Overview

December 2

Nothing has proven the need for resilience like 2020. Public sector agencies in California have been tested in previously unimaginable ways, with IT departments often bearing the brunt of the pressure. There were responsible for moving entire departments to remote work overnight due to COVID-19 and are continuously working to ensure networks, systems and staff are safe from threats as the cybersecurity landscape evolves. At the same time, California public safety departments have had to contend with unprecedented numbers of wildfires, among other challenges.
As agencies continue to grapple with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and move forward into what will likely be a forever changed way of working, it’s critical they look to lessons learned regarding how they can ensure resilience for what lies ahead and the tools and technologies it will take to get them there.

Join Government Technology and Verizon on Dec 2nd at 10 am PT/1 pm ET for an important conversation as our experts discuss the importance of connectivity in solving these challenges and how California agencies can leverage the California Network and Telecommunications (CALNET) program to streamline procurement of essential tools and services.

Speakers

Chris Rock

Client Partner, SLED, CALNET & NASPO ValuePoint Contracts - California, Verizon Enterprise Solutions

Seasoned sales professional with more than 30 years of experience working for the nation’s most prominent wireless carriers. A leading expert in State and Local Government wireless contract vehicles with a comprehensive knowledge of governmental procurement processes and contract management oversight. Effective at utilizing a consultative approach in a sales and service role to determine client needs, successfully meet expectations, and build long-term relationships with both large enterprise and government customers, proven ability and success in responding to various high stake Governmental RFPs resulting in multi-million dollar contract awards. While maintaining the ongoing relationships, successfully negotiated numerous amendments to ensure continued contract competitiveness and marketplace relevance.

Joe Panora

Senior Fellow, Center for Digital Government

Joe Panora has over 34 years of state public service with fourteen (14) years serving in the Correctional Safety/Public Safety Law Enforcement as IT Director/Chief Information Officer (CIO). Joe Panora was appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger and Governor Brown to serve as Director of the Enterprise Information Services (EIS) for the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), since January 2008. During his career, Joe has also served for the following departments: Caltrans, Franchise Tax Board, Employment Development Department, State Controller’s Office and California Youth Authority. Joe retired from state service as the Director of EIS for CDCR in December 2014. As the EIS Director, Joe was responsible for leading an organization with over 650 IT professionals. His team worked to deliver and improve statewide processes for education, rehabilitation, board hearings, healthcare, and offender/parole/juvenile operations. Also, this included the Department’s IT strategic plan, policies, standards, enterprise architecture, procurement, customer service/field operations, and automation efforts. Over his tenure, Joe implemented an IT project portfolio worth over $800 million, which resulted in both a business and IT transformation for CDCR. Significant program and cost efficiencies were achieved as well as enhanced delivery of services.

Teri Takai — Moderator

Co-executive Director, Center for Digital Government

Teri Takai is the Executive Director of the Center for Digital Government, a national research and advisory institute on information technology policies and best practices in state and local government. She worked for Ford Motor Company for 30 years in global application development and information technology strategic planning. From Ford, she moved to EDS in support of General Motors. A long-time interest in public service led her to the government sector, first as CIO of the State of Michigan, then as CIO of the State of California, and subsequently the CIO of the U.S. Department of Defense, the first woman appointed to this role. She then served as the CIO for Meridian Health Plan. She is a member of several industry advisory boards.

Webinar

Ensuring Resilience Through Connectivity in Our New Normal