Topic: Culture

Seminar Topics

[1 CPE] Empowering Hawai’i’s Future: Leading IT Innovation in State Government

  Presented by Christine Sakuda • Chief Information Officer, State of Hawaiʻi

Hawaiʻi State Chief Information Officer Christine Sakuda shares her journey transitioning from private sector leadership into her current role in the state’s central technology division. Sakuda will offer insights on how she fulfills the governors’ priorities while partnering with all executive departments to develop common IT solutions and will discuss her experience of learning to work with the legislature on bills and budget priorities.

Christine Sakuda has more than 25 years of experience in leading enterprise-level IT initiatives including leading community IT systems development, managing stakeholder relations, and collaborating with IT vendors to implement a range of technology modernization projects. She is the State’s first female CIO of Native Hawaiian ancestry. She also served as the first executive director of Transform Hawaii Government (THG), a nonprofit organization dedicated to catalyzing the modernization of public services through people, processes, and technology, and as the Executive Director of the Hawaiʻi Health Information Exchange (HHIE).

[1 CPE] The Power of Partnership

  Presented by Aaron Smith • Vice President of Information Technology at Doyon, Limited

Technology alone doesn’t drive success—partnerships do. True innovation happens when organizations work together, leveraging expertise, shared goals, and a commitment to collective growth. By fostering strong relationships, we build solutions that are more resilient, secure, and impactful for the future.

Join us as Aaron Smith, Vice President of Information Technology at Doyon, Limited, shares his experiences on achieving success through organizational alignment. While technology provides a wealth of tools, people and partnerships are essential to achieving goals.

Aaron Smith is the Vice President of Information Technology at Doyon, Limited and the President of InfraGard Alaska. With decades of experience in IT leadership, cybersecurity, and infrastructure protection, Aaron has worked extensively in both the private and public sectors to enhance security and operational resilience. His expertise spans critical infrastructure protection, risk management, and technology-driven business transformation.

Before joining Doyon, he served as Chief Information Officer for Doyon Utilities, overseeing technology operations supporting essential services across Alaska. Aaron also has a military background, having retired from the Alaska Air National Guard, where he focused primarily on cybersecurity and network defense.

Passionate about collaboration and innovation, he believes in the power of partnerships to drive meaningful technological advancements that protect and empower organizations. Over his 20+ year career, Aaron has worked across Information Technology, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), and Cybersecurity in both military and civilian sectors.

[1 CPE] How to Talk to Executives About Technology

  Presented by Dr. Ethan Benatan • Chief Information Officer, TriMet

As IT practitioners and leaders, you have deep knowledge about the benefits, risks, and costs associated with your IT operations. Yet IT is too often seen only as a cost center, as order-takers, or as a bunch of smart people who understand the things that our users see at the Service Desk. How can you increase your impact by helping your boss, their boss, executives, and the CEO understand what you have to offer? In this session, we will learn from real experience and leave with a toolkit that will help you better serve your organization –– and your career.

Dr. Ethan Benatan has led IT departments for over 25 years, spending over 10 of those years on executive teams across four different industries and overseeing IT portfolios worth up to a half-billion dollars. He currently serves as the Executive Director of IT and Chief Information Officer for TriMet, the regional transit authority in Portland Oregon, where he is proud to lead an IT team of over 100 professionals in service to the region.

Dr. Benatan is passionate about aligning IT with business needs and building effective communication between IT and internal customers. He is inspired by human potential and enjoys mentoring and teaching. He is a practiced communicator, facilitator, and trainer with skills in nonviolent communication and mindful compassionate dialog. In his spare time, he loves to nerd out on his hobbies which include billiards, flying, and salsa dancing.

[1 CPE] From Back-End to Boardroom: Securing Your Seat at the Table

  Presented by INTERFACE Advisory Council

Decisions are made every day at your organization that will impact all employees. Budgets, policies procedures, and more are discussed in board rooms, on conference calls, or at a staff lunch. Who is a part of these discussions? Are you? So often Information Technology departments are not included in key decisions about the direction of an organization, and they should be.

Join the INTERFACE Advisory Council for an open discussion about securing your “seat at the table.” IT performs so many crucial services that help all aspects of a business, it makes sense that you are offering up the needed insight into technology’s role in key decisions. Join this panel discussion to hear from your peers about how you can accomplish this tough task.

