Overview

April 28
11AM PT, 2PM ET

Register

State and local government IT leaders face increasing pressure to modernize aging physical infrastructure while supporting an expanding digital services landscape. From escalating cybersecurity requirements to 24/7 constituent access, legacy power, rack and cooling systems are being pushed beyond their limits — often amid tight budgets and growing expectations about sustainability.

In this session, attendees will learn how to:

  • Assess infrastructure risk and identify where aging power, rack and cooling systems threaten resiliency and uptime.
  • Strengthen reliability and reduce operational risk through modern, scalable infrastructure strategies.
  • Balance modernization with budget realities, energy efficiency goals and compliance requirements, including TAA- and BAA-aligned solutions.
  • Build a future-ready foundation that supports evolving cybersecurity, distributed IT and digital service demands.

We’ll also examine practical innovations in power, rack and cooling designed to help SLED organizations modernize efficiently and cost-effectively across data centers, network closets and distributed environments.

Speakers

Adam Compton headshot

Adam Compton

Director of Offer Management, Schneider Electric

Adam Compton is the Director of Offer Management for Schneider Electric, where he leads offer strategy for the North American business, focused on IT and data center markets and applications for high available power and AI/data center whitespace infrastructure. With over 25 years of experience, originally hailing from APC, he is responsible for monitoring and analyzing market intelligence towards the goal of revenue growth for Schneider Electric. As an entrepreneurial leader, Adam is a regular presenter at industry conferences and is a mentor capable of directing large cross-functional teams. He serves on the Board of Directors for Junior Achievement of Rhode Island, married 28 years, a proud father of 4 grown children, and recently a grandfather.

Niki Pettis headshot

Niki Pettis

Strategy & Innovation Leader, Schneider Electric

Niki Pettis is a strategy, marketing and business transformation leader with over 15 years of experience in the energy and technology industries. Her career spans critical infrastructure, industrial, and high-tech markets, supporting customers in manufacturing (including automotive, food & beverage, and life sciences), commercial buildings, semiconductors, data centers, utilities, oil and gas, logistics, and the Federal and Public Sector.

Known for her ability to translate strategic vision into actionable plans, Niki has led high-impact marketing programs, offer launches, brand initiatives, and enterprise transformation efforts that drive measurable results and long-term competitive advantage. Her leadership centers on navigating complex challenges, removing organizational roadblocks, and sparking innovation across global teams.

Niki graduated with honors from the University of Oregon with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a minor in French. She is based in Texas and enjoys traveling, baking, playing competitive soccer, and spending time with her family.

Bob Bennett headshot

Bob Bennett — Moderator

Senior Fellow, Center for Digital Government

Bob Bennett is a Senior Fellow at the Center for Digital Government and the founder of B2 Civic Solutions, an international smart cities consultancy firm based in Parkville, Mo. From 2016 to 2019 he served in Mayor Sly James’ administration as the Chief Innovation Officer for the City of Kansas City, Mo. During his tenure, he oversaw the city’s smart city initiatives including a 54-block total digitalization pilot, strategy development for the city and P3-based expansion plans. Kansas City’s initiatives earned the city an Edison Award (Gold) for “Collective Disruption” and civic innovation in 2017, and Bob was named one of GovTech’s Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers in 2018. Before his role with the city, Bob completed a 25-year career in the U.S. Army which included service as a Strategist, a Battalion Commander and multiple combat tours.

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