Government agencies often struggle with fragmented systems that slow service delivery and limit innovation. This session will show you how to apply new approaches on how you can unify systems, centralize access, and leverage real-time data to transform operations.

• Achieve faster delivery cycles by consolidating legacy systems
• Transform user experience through centralized identity and application portals
• Advance system interoperability across departments
• Amplify technology reuse with shared code frameworks
• Optimize operations to enable AI-powered decision making

Virginia faces fast-moving cyber risks as AI, automation, and new attack vectors reshape how state agencies operate and defend their systems. This session will show you how to reduce emerging risks, improve statewide threat readiness, and apply new approaches so you can protect data, streamline response, and secure automated workflows.

• Advance AI risk mitigation across high-value state systems
• Improve identification of new attack vectors targeting critical services
• Optimize data-level protection to reduce exposure and ensure resilience
• Bolster statewide threat management and coordination for faster response

From coastal storms to cyber incidents and public health emergencies, Virginia’s communities face an evolving landscape of threats that demand faster, smarter, and more coordinated responses. As the Commonwealth invests in advanced technologies, AI is emerging as a critical tool to predict risks, optimize resource allocation, and strengthen emergency management capabilities. This session explores how agencies can responsibly integrate AI into public safety operations to enhance resilience, transparency, and public trust.

Discussion Questions:

• How can Virginia effectively integrate AI technologies into existing public safety systems to improve coordination and response times?
• What predictive AI tools can help forecast and mitigate the impact of severe weather, cyber threats, and other emergencies?
• How can agencies ensure the ethical and transparent use of AI to maintain accountability and public confidence?
• What partnerships between state, local, and federal agencies can accelerate AI adoption for safer, more resilient communities?

Governments are under pressure to deliver faster, more seamless services while navigating limited resources and rising citizen expectations. This session will explore how proven industry approaches can be adapted to the public sector to strengthen operations, improve access, and enhance the overall service experience.

• Adapt scalable digital tools to modernize agency operations and workflows
• Increase service delivery speed by applying lessons from automation and AI
• Bolster cybersecurity and data privacy while expanding digital access
• Enrich citizen engagement by drawing on proven customer experience models

The rise of quantum computing poses a direct risk to today’s encryption standards, threatening the security of sensitive government data and systems. This session will help you understand the urgency of the shift and apply new approaches on how you can strengthen your agency’s security posture for the post-quantum era.

• Assess the real-world risks quantum technologies pose to your current cryptographic systems
• Adapt your organization’s roadmap to meet new post-quantum cryptography standards
• Increase resilience by integrating quantum-safe strategies into existing infrastructure
• Advance inter-agency collaboration to ensure consistent, secure adoption of new practices

Governments are under increasing pressure to deliver better services with fewer resources. While emerging tools create opportunities for rapid improvement, the real challenge lies in sustaining innovation and embedding it into everyday operations. This session will help you apply new approaches on how you can drive, support, and scale innovation to create lasting impact across your organization.

• Advance innovation by building systems and leadership support that sustain change
• Adapt emerging tools to meet the evolving needs of citizens and communities
• Optimize collaboration across agencies to scale pilots into long-term solutions
• Amplify the resilience and impact of your services through continuous innovation

Melinda Stewart

Chief Information Officer, Virginia State Corporation Commission

Paul Corbett Cormal

Chief Technology Officer, Assistant Superintendent – Data, Research, and Technology, Virginia Department of Education

Ravi Padma

Chief Technology Officer, Virginia Department of Veterans Services

Virginia’s public sector is moving toward proactive, citizen-centered service delivery to improve accessibility and trust. This session will help you apply new approaches on how you can leverage data, collaboration, and innovation to transform your agency’s digital services.

• Advance cross-department collaboration to improve citizen experiences
• Optimize digital systems for faster, more equitable service delivery
• Transform leadership approaches to support human-focused modernization
• Increase trust and accessibility across public service touchpoints

Public sector supply chains are increasingly targeted, making procurement a critical line of defense. This session will show you how to embed cybersecurity in contracts, assess vendor risk, and ensure resilience in third-party partnerships.

This session will help you apply new approaches on how you can align procurement with security frameworks, reduce third-party vulnerabilities, and transform vendor relationships into trusted partnerships.

• Integrate cybersecurity standards and Zero Trust principles into procurement processes
• Evaluate vendor risks using proven frameworks and due diligence practices
• Adapt lessons from recent supply chain attacks to strengthen resilience
• Balance innovation, cost, and security in vendor selection and contract negotiations

Across Virginia and beyond, public expectations for digital services have never been higher. Citizens want fast, personalized, and reliable interactions—mirroring the intuitive experiences they have in the private sector. As agencies modernize their systems and embrace AI, the real opportunity lies in combining data, automation, and human-centered design to build services that are proactive, accessible, and equitable. This session explores how industry innovations are enabling governments to enhance customer experience, improve outcomes, and deliver measurable impact.

• Advance digital transformation through AI-powered automation and workflow integration
  
• Improve citizen satisfaction by applying design-thinking principles to service delivery
  
• Optimize digital platforms for accessibility, transparency, and efficiency
  
• Strengthen trust through secure, ethical, and inclusive technology adoption
  
• Foster collaboration between public agencies and industry to drive continuous innovation

As quantum technologies advance, current encryption methods that protect government systems, critical infrastructure, and citizen data will face new challenges. This panel brings together public sector leaders and technology experts to explore practical strategies for post-quantum security, including standards adoption, risk assessment, and migration of complex IT systems. The discussion will also highlight opportunities for collaboration between government and industry to ensure a secure and resilient digital future.

• Understanding post-quantum cryptography and its implications for government
• Assessing risk and prioritizing systems for transition
• Standards, compliance, and long-term planning
• Strategies for migrating large, hybrid IT environments to quantum-safe security
• Public-private collaboration to accelerate readiness and innovation

Government procurement is evolving, with agencies seeking not just cost savings but also innovation, accountability, and long-term value from vendor relationships. In this session, procurement leaders will provide insights to help vendors better understand the government’s priorities, expectations, and processes. Attendees will gain clarity on how to navigate compliance requirements, present innovative solutions, and build partnerships that align with agency missions and citizen needs.

• What government buyers look for beyond pricing
• Common challenges vendors face in government procurement—and how to overcome them
• Best practices for engaging with agencies early and effectively
• How agencies evaluate innovation while ensuring fairness and compliance
• Building trusted, transparent, and long-term vendor partnerships