Moderator: Brandon Gatke, AVP of Information Technology and Security, Portland Community College

Panelists:

  • Ed Arib, Technology Manager, Portland Police Bureau
  • Steve Hankel, Vice President of Information Technology, Johanson Transportation Service
  • Brian Hole, Deputy CISO, Legacy Health
  • Jaya Srinivasan, CISO, Director of Cybersecurity, M Financial Group

[1 CPE] CIO: Chief Insanity Officer – Thriving in the Role Without Losing Your Mind

  Presented by Megan Clarke • Chief Information Officer, King County WA

Over the past few decades, technological advances have progressed at a level we couldn’t have predicted. Cloud storage, Internet of Things, Bring Your Own Device, remote working, and now Artificial Intelligence have altered the landscape of what it means to be a Chief Information Officer. The resiliency needed to succeed as a CIO can compromise your time rapidly. We are all attempting to balance work and life, this is no different for IT leaders of all types.

Given the demands of cybersecurity and high productivity, today’s CIO must exhibit strong leadership, good decision-making, and a keen financial awareness. Building an IT staff can help you achieve all these objectives, provided you have the right mix of skills, experience, ambition, and diversity. Join Megan Clarke, CIO for King County, Washington, for a discussion about today’s modern-day CIO. Success looks different today, and the definition will only continue to evolve. Megan will share tips about using mental strength and determination as key tools to meet expectations.

Megan K. Clarke, Chief Information Officer (CIO) for King County WA, is a highly experienced, successful, and well-regarded business leader and CIO. She comes to King County from the City of Burbank, where she served as the Assistant Chief Information Officer. Megan brings 19 years of experience in the CIO field and has also previously been in the role of CIO with Stanford University, University of Southern California, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (The Oscars), and The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (The GRAMMYs).

[1 CPE] IT Leadership: How to Grow to Next Level and Be a Better Leader

  Presented by Phillip Abeyta, CEO of TEC34 and Board Member • New Mexico Technology Council

You stare at multiple screens each day monitoring logs and looking for irregularities in data. Later today, you will spend thirty minutes helping someone access their email and reset a password. Many IT professionals can feel isolated from a company mission as they go through their daily tasks. Especially with remote working, bonding with your team and exhibiting leadership can be a challenge.

Having strong leaders in your organization is a vital element of success. Inspiration can come in many forms, and a strong leader always looks to get the most out of any task. As you consider your own career ambitions, how successful are you at being a leader each day? Join Phillip Abeyta, Chief Executive Officer of TEC 34, for a comprehensive approach to exhibiting leadership in IT. As an expert in the technology that runs your business, people rely on you to display the efficiencies that come from embracing technology and its processes. CIOs and Engineers alike will walk away with several strategies they can use to improve their own leadership approach.

With over 15 years of experience in the IT sector and a passion for empowering businesses, Phil is at the helm of TEC34, guiding it to offer tailored consulting and professional services to help organizations tackle technical challenges head-on.

His leadership extends beyond the boardroom as he serves on community boards, including the New Mexico Tech Council since 2017. He will also start his Core Program with Leadership New Mexico in September, where he will undoubtedly continue to enhance his skills as he will work alongside great leaders across the State of New Mexico. Phil’s educational background in Electronics and Computer Engineering, combined with Business Administration and an ongoing MBA, showcases his dedication to continuous learning and growth.

[1 CPE] Views from the Porch: Tackling the Enablement of a Cybersecurity Workforce

  Presented by Ed Vasko • CISSP, Founder and CEO of s3ntry Corp

Ed Vasko has spent over 30 years leading cybersecurity companies that provide critical services and platforms to clients around the world. Now he is deeply involved in solving the national crisis of not having an effective supply of cybersecurity workers to meet our national needs. In this keynote, he will share a career perspective of how this crisis developed and methods both educators and employers can take to begin solving our needs regionally and nationally. Come be a part of this “porch conversation” and join the discussion.

Ed Vasko, CISSP, is the Founder and CEO of s3ntry Corp. Prior to founding s3ntry corp, he was the director of Boise State University’s Institute of Pervasive Cybersecurity. He is a cybersecurity leader and entrepreneur with over 33 years of experience protecting organizations from cyber adversaries. Before joining Boise State University, Edward established and was a Senior Vice President at Avertium, a leading national managed security and consulting provider. He was the co-Founder and CEO of one of the nation’s largest providers of cybersecurity advisory and managed security services, with over 2,000 active clients around the world.

