Texas is modernizing at unprecedented scale, with major investments in digital services, cybersecurity, data, and workforce capability. At the same time, agencies face rising citizen expectations, increased scrutiny, and growing operational risk.

This opening session will frame the priorities shaping government innovation in Texas and set a clear direction for how leaders can modernize services while safeguarding trust, continuity, and accountability.

• Align agency priorities with the DIR 2026–2030 strategic goals
• Strengthen collaboration across state, local, and academic partners
• Balance modernization speed with risk and resilience
• Focus innovation efforts on measurable outcomes for Texans

Texans increasingly expect government services to be as accessible and intuitive as the private sector. From benefits access to licensing and public safety, poor design directly impacts trust, equity, and service outcomes.

This session will explore how Texas agencies are improving citizen experience by embedding usability, accessibility, and service design into digital modernization efforts.

• Improve citizen experience across high-volume services
• Advance accessibility and inclusive design by default
• Reduce service friction and repeat interactions
• Transform digital services into trusted public assets

Large-scale government initiatives fail when risk is identified too late. As technology programs grow in size and complexity, proactive risk management becomes a leadership responsibility.

This panel will explore how agencies are strengthening risk management across technology, procurement, delivery, and policy to improve outcomes and public confidence.

• Improve early identification of delivery and operational risks
• Reduce program delays and budget overruns
• Strengthen accountability across vendors and agencies
• Advance enterprise risk management practices

Delegates will select a roundtable to join for discussion with their peers about a key topic:

Roundtable 1: Making Your Tools Smarter: Using Network-Derived Telemetry to Strengthen Threat Detection On-Prem and in the Cloud.

Roundtable 2: AI and the Future of Work: Smarter, More Connected Government.

Roundtable 3: Modernize and Optimize Government Services with AI-Powered Solutions

Roundtable 4: A Government IT Value Play: How CIOs can do more with less

Roundtable 5: Empowering Digital Government to Deliver Trusted, Transparent, and Secure Citizen Engagement

Roundtable 6: Building Resilient State Agencies for the Future

Modernization is essential, but poorly governed change introduces cost overruns, service outages, and public risk. Texas agencies must modernize legacy environments while maintaining continuity and accountability.

This session will highlight how disciplined governance, strong PMO practices, and phased delivery help agencies modernize systems without disrupting critical services.

• Reduce modernization risk through structured delivery
• Strengthen program and portfolio governance
• Protect services during system transitions
• Optimize outcomes from technology investments

Citizens experience government as a single entity, yet services are often delivered through disconnected agencies and systems. Misalignment creates frustration, inefficiency, and inconsistent outcomes.

This panel will examine how Texas leaders are aligning CX, data, and service delivery across agencies to create more consistent and seamless citizen experiences.

• Improve cross-agency coordination and service alignment
• Reduce duplication and fragmented user journeys
• Advance shared CX standards and performance metrics
• Increase digital adoption and service satisfaction