Registration and Information Desk Hours (in person only)
CIRA Member Social
Location: The Arbor
Registration and Information Desk Hours (in person only)
Breakfast (Provided)
Moderator: Endi Silva, Chief Experience Officer, Department of Information Resources (DIR)
Speakers: Tony Sauerhoff, Deputy Chief Information Security Officer, DIR
John Hoffman, Deputy State Chief Information Officer and Chief Technology Officer, DIR
Lisa Massock, Chief Procurement Officer, DIR
Dale Richardson, Chief Operations Officer, DIR
Hear from State Chief Information Officer and DIR Executive Director Tony Sauerhoff along with key members of DIR’s executive leadership team as they discuss government technology in Texas. Topics include: artificial intelligence, modernization, shared services, IT procurement and contracting, and the resources and opportunities available to Texas counties.
Location: Ballroom A
Break
Location: Foyer
Smart Cybersecurity Hygiene: Practical, Preventative Measures for a Safer Workplace
Speakers: Mattew Cantu, Cybersecurity Risk Specialist, TAC
Isabella Sherwood, Cybersecurity Risk Specialist, TAC
Join this IT-focused discussion about how to implement preventative cybersecurity measures without disrupting your daily work. The speakers will discuss proactive cybersecurity measures that help reduce vulnerabilities and incidents while improving employees’ cybersecurity habits.
Location: Ballroom A
ADA Compliance
Speaker: Lizzie Calvert, Information Technology Service, TAC
The Department of Justice's Final Rule on digital accessibility establishes new requirements for state and local governments under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This session will provide an overview of the rule, explain what it means for Texas counties, and share practical steps, resources, and best practices to help counties improve website accessibility and prepare for compliance.
Location: San Antonio
CJIS Compliance
Speaker: Gerard J. Gallant, CPA, CA Founder and CEO, 2G Advisory LLC
Are you ready for CJIS 6.1? It’s here and mandatory. Learn about the most critical changes to implement and how to keep your sensitive information secure.
Location: San Marcos
Break with Sponsors
Location: Rio Grande B (lower level)
Speakers: Hon. Jen Crownover, Commissioner, Comal County
Melissa Maluski, Communications Specialist, TAC
Elissa Regulski, Communications Specialist, TAC
Social media continues to evolve, creating new opportunities and challenges for county officials. This session will provide practical strategies for building trust, improving engagement, leveraging artificial intelligence responsibly, and creating content that effectively tells the county story while remaining compliant with public information requirements.
Location: Ballroom A
Lunch (provided)
Location: Foyer
Moderator: Hon. Ben Zeller, Judge, Victoria County
Speakers: Hon. Keith Lutz, Judge, Medina County
Rita Reynolds, Director of Public Sector, CAI
Reed Clay, President, Texas Nuclear Alliance
Join this panel discussion about the growing concerns of data centers and their expansion over Texas. Panel members will discuss issues around land usage, jobs, power usage, and residents' concerns. Attendees will learn more about the authority counties have with data centers.
Location: Ballroom A
Vulnerability Management
Speaker: Matt Bruns, IT Systems & Security Manager, TAC
The session will cover the basic building blocks of a vulnerability management program in the modern era. This will include: how to continuously improve the vulnerability management process and how AI makes timely vulnerability management an imperative.
Location: Ballroom A
From Data Chaos to County Intelligence: How AI and eDiscovery Are Transforming Government Compliance
Speaker: Graham Sibley, CEO, Collabware
This session explores how a centralized “data lake” approach can create a strong foundation for using AI in county information management. Attendees will learn how AI and automation can streamline document classification, PII detection, records retention, open records responses, audits and legal discovery while supporting compliance and transparency. The session will also examine how information silos and disconnected systems can increase operational costs and legal risk.
Location: San Antonio
Privacy and Public Trust in Law Enforcement Technology
Moderator: Jason Bram, IT Member Manager, TAC
Speaker: Hon. Brian Hawthorne, Sheriff, Chambers County
Tamer Zakary, CEO, Packettalk
Learn how to implement technology that can be controversial to the public in a way that gains their trust. Topics include: interoperability between systems for sharing, providing safeguards and transparency when sharing data,limiting unauthorized use of technology, and utilizing vendors who put the public trust first.
Location: San Marcos
Break with Sponsors
Location: Rio Grande B (lower level)
Moderator: Hon. Linda Raschke, Commissioner, Llano County
Speakers: Jason Bram, IT Member Manager, TAC
Reagan Nail, ezTask
Bratton Riley, Co-Founder and CEO, Citibot
Join this discussion about emerging trends in style, technology, and regulation of government websites. Attendees will learn about the accessibility compliance, usability, user experience, ease of management, and trending technologies.
Location: Ballroom A
Kick Off Reception with Sponsors
Location: Rio Grande B (lower level)
Dinner on your own
Registration and Information Desk Hours (in person only)
Location: Foyer
Breakfast (in person only)
Location: Foyer
Speakers: Reed Clay, President, Texas Nuclear Alliance
Adam Lenarz, VP of Development, Last Energy
Jill McWhirter, Chief Legal Officer and Executive Vice-President, Natura Resources
This discussion will focus on the expanding role of nuclear energy as a reliable power source and economic growth opportunity for Texas. Panel members will explore advancements in nuclear technologies, supply chain and workforce development opportunities and safety, with a focus on how county leaders can actively support and benefit from nuclear projects in their communities.