Edward’s other passion is tackling the challenge of cyber workforce development. He has served on over 20 education advisory boards providing expertise around cybersecurity industry needs. He has been appointed by multiple governors to tackle statewide cybersecurity workforce issues. Most importantly though, Edward is a proud father and husband.

[1 CPE] Building a Strong Team Culture in a Remote Working World

  Presented by INTERFACE Advisory Council

Building a good team culture presents a multitude of challenges for any manager to navigate in the traditional office work environment. Different personalities can impact many elements of the day-to-day dynamic and bring both positive and negative changes to your culture. Some team members welcome praise for a job well done, while others prefer to not be recognized publicly. These hurdles were all in place well before remote working became prevalent.

With so many IT departments dealing with hybrid or fully remote workforces, how do you build bonds among your team members today? Has your company’s vision been set? Are expectations clear? Answering some of these basic questions can help build a good culture. However, more is needed to have a truly effective team.

Join the INTERFACE Montana Advisory Council for an open discussion about how to improve communication in your company. We will offer advice on what has worked well and what didn’t go as expected. We welcome your questions on how to create a positive work environment, no matter where your team members work from each day.

Speakers:

  • Jason Emery, Director of Cyber Security Advisory Services, Center for Internet Security
  • Ryan Knutson, Chief Information Officer, VP, IT, Montana State University
  • Peter Martinson, Strategic IT Managing Director, Montana State University
  • Andy Metroka, Chief Information Officer, Kampgrounds of America, Inc.

[1 CPE] AI and Social Engineering: The New Frontier of Cybersecurity

  Presented by Sherri Davidoff • Chief Executive Officer, LMG Security

Artificial intelligence is transforming the cyber battlefield. Hackers now use voice cloning, deep fakes, and AI-generated phishing attacks to steal funds, infiltrate cloud systems, and deploy malware. Join us in this cutting-edge keynote to witness the latest attack trends, including:

  • Voice Cloning: See a live demo and discover how scammers manipulate this technology.
  • Dark Web AI: View the latest AI hacker tools up for sale.
  • Text and QR Code Attacks: Learn how mobile threats can slip past traditional security.

Cybersecurity is all about people. We’ll wrap up with top strategies for cybersecurity training and staffing, showing you how to create a “human firewall” to safeguard your organization against these evolving threats.

Sherri Davidoff is the CEO of LMG Security and the author of three books, including “Ransomware and Cyber Extortion” and “Data Breaches: Crisis and Opportunity.” As a recognized expert in cybersecurity, she has been called a “security badass” by The New York Times. Sherri is a GIAC-certified forensic analyst (GCFA) and penetration tester (GPEN) and received her degree in computer science and electrical engineering from MIT.

[1 CPE] Meaningful Compliance: More than Just Checking Off Boxes

  Presented by Mark Fitzgerald • Chief Compliance Officer, Brigham Young University Hawaii

A key to creating a culture of compliance is to make it meaningful for all who are involved. Too often compliance is seen as a restriction rather than a series of best practices that can keep all of us safe and enhance user experiences. By adopting practices learned from your help desk –– knowledge management, continual improvement, setting expectations, and practice communications –– you can transform compliance into a tool to help users trust in what IT is delivering to them.

Mark Fitzgerald is BYU Hawaii’s Chief Compliance Officer in the Office of Compliance & Ethics and oversees the Purchasing Department. In this position, Fitzgerald manages programs and activities for establishing standards and implementing procedures to help leaders and managers ensure the university’s compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

Fitzgerald has worked in higher education information technology for over 25 years. Most recently, he worked as the Chief Information Security Officer at Boise State University where he had responsibility for IT compliance. He has also held positions as Executive Director for the Office of Information Technology and Director of Customer Care and Academic Technologies. He taught in the Master of Business Administration program at Boise State University. He also spent some of the early years of his career at BYU in Provo, Utah.

Fitzgerald has a Master of Business Administration in Information Technology from Boise State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing Communications from Brigham Young University in Provo. He has several certifications and associations, including being a Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt. He also had the privilege of teaching in the Boise State University MBA and Master of Cybersecurity programs.