Overview

September 27

State and local agencies are modernizing their approach to technology funding, making key investments to drive digital transformation and close the digital divide.

But many agencies must navigate the complexity of maintaining their legacy technology infrastructure along with the growing needs to migrate to more modern technology. They may be on the forefront of implementing new innovations, but they still must manage ongoing debt from existing investments.

Join us for this virtual conversation, part of our Funding Gov Tech program in partnership with the Center for Municipal Finance at the University of Chicago, for a deep dive into how to better manage your organization’s technical debt. Our panelists will outline the smartest ways for agencies to manage the divide between leveraging existing long-term tech investments while also making the most of new spending on modern technology.

Speakers

EJ Widun

Chief Technology Officer, Oakland County

EJ joined Oakland County 2015 to launch their Enterprise Architecture practice. He brings over twenty-five years of experience to his endeavors that spans several industries including government, financial services, car rental, technology and automotive. During his career, EJ’s responsibilities have included: Enterprise Architecture, IT Strategy, Information Security, Data Management, Business Intelligence, Business Analysis, Process Transformation, Application Development, Identity Management, Cloud, Technology Operations and Project Management. EJ is also an active member on the Board of Directors for Michigan Government Management Information Science (MiGMIS) and Oakland Schools Cyber Security Advisory Committee.

Tracy Barnes

Chief Information Officer, State of Indiana

Tracy oversees the Indiana Office of Technology and provides strategic oversight of the State’s technology portfolio, as well as leadership on technology and cybersecurity policy. Tracy brings significant business leadership and information technology experience to his role, having previously served as Chief of Staff for the Lieutenant Governor, Deputy Auditor and IT Director for the Indiana Auditor of State. Additionally, he was president and chief executive officer for ENTAP, Inc. which designed and delivered effective enterprise focused information technology solutions to organizations in various industries across the globe.

Phil Bertolini — Moderator

Vice President, Center for Digital Government

Phil Bertolini is the Vice President of the Center for Digital Government (CDG), a national research and advisory institute on information technology policies and best practices in state and local government. Previously, he served as deputy county executive and CIO for Oakland County, Michigan. During his 31-year tenure, Phil built a world-class IT organization in the second-largest county in Michigan, just north of Detroit. As Oakland County CIO, he oversaw more than 150 employees serving over 1.2 million residents. In 2005, he was also promoted to deputy county executive, holding dual positions until his retirement. Phil’s efforts earned the county national attention, winning numerous awards for technology innovation and excellence. He was named one of Governing Magazine’s Public Official of the Year and Government Technology Magazine’s Top 25 Doers, Dreamers & Drivers. He was also honored by the President Obama White House as a Champion of Change for 2012.

Webinar

Navigating Technical Debt