As Georgia pushes the frontier of digital transformation, this keynote outlines how agency leaders are embedding innovation into daily governance to create a smarter, more resilient state. From AI to cybersecurity, Georgia’s roadmap is focused on outcomes that matter to citizens.

• Streamlining operations and citizen engagement through AI and automation.
• Strengthening digital equity and inclusive access across the state.
• Building enterprise resilience with secure cloud and Zero Trust strategies.
• Scaling what works: replicable innovation models from across Georgia.

Public service is being redefined by platforms that deliver simplicity and security at scale. In this keynote, a leading technology partner explores how platform modernization is enabling governments to better serve and connect with their citizens.

• Replatforming legacy systems without disrupting core services.
• Enabling seamless citizen experiences across digital touchpoints.
• Operational agility through data-centric design and DevSecOps.
• Co-creating with government to deliver mission-aligned solutions.

Change doesn’t start with technology—it starts with people. This keynote dives into how leaders across Georgia are fostering a digital-first culture, investing in workforce readiness, and ensuring staff can innovate with confidence.

• Developing workforce digital capabilities through training and mentorship.
• Embedding innovation mindsets and agile practices across departments.
• Empowering cross-functional teams to drive transformation from within.
• Aligning leadership vision with everyday service delivery impact.

This panel brings together government leaders to explore how digital transformation is being realized through integrated strategies across policy, operations, and talent. What does it take to build a digital government that truly delivers?

• Building sustainable momentum for modernization initiatives.
• Overcoming fragmentation through shared goals and governance.
• Ensuring human-centered design in technology rollouts.
• Lessons from Georgia’s cross-agency digital collaborations.

Digital infrastructure is the silent force behind every mission-critical service—until it breaks. This keynote reveals how Georgia is reengineering its backbone systems to be resilient, intelligent, and cloud-native by design, turning invisible architecture into a strategic advantage for the state.

• What No One Sees But Everything Depends On: Uncovering the silent backbone of government operations—from orchestration layers to invisible integrations.
• From Infrastructure to Intelligence: Making infrastructure not just a support system, but a strategic enabler of automation, analytics, and AI.
• Zero Trust and Cloud-Native by Design: Designing resilient systems that assume failure—and recover from it gracefully.
• The New Mission-Critical: How to prioritize infrastructure investments when every system and every moment is high stakes.

Agencies are shifting from reactive reporting to real-time decision-making. Learn how cloud-native tools, AI, and analytics are improving responsiveness and transparency.

• Cloud-native real-time systems – Explore how agencies are adopting scalable, cloud-native platforms that provide instant access to critical data, enabling rapid responses to emerging challenges and more flexible resource management.
• AI-enabled insights – Learn how artificial intelligence is being applied to identify trends, detect anomalies, and predict outcomes, empowering leaders with smarter, faster, and more accurate decision-making capabilities.
• Transparent governance – See how real-time data sharing and automated reporting are helping agencies strengthen accountability, build public trust, and comply with oversight requirements with greater ease.
• Mission-aligned analytics – Understand how agencies are tailoring analytics to directly support program goals and policy objectives, ensuring that data-driven decisions advance core missions rather than add unnecessary complexity.

What happens when modernization, data, and automation converge? This panel explores the organizational shifts and governance models that are aligning tech with strategy.

• Future-ready tech – Understand how agencies are modernizing their IT foundations with cloud, automation, and AI to create flexible, scalable systems that can evolve with emerging priorities and citizen needs.
• Policy-aligned systems – See how technology roadmaps are being shaped by legislation and statewide strategies, ensuring that modernization directly supports compliance, equity goals, and long-term public outcomes.
• Trust-based governance – Explore new governance models that prioritize ethical use of AI and data, foster transparency, and strengthen trust between agencies, policymakers, and the public.
• Agile, cyber-aware investment – Learn how leaders are adopting agile funding approaches that balance innovation with cybersecurity, directing resources where they deliver the most value while mitigating risk.

Srinivasan Kannabiran

Director, IT Applications, Georgia Department of Public Health

Natalie Lee

Deputy Geospatial Information Officer, Georgia Department of Community Affairs

Brent O'Guin

AI Advisory Council/Artificial Intelligence Strategist and Architect, Georgia Institute of Technology

Exploring how Georgia’s agencies can maintain mission continuity during disruptions—from cyber incidents to system failures.

• Linking data backup, incident response, and continuity plans.
• Building redundancy across state and local systems.
• Coordinating with GTA, GBI, and local CIO councils for faster recovery.
• Maintaining transparency and trust during crises.

Tameka Neely-Dudley

IT Director, Infrastructure of Operations and Service Delivery, City of Atlanta

Dr. Herbert J. Mattord

Professor of Cybersecurity, Department of Information Systems & Security, Coles College of Business, Kennesaw State University

Desmond Domfeh

Information Technology Security Manager, City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management

Cybersecurity is inseparable from public safety—protecting sensitive data and critical systems underpins trust in government services. In this keynote, Rhonda Westbrook spotlights how Georgia is moving from strategy to scaled action, building resilience across justice and public safety agencies.

• Linking cybersecurity priorities with law enforcement operations and public safety outcomes.
• Strengthening data integrity and information-sharing while mitigating risks.
• Building cyber awareness and readiness through empowered teams and internal champions.
• Sustaining resilience with strong governance, performance metrics, and leadership commitment.

Innovation is only as powerful as the outcomes it delivers. This keynote inspires action by spotlighting how agencies are moving from pilot projects to scaled, sustained, and people-centered public value.

• Linking strategy, operations, and technology to measurable results.
• Removing silos and aligning teams to shared citizen outcomes.
• Scaling innovation through internal champions and change agents.
• Sustaining momentum through performance management and leadership buy-in.

This session invites technology leaders to reflect on their role as long-term partners—not just vendors—in delivering digital transformation that serves the public good.

• Rethinking vendor-government relationships for shared value.
• Ensuring responsible innovation with ethical safeguards in place.
• Supporting agencies through change, adoption, and integration.
• Innovating together—sharing risks, rewards, and outcomes.

Our final panel gathers public sector and technology leaders to look beyond 2026 and explore what’s next. What are Georgia’s biggest digital priorities—and how can stakeholders work together to achieve them?

• Improving citizen experience through secure, user-friendly, and inclusive digital services.
• Scaling AI and data while protecting privacy and ethics.
• Institutionalizing innovation and risk-taking across agencies.
• Creating a shared vision for a whole-of-state digital future.

Nikhil J Deshpande

Chief Digital & AI Officer, Office of Digital Services & Solutions, Georgia Technology Authority, State of Georgia

Jason Harkins

Deputy Chief Information Officer, Georgia Department of Labor

Ann Dunkin

Distinguished Professor of the Practice and Distinguished External Fellow, Georgia Institute of Technology