Service delivery improves when agencies design around real user needs rather than internal processes. Texas agencies are increasingly applying user-centered approaches to simplify services and improve outcomes.

This session will show how focusing on citizen needs leads to more efficient operations, higher satisfaction, and better policy execution.

• Improve service outcomes using citizen insight
• Reduce complexity in high-demand services
• Increase digital adoption and self-service
• Transform service delivery culture across teams

Texas collects vast amounts of data, but value is only realized when data informs decisions. Improving data quality, access, and analytics is essential to better policy and operational outcomes.

This session will explore how agencies are maturing their data and analytics capabilities to support smarter, faster decision-making.

• Improve data governance and quality
• Increase secure data access across agencies
• Advance analytics capability and literacy
• Transform data into operational insight

Texas agencies are modernizing at pace, but scale introduces a new set of challenges that can slow delivery if they are not addressed early. In this keynote, Chris Bunton, Chief Information Officer for the Texas Department of Agriculture and former state Chief Information Security Officer, brings a grounded government lens on how to move faster while staying responsible.

Over the last 18 months, the relationship between cyber and innovation has shifted as AI becomes embedded in service delivery and operations. This session reframes “risk” towards readiness, with governance that enables adoption. This session will outline how to:

• Establish modernization governance that keeps licensing, accountability, and delivery aligned
• Translate “responsible AI” from principle into operational controls and decision-making checkpoints
• Use a readiness assessment to surface gaps early and prioritize what to fix first
• Reframe cybersecurity as an enabler of modernization, not a blocker
• Equip executives and delivery teams with a consistent set of questions to guide AI adoption and reduce uncertainty
• Build a culture of secure innovation that supports both citizen outcomes and enterprise resilience

Accessibility is not optional—it is foundational to equitable government. Designing services without accessibility in mind creates barriers for millions of Texans.

This panel will spotlight how agencies are embedding accessibility into digital services from the start, improving compliance while delivering better experiences for all users.

• Advance accessibility standards across platforms
• Improve services for underserved communities
• Reduce rework through inclusive design practices
• Strengthen accountability for accessibility outcomes

Legacy systems remain mission-critical across Texas government. Modernizing them is no longer a one-time replacement exercise. It is an ongoing process of adapting to rapid technology change while working within the operational, financial, and capacity realities of state departments. Success depends on clearly defining immediate service needs, prioritizing outcomes over features, and pacing modernization at a rate the organization can sustain.

This panel will discuss practical approaches to modernizing legacy environments while maintaining service continuity and security. It will examine how agencies are assessing technology options, planning multi-year investments, and using innovation differently at the enterprise, program, and frontline levels to deliver measurable improvements without disrupting what already works.

• Prioritize needs vs wants by anchoring decisions to service outcomes, risk, and user impact
• Align modernization pace to department readiness, including change capacity and operational constraints
• Plan finances for immediate needs and multi-year delivery, including total cost and sequencing trade-offs
• Improve integration across old and new platforms through modular approaches, APIs, and phased migration
• Enable innovation at multiple levels, from enterprise roadmaps to program pilots and frontline workflow improvements

Cyber incidents can disrupt essential services and erode public trust. Building resilience requires more than technical controls. It depends on modernizing legacy environments, integrating systems across agencies and vendors, and embedding cyber readiness into culture, communications, and day-to-day operations.

This panel will examine how Texas agencies are strengthening cyber resilience to maintain service continuity before, during, and after incidents. Discussion will include practical approaches to integrating security into modernization and systems consolidation efforts, improving coordination across state and local partners, and strengthening the relationships that enable rapid decision-making and response.

• Improve readiness through training, exercises, and clear roles across technical and business teams
• Reduce operational impact by strengthening integration, identity, and visibility across interconnected systems
• Modernize legacy environments while managing risk during migrations, consolidations, and vendor transitions
• Strengthen state and local coordination through shared playbooks, communication protocols, and trusted relationships
• Advance continuity planning for critical services, including recovery priorities and cross-agency dependencies