight and swiftly address security issues, ensuring continuous protection of public services.
• Reduce vulnerabilities and redundancy, as well as maintain consistent security across all devices.
• Ensure up-to-date protection and reduce the risk of cyber attacks with automated patch management
• Minimize downtime and data loss, maintaining the integrity of critical services

---

Navigating the Future: Technology and AI Innovation

Luke Norris - VP - Platform and Digital Transformation, Granicus

Luke Norris is the Vice President of Platform & Digital Transformation at Granicus. Before joining Granicus, Luke was the Managing Director at OpenCities, a company he co-founded and later saw acquired by Granicus. He also co-founded the government payment firm Payit and was an early team member at Code for America, where he helped over 110 governments with digital transformation projects in public health, safety, entrepreneurship, and other policy areas.

A recognized thought leader in government technology, Luke has spoken at the US Conference of Mayors, ICMA, National Association of Counties, and other events on topics like digital transformation, smart cities, and community engagement.

Luke resides in Kansas City, MO, where he is an active community member, serving in various nonprofit leadership roles.

Abstract

Download Presentation

Explore the intersection of government AI initiatives and the evolution of the government technology workforce, envisioning the future of AI in public services and its alignment with your priorities.

---

Leading Change in an Ever-Changing Environment

Dr. Marci Campbell - Public Service Associate, University of Georgia

Dr. Marci Campbell is a public service faculty member of the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia. Dr. Campbell develops and teaches leadership and management programs for client groups such as Georgia Association of Code Enforcement, Georgia Chapter of American Public Works Association, and the Georgia Clerks Education Institute. She is the director for the Certified Manager Program® and the Certified Government Chief Information Officer Program®. Her previous work experience includes teaching in traditional and non-traditional settings to a wide range of audiences. She served on the Watkinsville City Council from 2013 to 2020.

Abstract

Have you ever tried to implement a new software, procedure, or policy? Was it an effective implementation or did it not fair so well? In this session, participants will learn what makes a change successful and how that change can impact people in the workplace. Participants will have the opportunity to create their change management strategy including a plan to communicate their change. Finally, the session will provide three models of change to demonstrate how a new software, procedure, or policy can be implemented.

---

City of Boerne’s Cybersecurity Journey - A Case Study in Securing IT with Confidence

Bret Kramer - VP of Client Development, Recon Infosec

Bret started his career in complex software development, programming environmental models for an F-16 test station. After a move into sales, Bret continued to work in software development until the opportunity to fight the bad actors in the cybersecurity space with Recon InfoSec.

Abstract

Download Presentation

In this engaging session, Bret Kramer will be providing an encore presentation of a session that was originally delivered by Mike Raute and Sheldon Cravey, the Director and Assistant IT Director for the city of Boerne, TX. Bret will share Boerne's experiences in building a strong cybersecurity program. He will discuss how the city evolved over 15 years and how the team at Boerne led the city through a variety of initiatives and projects to improve their cybersecurity posture. Bret will describe that journey and share key insights and lessons that are applicable to many other government organizations. This presentation will shed light on the specific challenges Boerne faced, including increasing threats of cyber-attacks, resource constraints, and the need for a robust, proactive security posture.

The talk will highlight the key outcomes of Boerne’s Cybersecurity journey to date including a significant reduction in incident response time, enhanced threat detection capabilities, and a reduction in malicious emails received by their users.

This session is a must-attend for IT leaders, cybersecurity professionals, and government representatives seeking to understand the real-world impact of advanced cybersecurity solutions in the public sector. Join us to learn how the city of Boerne serves as a beacon for other cities aiming to bolster their cybersecurity defenses and navigate the digital era securely and with confidence.

---

When Every Second Counts: Ransomware Recovery with Rubrik

Tarek Bouri - SLED Senior Sales Engineer, Rubrik - Manager, SLED, NinjaOne

Tarek Bouri is a senior sales engineer at Rubrik working with state and local government, K-12 school districts, and higher education colleges and universities across the Mid-Atlantic region. Tarek's experience is around evangelizing and designing storage solutions anchored by next-generation, software-enabled storage platforms, with a focus on virtualization, application integration, data protection/ cyber recovery, and performance.

Abstract

With ransomware attacks against local governments continuing to rise, organizations are often forced to deal with costly downtime to critical public services, and data exfiltration events. Even with adequate preventive security measures in place, attackers continue to find new ways to encrypt organizations’ data. Backups are one of the most—if not the most—important defense against ransomware. However, bad actors have turned their attention to backups, specifically modifying or deleting them to impede your ability to recover. Furthermore, a cyber recovery has different requirements when compared to traditional disasters like fires, floods, and fat fingers. During this session, we will dive into the importance of cyber resiliency, discuss lessons learned from hundreds of cyber recoveries, and walk through a live ransomware recovery.

---

How Quickly Can Criminal Hackers Own You? - Making a Case for Pentesting

Hans Lemons, CCFE, CCME, CCFP, CEH - Chief Technology Officer, ControlAltProtect

Hans Lemons has spent the last 25 years of his career in the Cyber Security and Technology Sector. His expertise in mobile and digital forensics, application security, threat hunting, and security architecture is rooted in his computer programming background. As Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of ControlAltProtect, Hans leads innovation and development of the systems and processes that protect clients worldwide, and he develops custom Cyber Security programs tailored to their needs. Hans also serves as CISO (Chief Information Security Officer) and consultant for many organizations across a wide range of industries. His entrepreneurial background includes successful ventures in game development, workflow automation software, medical software, and artificial intelligence. He is passionate about mentoring others in his field and speaks frequently on Cyber Security, emerging trends, and threats. A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Hans is a graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He is an avid aerospace and aviation enthusiast who loves the outdoors.

Brent Panell - CEO, ControlAltProtect

Brent is the Co-Founder and CEO of ControlAltProtect. Brent received a BA in Corporate Business Management along with minors in Finance, Marketing, and Computer Science at the University of Alabama. He's is a computer and mobile device forensic examiner, holding both prestigious CCFE and CCME certifications. Brent’s data security experience began during his first post graduate position at Target Corporation, where he served as Regional Director, and then later continued while serving Regions Bank as Vice-President. Brent ended his corporate career as Chief Operations Officer of Vector Security, to finally pursue his entrepreneurial dream. Brent and his business partner, Hans Lemons, launched ControlAltProtect, a Worldwide Cyber Security firm specializing in Digital Forensics, Cyber Incident Response, and cutting edge Cyber Attack Detection. Brent’s served the information security industry for over 20 years encompassing IT, cyber security, legal (expert witnessing), and law enforcement partnerships.

Abstract

Join us for an exciting and informative session with Hans Lemons, CTO, and Brent Panell, CEO of ControlAltProtect. This specialized team of cybersecurity, ethical hacking, and forensics experts will delve into the world of pentesting and ethical hacking. Our demonstrations reveal how quickly and easily your IT systems can be compromised if not properly secured.

Discover five different pentesting scenarios where ControlAltProtect's team uncovered vulnerabilities that could have led to complete system takeovers by malicious actors. Learn about the specific vulnerabilities found in these scenarios and understand how the IT departments involved could have been completely owned by bad actors without proactive network testing.

Don't miss this opportunity to nerd out with Hans and Brent as they share their expertise and real-world experiences in pentesting. Equip yourself with the knowledge and tools necessary to protect your networks from potential threats and ensure your IT systems are robust and secure & learn why pentesting is not only essential but also affordable for organizations of all sizes.