Topic: Strategic Management

Seminar Topics

[1 CPE] Go Hack Yourself: More War Stories from over 150,000 Pentests

  Presented by Ramzi Harb, Sr Solutions Architect • Horizon3.ai

Join Ramzi Harb, Senior Solutions Architect, for an engaging session on “Offense-Driven Defense.” Ramzi will challenge conventional risk assessment practices and unveil how focusing on real-world exploitability and impact can revolutionize your security approach. Drawing from insights gathered across more than 150,000 autonomous pentests, he’ll share compelling stories and actionable lessons that show how viewing your cyber terrain through an attacker’s lens can uncover hidden vulnerabilities, optimize resource allocation, and strengthen your defenses against advanced threats. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from a leading industry practitioner on why it’s time to “go hack yourself” and build resilience in today’s borderless threat environment.

[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: Brad Somers, Manager, Information Technology, Livingston HealthCare

Panelists:

  • JJ Bestgen, Sr Identity Management Administrator, Town Pump
  • Kelly Ferriter, Manager, Network Services, NorthWestern Energy
  • Ryan Knutson, CIO, Vice President, Information Technology, Montana State University
  • Peter Martinson, Managing Director, Strategic IT, Montana State University

[1 CPE] Balancing Innovation & Security: Montana’s Journey to Secure AI Integration

  Presented by Chris Santucci • Chief Information Security Officer, State of Montana

The State of Montana has embraced a transformative approach to artificial intelligence (AI), shifting from a traditional “no-first” security mindset to one that enables business objectives while managing risk. This keynote will explore how Montana has strategically implemented AI to enhance efficiency and innovation, all while safeguarding citizen data and ensuring business continuity.

Key highlights include:

  • Empowering Users: Recognizing that AI is an inevitable tool for workers, the state has developed frameworks to ensure its secure use while recognizing the efficiencies gained for the average user.
  • AI Governance: Establishing an AI Acceptable Use Standard, mandatory training programs to educate users on critical evaluation and responsible usage, as well as establishing an AI Governance Committee and AI Community of Practice.
  • Secure Implementation: Vetting applications, setting guardrails, and partnering with vendors who meet stringent security requirements.

This presentation will also delve into why Montana has pursued this path – encouraging innovation while providing secure tools and clear direction in an era where not all AI is created equal. Attendees will leave with actionable insights into how to enable AI adoption responsibly, foster efficiency, and lead from the front in cybersecurity.

Chris Santucci is the State Chief Information Security Officer for Montana, with over five years of service to the state, including two years as State CISO. Chris leads Montana’s enterprise security strategy with a focus on proactive risk management, business partnership, and transparency. He is passionate about empowering users to interact with technology securely, ensuring both citizen data protection and business continuity. Chris holds an MBA in IT Management and is a Certified Information Security Manager (CISM).

[1 CPE] FBI Cybersecurity Briefing: Safeguarding Against Modern Threats

  Presented by Nick Smith • FBI Special Agent

Join FBI Special Agent Nick Smith for a discussion on the top cyber threats of today. This presentation will cover some of the basic mitigation strategies available that users can enact right now. This discussion will also provide an overview of the FBI’s role in addressing various cyber threats.

Special Agent Nick Smith is a cyber agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Phoenix Division, focusing on criminal cyber matters including computer intrusions, malware, ransomware, and combating criminal infrastructures. Prior to working for the FBI, Nick served several cyber-related roles across government and within the U.S. Intelligence Community. He also served as a Police Officer in Ohio for several years and is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force.

Nick holds a BS in Homeland Security from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and an MS in Information Systems Engineering from the Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering. He also maintains certification as a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH).

[1 CPE] Strengthening the Cyber Shield: Private-Public Partnerships at the State and Local Level

  Presented by ACTRA

This session focuses on maturing actionable strategies and collaborative frameworks designed to help IT leaders and cybersecurity professionals navigate today’s dynamic threat landscape. As adversaries increasingly target state and local systems, Arizona’s model for public-private cooperation demonstrates how trusted partnerships, timely threat intelligence sharing, and coordinated incident response can significantly enhance cyber resilience. This session will update participants on practical timely insights into how cross-sector collaboration is being operationalized to protect infrastructure, ensure business continuity, and support a unified cybersecurity posture across the state.

Speakers:

  • Frank J. Grimmelmann, President & CEO, Arizona Cyber Threat Response Alliance, Inc. (ACTRA)
  • Ryan Murray, Deputy Director, AZ Dept of Homeland Security, CISO, State of Arizona

[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] Heart of Agile with Aloha: Driving IT Innovation

  Presented by Bradley K. Foster, PMP, CSM, CPO, CAC, CAL • Worth Agility

Join Bradley K. Foster, founder of Worth Agility, to explore how Alistair Cockburn’s Heart of Agile—Collaborate, Probe, Deliver, Reflect, Improve—blends with Aloha’s compassion to ignite IT innovation. With 5+ years in health and aviation IT, Bradley led Hawaiian Airlines’ EDW (Microsoft-driven, real-time insights), Health Catalyst’s cloud analytics at Queens (30% efficiency gain), and Hawaii DOT’s Google CCAI demo (40% faster calls).

Learn to probe risks early, collaborate across silos, and deliver secure systems under Worth Agility’s human-centered approach, guided by DevSecOps insights from Isaac Sacolick.

Ideal for IT leaders tackling ransomware, AI, and bandwidth challenges with agility and heart.

[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] Successfully Implementing AI in Your Office: An Interactive Discussion

  Presented by INTERFACE Advisory Council

With so many useful applications from customer service to data management and new employee recruiting, the use of Artificial Intelligence around workplaces increases every day. Information Technology professionals are now tasked with identifying AI tools to increase efficiency and find cost savings. Employees have been utilizing AI for task automation in a wide array of roles. This adoption is only going to continue to grow.

How is all this governed? What are the security practices you need to adhere to? Join us for an open panel discussion on the proper implementation of AI in your workplace. Our Advisory Council will share some of their experiences in utilizing AI applications of all types while ensuring the necessary security measures. Bring your questions to ensure you walk away with valuable insights for properly implementing AI.

Panelists:

  • Wes McEwen, Manager, IT Helpdesk, AK Dept of Commerce, Community & Economic Development
  • Brian Noonan, Director, Information Technology, Altman Rogers & Co.
  • Mischaud Scruggs, Manager, Information Technology, Assets, Inc.
  • Niel Smith, Deputy Chief Information Officer, State of Alaska

[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.