Location: Ballroom A
Break with Sponsors
Sponsored by: Texas Nuclear Alliance
Location: Rio Grande B (lower level)
Speaker: John Matelski, CIO, National Association of Counties
Most county services rely on residents knowing a program exists and taking the first step to apply. This interactive session explores how counties are using connected data, analytics and responsible governance to proactively identify residents who may qualify for services and deliver assistance before they ask. Participants will hear practical examples, engage in peer discussion, and leave with ideas they can apply in their own counties.
Location: Ballroom A
Speaker: Sindhu Menon, CIO, Harris County
In this session, Director Menon will explain how Harris County, the third largest county in the nation, uses a fully centralized governance model to evaluate, secure, and manage all AI activity across the organization. She will highlight how HCUS develops policy, oversees risk, and enables responsible innovation at scale for one of the largest county governments in the United States. Attendees will leave knowing why strong, unified governance is essential for safely accelerating AI adoption, improving public services and building long-term operational capacity.
Location: Ballroom A
Lunch (provided)
Managing Cloud Vendor Risk at Scale: A Statewide Shared Assessment Model for Texas
Speakers: Jeremy Carter, Information Security Officer, University of Texas at Austin
Drew Scheifele, Co-Founder and CEO, SaltyCloud
This session explores how a statewide shared assessment model can help ISDs and small local governments manage cloud vendor risk with limited cybersecurity resources. Attendees will learn how centralized, reusable vendor assessments can reduce duplication and speed up risk decisions for non-TX-RAMP cloud vendors. The session will also highlight how peer collaboration and shared vendor insights can improve consistency and confidence in local agency risk management.
Location: Ballroom A
Preparing for Success: Guidance for Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Project Governance in the Public Sector
Speaker: Steven Niekamp, Chief Technology Officer, Precision Task Group, Inc.
Successful ERP require strong governance, clear leadership and organizational alignment. This session will provide practical guidance for public sector leaders on establishing the governance framework necessary to drive successful ERP outcomes. Attendees will gain insights into defining project vision and objectives, engaging executive sponsors, managing competing priorities, mitigating risk, and fostering stakeholder engagement throughout the project lifecycle.
Location: San Antonio
Beyond the Emergency Call: Using AI to Transform Non Emergency Response
Speaker: Karima Holmes, VP, Head of Public Safety, AXON 911
This session focuses on 911 emergency communications centers, whichare under pressure from rising call volumes, staffing shortages, and systems not designed for today’s expectations. Building on the connected, cloud-native intelligence model behind Axon 911, this session explores how AI can strengthen non-emergency response — from intelligently triaging and deflecting lower-acuity contacts to automating documentation, supporting multilingual communication, and delivering clearer information to those who need it.
Location: San Marcos
Break with Sponsors
Sponsored by: Texas Nuclear Alliance
Location: Rio Grande B (lower level)
Operationalizing Cyber Resiliency: Turning Threat Actor Behavior into Governance, Continuity and Cross-Team Coordination
Speaker: Joe Beaulieu, Estrategic-tech
Cyber incidents challenge governance, communication, leadership and operational readiness. This session shows how understanding threat actor behavior can improve cybersecurity, business continuity, assessment management and cross-department coordination. Attendees will learn practical, tool-agnostic strategies for strengthening identity governance, continuity planning, asset visibility and escalation processes to build organizational resilience.
Location: Ballroom A
Future of Government Disbursements
Speaker: Hon. Daphne Tenorio, Treasurer, Hays County
Justin Miller, Sr. Solutions Consultant, Tyler Technologies
Government agencies are under increasing pressure to deliver payments quickly, securely, and efficiently — while improving the experience for residents, businesses and community recipients alike. In this session, hear how modern disbursement technology helps governments replace manual, paper-based processes with streamlined digital payment solutions that reduce administrative burden, improve visibility and accelerate payment delivery.
Location: San Antonio
Using Technology to Predict Disaster Response
Speakers: Leo Zlimen, CEO, Ladris
Patrick Van Horne, Co-Founder, CP Journal
Learn how AI technology can help predict how disasters will spread through a region and generate the appropriate evacuation plan for residents.
Location: San Marcos
Break
Sponsored by: Texas Nuclear Alliance
Location: Rio Grande B (lower level)
Speakers: Texas Broadband Development Office
The Broadband Development staff will share key details about the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program and explain how county officials can access county-specific project information to support local planning and decision making. The office will also highlight how the Texas Regional Broadband Program supports counties across Texas and provides clear pathways to connect with regional specialists who can help accelerate local progress.
Location: Ballroom A
Evening Event - Casino Night!
Location: Glass Oaks Ballroom
Registration and Information Desk Hours (in person only)
Location: Foyer
Breakfast (in person only)
Location: Foyer
Moderator: Peter Crary, Deputy Director of Technology Services, TAC
Speakers: Hon. Jennifer Henderson, Treasurer, Schleicher County
Darryl Polk, Public Technology Institute
Learn how the workforce is changing in the wake of artificial intelligence, including which job roles may change, which could be in danger, and how to anticipate and adapt to these changes.
Location: Ballroom A
Refreshment Break
Location: Foyer
Speaker: Chief T.J. White, Texas Cyber Command
As a newly established agency headquartered in San Antonio, Texas Cyber Command (TXCC) is building the people, processes, partnerships and technologies necessary to protect essential public services, strengthen Texas’s ability to anticipate and withstand evolving cyber threats, and reinforce public trust.
Adjourn
*Agenda is subject to change.