Event Overview
Transforming Government Through Technology-Driven Initiatives
The State of Arizona consistently faces difficult, existential issues that many other states have so far been spared: extreme heat, water allocation shortages and drought, and the countless impacts that those challenges have on citizens. Fortunately, Arizona is known for its innovation culture, making it uniquely positioned to address these challenges head on. Still, trailblazing is hard work. There are few case studies from which to glean a holistic set of best practices. Being first in class means setting the rules of the game for others by exploring ambitious solutions to challenging questions. And yet – there’s more to be done.
How can Arizona’s public sector employees harness contemporary and forward-looking innovations? What best practices exist that could be adapted to Arizona’s unique landscape? And how can government agencies most effectively collaborate to serve all Arizonans?
These are the kinds of questions Public Sector Network’s Government Innovation Arizona program will examine. This one-day event is the ideal meeting place to collaborate, discuss current trends, and learn best practices related to people, processes, technology, and data. Join the conversation!

Benefits of Attending
A Sneak Peek Of Your Inspiring Speakers

Lester Godsey
Chief Information Security
Officer,
Maricopa County

Dan Wilkins
Chief Information Security Officer,
State of Arizona

Colleen McManus
HR Programs Manager, Policy,
Legislation & Audit, former CHRO,
State of Arizona, ADOA – Arizona Department of Administration,
Human Resources Division

Seema Sewell
Assistant Chief
Information Security
Officer,
Maricopa County

David Hondula
Director, Heat Response and Mitigation,
City of Phoenix

Lisa Williams
Manager and Founder, Office of Data Management,
Arizona Department of Water

Jeff Wolkove
State Data Management
Architect, IT Governance,
Arizona Strategic
Enterprise Technology
Office,
State of Arizona

Shandra Scott
Data Operations Manager,
Arizona Department of Environmental Quality ADEQ

Tracee Hall
Assistant Director, Parks and Recreation Department,
City of Phoenix

Travis Cutright
Chief Information Officer
City of Mesa

Blue Baldwin
Program Manager, Green Stormwater Infrastructure
City of Tucson

Heath Vescovi-Chiordi
Director of Economic Development
Pima County

Mark Hartman
Chief Sustainability Officer
City of Phoenix

Suzan Tasvibi-Tanha
Chief Operating Officer, ADOA-ASET
State of Arizona

Greg Carmichael
Deputy Director, HR
City of Phoenix

Susan Robinson
Chief Business Intelligence Officer
Arizona Department of Health Services

Chris Richardson
Deputy CIO
Arizona State University

Amanda Sapp
Data and Informatics Manager
Pima County

Stephanie Deitrick
Enterprise GIS & Data Analytics Manager
City of Tempe

Yvonne Pastor
Chief Service Officer, Volunteer PHX
City of Phoenix

Christine Whitney Sanchez
Chief Culture Officer, Enterprise Technology
Arizona State University

Jeff Fleischer
Head of Sales
Team Cymru

John Punzak
Senior Director, US SLED Business Development
VMware

Mark Fellows
Director, Sales
Celonis

Josh Nisbet
Arizona Lead Client Services Partner
Deloitte

Abbie Poniatowski
Human Capital Strategist
Deloitte

Kenneth Steiness
Chief Executive Officer
Sensei Project Solutions

Murtaza Masood
Managing Director, State & Local Government,
Box

Steve Dobberowsky
Director of Thought Leadership and Advisory Services
Cornerstone OnDemand

Jordan Burris
Vice President of Strategy, Public Sector
Socure

Herb Williams
Field Technical Director
Cohesity

Christopher Dobrec
Vice President of Product & Industry Solutions
Armis

Joe Bultena
Public Sector Account Executive
Nintex
Key Sessions
The Government Innovation Series features the latest projects and findings throughout the State of Arizona. Hear insights via keynote presentations, case studies, panel discussions, and fireside chats. To provide fresh perspectives, concurrent tracks will address more specific initiatives around technology, people, and data & analytics processes within the public sector.
Government Keynote
Arizona’s Innovation Future
Join us as we kick off our program with a peek inside what’s next for the State of Arizona’s innovation agenda. Learn how your department can contribute – and how these innovations will benefit you!
Fireside Chat
Bringing Order to Chaos: Arizona’s Data Management Program
Join Arizona’s State Data Management Architect and the Founder of the Department of Water’s Office of Data Management for a dynamic discussion of their work to promote scheduled data management maturity assessments throughout the state – an innovative practice that will tap into the untapped potential of the state’s vast data reserves.
Innovating for Survival
Arizona’s government must address one of the world’s top challenges: our changing climate. Learn from leading sustainability practitioners on how they’re fusing climate change expertise with technology to radically reimagine what the future of life in Arizona looks like.
Recognizing Bias, Microaggressions, and Systemic Racism to Become Radically Inclusive
Join this dynamic, interactive session to learn how to recognize, confront, and challenge systems, beliefs, and practices. This workshop tackles tough topics which help facilitate truly diverse, equitable and inclusive environments.
Keynote Session
Election Cycle 2022: How Social Media Impacts Information Security
Join PSN Advisory Board Member Lester Godsey as he shares how social media impacts elections Maricopa County and the information security profession in general.
Panel Discussion
Tools, Strategies, and Innovations Driving Transformation
This panel of experts will address the following:
• How do you identify viable new technologies?
• When you’re spearheading innovation initiatives, what types of
challenges have you encountered?
• How do you ensure minimal disruption to the mission while embedding new technology?
• How do you go about addressing privacy and security in technology applications?
Keynote Session
CIO’s Perspective – the Human side of Technology
Technology leaders have to balance the evolving landscape of threats, work locations, new products, services, and the demands of the customer for exceptional service. This session will take a look through the eyes of a CIO and help attendees understand the priorities of today’s IT leaders and how the Human side is every bit as important as the technology.
Panel Discussion
Public Sector Workforce: The Next Generation
This panel of experts will address the following:
• What are the skills and attributes needed for the next generation?
• Will future public service workers be interested in performing
meaningful work with tangible evidence of impact?
• How do you recruit, develop, and maintain such a talent pool?
Keynote Session
Keep It Secret, Keep It Safe: Addressing Data Security & Privacy
As the amount of data generated, collected, and stored has increased, so has the need for a reimagining of the way government organizations approach data warehousing – both from a management perspective, but also from a security and privacy perspective. Learn how government can balance security needs with an increasingly data-hungry culture.
Panel Discussion
From Data to Decisons
This dynamic discussion will feature different agency perspectives on how to best leverage data to achieve ambitions goals, where current gaps exist, and what solutions might boost policy priorities.
Keynote Session
Creating A Password-less Environment
Join Arizona’s Chief Information Security Officer, Dan Wilkins, as he shares a vision of a secure and private digital life – without passwords. Dan will highlight what this future holds for internal government processes and how it will impact citizens’ daily lives.
Panel Discussion
Engaging Citizens for More Equitable Outcomes
More and more, departments and agencies are looking to their
constituents to help solve longstanding challenges. Our panelists will discuss how their agencies are working with citizen stakeholders to help bridge historic divides, close accessibility gaps, and promote equity.
View the 2022 agenda to explore the full speaker lineup, session topics, and event timeline.
Your Registration Includes:
