General Conference Training

Developed by the Texas Association of Counties

Understanding How Information is Accessed: Cloud Computing Explained

Speaker: Ms. Carolyn Purcell, Director, Internet Business Solutions Group, Cisco Systems

The cloud is here, but what exactly is it? Where is it headed? Is it risky to use? And how can IT organizations prepare to use it? Carolyn Purcell explains how the use of Internet services to support business processes is growing.

Speaker: Mr. Tim Howell, Information Services Director, City of South Padre Island

Speaker: Mr. Mike Griffith, Senior Manager, Bearing Point

Speaker: Mr. Bruce Barr, County/GIS Analyst, Texas Association of Counties

When planning for a crisis, it’s not if it will happen, it is when it will happen. Come hear about alternative communication sources and information technology planning for emergency preparation.

Speakers: The Honorable Marc Hamlin, Brazos County District Clerk and the Honorable Amalia Rodriguez-Mendoza, Travis County District Clerk

Information Technology Conference Training

Developed by the Texas Association of Counties

Speakers: Mr. Ronald E. Franke, Principal, Clifton Gunderson LLP, and Mr. Rodney Almaraz, Senior Manager, Clifton Gunderson LLP

With the overall security objective of protecting your data, this presentation discusses the most common types of wireless technology in use and the security vulnerabilities that exist with the use of WiFi, reviews the controls that should be used to mitigate the security risk when using WiFi and demonstrates some approaches and tools that are used to assess wireless security.

Speaker: Mr. Jon Fullenwider, Former CIO, Los Angeles County

County Software Project (CIJIMS) Update

(shared session with Law Enforcement Track)

Speakers: Mr. Eric Caldwell, Brazos County IT Director, Mr. Harvy Tanner, Smith County IT Director and Ms. Gayle Latham, CIRA Director, Texas Association of Counties 

Update on the initiative to create standards for a common integrated justice information management system for Texas counties

Speakers: Ms. Jan Hammond, Young County IT Director, Mr. Richard R. Parrish, Wood County IT Director/Chief Technology Officer. 

Special Guest:  Mr. Frank Hagy, CIO of the Florida League of Cities and Past President, Florida Local Government Information Systems Association

This session gives an update on the initiative to form a Texas County IT Association. Mr. Hagy shares information about how Florida local governments formed their successful IT Association.

Speakers: Mr. Carl Reynolds, Administrative Director, Office of Court Administration, Mr. Kirk Greene, Assistant CIO, Galveston County, Mr. Les Smith, Criminal Justice Manager, Tarrant County, Mr. Mike Lesko, Texas Department of Public Safety, Ms. Tammy Cannon, Systems Analyst, Texas Department of Criminal Justice

A briefing on TIJIS efforts to enable sharing of critical justice information between local, state and federal entities.

Justice Court Training

Developed by the Texas Justice Court Training Center

Speaker: Mr. Derek Johnson, Field Representative, VSU Field Services

This session will provide information on the role of the county clerk in registering a death certificate using the Texas Electronic Registration (TER) system. It will also provide some background on the TER Marriage system and its current status.

Speaker:  Judge John Payton, Collin County Precinct 3-2

During this session we break down the different levels of technology and how to apply them to court. The discussion includes what technology fits various court sizes and looks at the different technologies that are available to assist in managing courts more effectively. There is a demonstration of how video technology works and a live shot discussion between the Collin County Jail and the classroom.

Judge Payton continues with a session covering three basic video magistration areas. First, we will look at the law governing magistrate duties, video magistrate, and how to approach the rights and questions of inmates. Secondly, we will analyze the differences between arraignments in the jail versus in your office or home and the benefits and disadvantages of such a practice. Lastly, we will discuss the media and the role they play in the video arraignment process.

Municipal Courts Conference Training

Developed by the Texas Municipal Courts

Education Center

Speakers: Ms. Seana Willing, Executive Director of the State Commission on Judicial Conduct, and Mr. Mark Goodner, Program Attorney and Deputy Counsel for the Texas Municipal Courts Education Center

Advances in technology have changed the way the world works and communicates. In this session, we will explore some of the ethical concerns that can arise in today’s world of Twitter, Facebook, and Google. Some of the topics and issues to be discussed include social networking, Web sites, docket management and electronic communication.

Speaker: Mr. Keene Haywood, New Media Manager, University of Texas at Austin

This course will look at the tools and trends shaping our lives in the 21st century, with the focus on the use of PDA’s and smart phones to streamline communication and court processes, saving time and money.

Speaker: Mr. Jameson Crain, Multimedia Specialist for Texas Municipal Courts Education Center

This course covers a number of inexpensive and unexpected ways of using green technologies and environmentally conscious actions in and out of the courtroom. More important, we will look at how to change the way courts approach the issue of being green, mixing conventional wisdom and new technologies to save time, money and the environment. 

Speaker: Judge Robin Smith, Midland Municipal Court

Judge Smith will look at innovations in technologies specific to traffic enforcement and processing, with a focus on the safety and ethical concerns of red light and speed cameras, automated license plate recognition hardware and software, and other cutting edge technologies being introduced into the field by law enforcement.

Speaker: Judge Robert Barfield, City of El Lago

This course will highlight a number of technologies and software designed to improve the effectiveness of collections for municipal courts and will explain the importance of improved collections programs and the consequences of poor collections. Specifically, an effective collections program encourages personal responsibility, and increases revenue. Improving collections benefits both the local jurisdiction and the state of Texas.

County Judges Conference Training

Developed by the Texas Judiciary Academy   

1:00–1:45 p.m. 

Speaker: Mr. Ed Schafer, Director of Homeland Security, Capital Area Council of Governments

Speaker: Mr. John Lopez, Assistant District Attorney, Travis County

The session looks at both empirical and anecdotal evidence of the influence of television shows like CSI on jurors. It outlines some of the potential impacts on the successful prosecution of criminal cases and suggests ways in which prosecutors and investigative agencies can respond.

Speakers: Mr. Carl Reynolds, Administrative Director, Office of Court Administration, Mr. Kirk Greene, Assistant CIO, Galveston County, Mr. Les Smith, Criminal Justice Manager, Tarrant County, Mr. Mike Lesko, Texas Department of Public Safety, Ms. Tammy Cannon, Systems Analyst, Texas Department of Criminal Justice

A briefing on TIJIS efforts to enable sharing of critical justice information between local, state and federal entities.

Speaker:  Mr. Evan Gonzales, Judicial Projects Director, Texas Association of Counties

A demonstration of services offered to county judges through the internet. 

Law Enforcement Conference Training

Developed by the Texas Association of Counties

Speaker: Sheriff Gary Henderson, Hemphill County

Come find out the do’s and don’ts for seizing electronic information. Sheriff Henderson addresses how to write a proper search warrant for computer seizures, how to prepare for court testimony, and how to process electronic media for evidence in court.

Speaker: Mr. George York, Kaufman County IT Director

This session analyses the first responder role in securing digital evidence and how computer forensic exams are conducted in a lab environment. This information is presented while discussing actual cases with a focus on how to bring this technology to your department.

County Software Project (CIJIMS) Update

(shared session with Information Technology Track)

Speakers: Mr. Eric Caldwell, Brazos County IT Director, Mr. Harvy Tanner, Smith County IT Director, and Ms. Gayle Latham, CIRA Director, Texas Association of Counties 

An update on the initiative that creates standards for a common integrated justice information management system for Texas counties.

Modern Day Technology for Law Enforcement

Speakers: Mr. Joe M. Peters, Director, Technology Assistance Division, Sheriffs’ Association of Texas and Mr. Tod Depp, Project Manager, Technology Assistance Division, Sheriffs’ Association of Texas

Representatives from the Sheriffs’ Association of Texas will provide participants with an opportunity to become familiar with and, in some cases, see how technology—some new and some old—is being adapted for use as force multipliers in the law enforcement field. Technologies to be briefed include automated License Plate Readers (LPR), lower cost aviation platforms including Light Sport Aircraft, Powered Parachutes, Unmanned Aerial Systems, aerostats and delta wing trikes, Segways and BikeBoards for mounted patrols, multi-agency records management and data sharing systems and multi-band radio equipment.

Speaker: Ms. Kelli Vrla, KSV Enterprises

You will both laugh and learn as Ms. Vrla takes a humorous approach to the difficult job of change management.

Emergency Management – Hard Lessons Learned

Speaker: Mr. Steve Jennings, former Executive Information Officer, Harris County

Disasters can disrupt or disable technology systems. Yet those are the first systems needed for recovery communication. Find out what Houston learned from Hurricane Ike and how it impacts disaster planning.

Speaker: Mr. Peter Vogel, Co-Chair, Internet and Computer Technology Practice Group, Gardere Wynne Sewell

Always informative and knowledgeable, Mr. Vogel discusses evolving technology and the laws that must adapt as we operate government processes in cyberspace. 

Speaker: Mr. Martin Gruen, Center for Legal and Court Technology

Bexar County has brought all the technological bells and whistles into their recently-completed state of the art courtroom. We will conference into their courtroom in real time using video conferencing technology and hear about how they’re using the technology to save time and money.           

Speaker: Mr. Jon W. Fullinwider, Former Chief Information Officer, Los Angeles County and current Principal, Integrated Technology Solutions

Given the economic downturn and the resultant impact on the delivery of government operations and services, why aren’t our elected officials and administrators seeing the value of IT and demanding more?

Speaker: Mr. Dennis Harward, CEO and President, Innoprise

Innoprise’s vision of an interactive web-based user experience for government and municipalities has proven to be a brilliant solution. With 27 years experience in the technology field, founder Dennis Harward’s presentation provides an overview of how organizations can adapt their IT environments to encompass open standards, Web services architectures and software approaches optimized for the Internet, providing anytime, anywhere accessibility.

Speaker: Ms. Andrea Henson-Armstrong, Education Attorney, Federal Judicial Center

Ms. Henson-Armstrong explains Web 2.0 and gives an understanding of how it can be used to increase public access and interactions. No magic here—just more ways for people to connect!

Speakers: Ms. Sharon Camarillo, Hill County IT Director, and Mr. Ken Eisman, IT Director, City of Bay City

Stay until the end of the conference and you have a chance to steal lots of good ideas from those that have already developed a Web 2.0 presence. Hill County and Bay City will show their Web sites and other Web 2.0 capabilities.