The State of Cybersecurity: A Fireside Chat with Regional CISOs

Tracy Barnes

Chief Information Officer, State of Indiana

Tracy Barnes was appointed by Gov. Eric J. Holcomb in March 2020. In this role, Tracy sits on the Governor’s Cabinet overseeing 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 also serves as the Co-Chair for the Indiana Executive Council on Cybersecurity. Tracy brings significant business leadership and information technology experience to his role, having previously served as Chief of Staff for the Lieutenant Governor, and as Deputy Auditor and IT Director for the Indiana Auditor of State. Before joining the public sector, Tracy served as president and chief executive officer for ENTAP, Inc., an IT consulting services firm that designed and delivered effective enterprise-focused information technology solutions to organizations in various industries across the globe. Tracy was recently recognized by StateScoop magazine as a GoldenGov State Executive of the Year. Previously, he has also been recognized by the Indianapolis Business Journal as one of the 250 most influential business leaders in Indiana and has also received accolades from the TechPoint MIRA awards and the IBE Governor's Award for Achievement in Technology.

Chris DeSain

Chief Information Security Officer, New York State

Chris DeSain has served as New York's Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) since June 2022. In this position, Chris and his team are responsible for monitoring and maintaining the security of the state's information systems and data from cyber intrusion and attack. Chris brings 24 years of valuable experience in the cybersecurity field to the role, including nearly 20 years in leadership positions across New York State government. He recently served as the Director for the Office of Counter Terrorism Cyber Incident Response team under the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES). Earlier in his career, he helped build the New York State Police (NYSP) cyber program, crafted the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) regulations, and became the first civilian CJIS Information Security Officer in the nation. During a previous tenure as Director of NYS ITS Cyber Command, Chris formed the "Red Team" and established proactive threat response to ensure timely remediation of potential threats and vulnerabilities.

Erin McGinnis

Director of Statewide Cyber Collaboration & Preparedness, State of Kansas

Vitaliy Panych

Chief Information Security Officer, State of California

Vitaliy Panych was appointed State Chief Information Security Officer by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2021. Prior to his appointment, he had been serving in an acting capacity for nearly 2 years. A veteran of state government technology, he worked at several state departments in progressively senior roles before arriving at CDT in 2018 as Deputy State CISO.

Phil Bertolini — Moderator

Senior Vice President, Government Technology

Phil Bertolini is Senior Vice President of e.Republic. 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.