Overview

April 14
11AM PT, 2PM ET

Register

As government organizations modernize facilities and adapt to new ways of working, workplace technology has become a critical foundation for collaboration, communication and service delivery. But designing modern government workspaces requires thoughtful planning, especially when launching new facilities or updating legacy environments.

In this session, IT leaders from the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) will share lessons learned from planning and implementing workplace technology across four locations: two facilities in Austin, one in El Paso, and one in London. Bringing together long-established offices with newly built environments provides a practical example of the challenges IT teams often face when modernizing technology across diverse government workplaces.

From meeting space design to standardized collaboration tools, the TRS team will discuss how they created consistent environments that are simple for employees to use and easier for IT teams to manage and support.

Attendees will hear practical insights on how agencies can approach workplace modernization while maintaining consistency, usability and operational efficiency across locations and supporting government service delivery.

We’ll cover:

  • Key lessons learned from planning workplace technology across new and existing government facilities
  • Considerations for designing meeting spaces that support collaboration and hybrid work
  • How standardizing collaboration tools can simplify support and improve user experience
  • Strategies for IT teams managing growing device fleets and workplace technology

Whether you are renovating existing spaces or planning new facilities, this session will provide practical insight into how agencies can create technology-enabled workplaces that improve collaboration, support employees and help government teams deliver better services to constituents.


Speakers

Benjamin Levy headshot

Benjamin Levy

AV Team Lead, Teacher Retirement System of Texas

Benjamin Levy serves as AV Team Lead at the Teacher Retirement System of Texas, where he leads the design, deployment, and support of audiovisual and collaboration technologies across the organization. In this role, he works closely with IT leadership to deliver reliable meeting and communication environments that enable teams to collaborate efficiently.

Ben oversees the implementation and management of audiovisual systems that support conference rooms, hybrid meetings, and agency-wide collaboration. His team focuses on creating consistent technology experiences across meeting spaces while ensuring systems are easy to support and operate at scale.

With a strong background in AV technology and workplace collaboration tools, Ben plays a key role in TRS initiatives that modernize meeting environments, improve user experiences, and support the evolving needs of the government workforce.

Austin Anderson headshot

Austin Anderson

Senior Audio-Visual Specialist, Teacher Retirement System of Texas

Austin Anderson is an information technology professional with experience supporting collaboration environments and technology operations within the public sector. At the Teacher Retirement System of Texas, he works with teams responsible for delivering reliable technology services that enable employees to collaborate effectively and support the mission of serving Texas educators and retirees.

Austin’s work focuses on deploying and supporting modern workplace technologies that improve communication, meeting experiences, and operational efficiency across the organization. He collaborates closely with IT and audiovisual teams to help ensure meeting environments and collaboration tools are consistent, reliable, and easy for employees to use.

Through his role, Austin contributes to initiatives that modernize workplace technology, support hybrid collaboration, and strengthen the digital infrastructure that enables government organizations to serve constituents more effectively.

Curt Wood headshot

Curt Wood — Moderator

Senior Fellow, Center for Digital Government

Curtis M. Wood is a distinguished professional renowned for his exceptional leadership and innovative approach in the field of technology and public administration. With a career span of over four decades, he has made significant contributions to the development and implementation of cutting-edge solutions that have transformed organizations and improved service delivery.

In the public sector, Curtis most recently served as the Technology and Security Cabinet Secretary and Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts from 2018-2023. In this role, he was instrumental in developing and implementing comprehensive IT strategies that enhanced operational efficiency, cybersecurity, and public engagement. His leadership was pivotal in modernizing legacy systems, adopting cloud computing, and fostering a culture of innovation within government entities.

Prior public sector executive leadership roles included serving as the Massachusetts Public Safety Undersecretary for Forensic Science and Technology with strategic leadership and oversight of multiple public safety agencies and operations, including the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the State Police Crime Laboratory, the Office of Technology and Information Services, the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services, the State 911 Department, and Statewide Public Safety Radio. He also served as the Commissioner for the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services and the Chief Parole Officer for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

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