Overview

May 6
11AM PT, 2PM ET

Register

Local government is a network of distinct markets, each with its own priorities, budget realities, and path to decision-making. Vendors who take the time to understand and align to those differences are the ones who gain traction.

Join Rob Lloyd, the new Executive Director of the Center for Digital Government, for a candid discussion on the nuances of selling to local government, and hear how his vision for the Center will reshape how government and industry partners connect, learn, and solve problems together.

Drawing on his experience as former CTO for the City of Seattle and CIO and Deputy City Manager for San Jose, Rob will share what drives success in the local government market, including:

  • How creating cross-organizational alignment determines whether technology investments move forward, including between IT, finance, business departments, and leaders.
  • How to engage with leaders so solutions are positioned at the right time for budget decisions to close the window on new spending.
  • How to name and frame technology as the means to impact, giving decision-makers the ROI evidence and outcome language needed to defend investments under pressure.
  • Creating credibility and advocacy for tough decisions when funding is tight, accountability is high, and modernization cannot wait.
  • Activating trusted partners who deliver, earn credibility, and keep influence through results that speak when reputation matters
  • Tapping peer communities as a means to learn, test ideas, and check our performance with similar organizations with high service values.

We’ll connect these insights to how programs, like Digital Communities, help bridge the gap between local government leadership and the private sector, enabling companies to build deeper relationships, better understand the dynamic local landscape, and engage more effectively with public-sector leaders.

Whether you're new to the local government space or looking to sharpen your strategy, this session will give you practical, experience-driven guidance you can apply to win more in 2026.


Speakers

Teri Takai headshot

Teri Takai — Moderator

Chief Programs Officer, Center for Digital Government

Teri Takai is the Chief Programs Officer of the Center for Digital Government, a trusted brand of e.Republic. She worked for Ford Motor Company for 30 years in global application development and information technology strategic planning. From Ford, she moved to EDS in support of General Motors.

A long-time interest in public service led her to the government sector, first as CIO of the State of Michigan, then as CIO of the State of California, and subsequently the CIO of the U.S. Department of Defense, the first woman appointed to this role.

Teri has won numerous awards including Governing Magazine’s Public Official of the Year, CIO Magazine’s CIO Hall of Fame, Government Technology Magazine’s Top 25 Doers, Dreamers & Drivers, the Women in Defense Excellence in Leadership Award, and the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service.

Rob Lloyd headshot

Rob Lloyd

Executive Director, Center for Digital Government

Rob Lloyd serves as the Executive Director for the Center for Digital Government, where he leads national research, advisory programs, and strategic initiatives that help state and local governments responsibly use technology to improve services, engage, and solve complex regional challenges. In this role, he works with government leaders, technology partners, and research teams to advance best practices in government.

Rob has 20 years of C-level public-sector leadership experience across Washington, California, Arizona, Oregon, and Colorado. He previously served as Chief Technology Officer for the City of Seattle, overseeing a IT staff of 600 and a budget of $310M for one of the nation’s largest full-service cities and utilities. Prior, he served as Deputy City Manager for Transportation, Aviation, and Technology for the City of San José, where he oversaw major infrastructure, mobility, 311, and digital government initiatives for the nation’s 12th-largest city. He has also led for a small city, a mid-size city, as well as a state division.

Throughout his career, Rob has pioneered innovations, including in AI adoption, public-private partnerships, equity through data, omnichannel 311 services, and government procurement modernization. His teams have earned more than 50 national honors, and his leadership has been recognized with awards including The AI 50, two ORBIE CIO of the Year awards, Governing Magazine’s Public Official of the Year, two GovTech Doers, Dreamers, and Drivers honors, four City Executive of the Year honors, and Business Journal leadership awards in Silicon Valley and Phoenix.

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