Overview

December 8
11AM PT, 2PM ET

Register

Residents expect government services to be as simple, secure and connected as the digital experiences they use every day. But for many agencies, fragmented systems, disconnected services and growing security demands continue to stand in the way.

As governments set their priorities for 2027, the question is no longer whether to modernize resident service delivery — it's how to make meaningful progress.

Join Government Technology and Portage CyberTech for a live webinar on the digital identity, trust and service delivery strategies shaping the next chapter of government modernization.

Discover how government organizations can strengthen digital trust, simplify access to services, protect resident data and create a more seamless digital front door.

Our speakers will dive into:

  • Why 2027 is a pivotal year to rethink resident service delivery and accelerate digital modernization
  • How digital identity and trust can help governments deliver simpler, safer and more connected resident experiences
  • What it takes to create a unified digital front door that reduces friction for residents and agencies alike
  • The biggest modernization roadblocks and practical strategies for overcoming them
  • Where to focus next to turn digital transformation priorities into measurable service delivery improvements

Join us to explore how your agency can turn 2027 modernization priorities into meaningful action. Attend the live webinar to obtain your complimentary certificate of attendance!

Speakers

Ed Therriault headshot

Ed Therriault

Principal Digital Transformation Architect, Portage CyberTech

Ed has over 25 years of experience in the design, development, deployment and operations of privacy sensitive electronic service delivery solutions for both public sector and banking clients. Ed’s involvement in the domains of Identity, Credential and Access management, web content management and service transformation started with his participation in the creation of the Central Frame Database at Statistics Canada. He went on to participate in the creation of the Strategis ID and the web content management solutions at Industry Canada and has made immense contributions to the Government of Canada's vision for citizen and business centric access to information and transactions.

Bruce Lévis headshot

Bruce Lévis

Chief Advocacy Officer, Portage CyberTech

Bruce Lévis is co-founder and Chief Advocacy Officer at Portage Cybertech. With over thirty years of experience, Bruce’s career has covered almost every aspect of public sector digital transformation from enterprise hardware to data warehousing and analytics, to digital asset management, to cybersecurity. Over the last ten years he has focused mainly on identity and access management. He is an active member of the Digital Identity and Authentication Council of Canada (DIACC) and is on the board of directors of CILEX, a Canadian-based Incubator-Accelerator. Prior to Portage, Bruce founded The Levis Group, a management consulting company that worked with established corporations and start-ups. As part of the Levis Group he co-founded, helped build, and sold two successful start-ups: Askari Solutions Inc. and Becker-Carroll. Prior to the Levis Group he held sales and leadership in companies like Once Corporation (now part of Bell), Computer Associates, and Northern Micro.

Duane Oertell headshot

Duane Oertell

Strategic Account Executive, Portage CyberTech

Duane Oertell is a Strategic Account Executive with Portage CyberTech, where he leads U.S. public-sector market development for CitizenOne and works with State and Local government leaders to modernize how Residents securely access digital services. With more than two decades of experience helping government organizations navigate technology transformation, Duane has worked across digital identity, cybersecurity, cloud, data, infrastructure and emerging technology initiatives – always with a focus on translating technology into practical operational and constituent outcomes.

Today, Duane’s work centers on helping governments move from fragmented portals and disconnected logins toward a more unified, trusted digital experience built around the resident. He works closely with Public-sector executives, technology teams and industry partners on strategies for Citizen identity, secure access, interoperability and phased modernization – helping agencies improve the constituent experience without forcing costly rip-and-replace approaches. His perspective is grounded in what state, city and county leaders are encountering right now as they build the next generation of digital government services.

William (Bill) Rials, Ph.D. headshot

William (Bill) Rials, Ph.D.

Senior Fellow, Center for Digital Government

William (Bill) Rials, Ph.D., is an Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Senior Professor of Practice at Tulane University where he oversees academic programs in information technology, cybersecurity, emerging technologies, and other applied fields. He leads strategic curriculum development, assessment, new program design, and faculty governance with a focus on preparing adult learners for rapidly evolving digital and AI-driven careers.

Beyond higher education, Dr. Rials is recognized nationally as a leading voice at the intersection of government, technology, and education. He serves as a Senior Fellow with both the Center for Digital Government and Education and the Center for Public Sector AI, where he provides strategic insights on innovation, workforce transformation, and the responsible use of emerging technologies. A frequent keynote speaker, panelist, and moderator, he engages national audiences on topics ranging from AI adoption and cybersecurity resilience to digital transformation in state and local government. His expertise is regularly featured in national media outlets and industry publications, and he contributes scholarship, commentary, and research in both academic journals and practitioner platforms.

Earlier in his career, Dr. Rials held various senior technology leadership roles in both state and local governments, where he focused on large-scale modernization and innovation initiatives overseeing enterprise IT strategy, cybersecurity programs, and digital service delivery. In these roles, he led efforts to expand cloud adoption, strengthen information security, and modernize legacy systems to improve efficiency and transparency for citizens and public employees. His work in government laid the foundation for his ongoing research and national thought leadership on the adoption of emerging technologies in the public sector.

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