9:00–9:10 am — Welcome & Bylaw Proposal Changes

9:15–10:00 am — Kelly Grosskruetz (Heartland Business Systems): Leading in a Challenging Business Environment
Description:
In this TED Talk-style presentation, Kelly will explore effective and ineffective leadership strategies during times of business instability. Key points include transparent communication, empathy, and adaptability, while highlighting pitfalls like micromanagement and poor communication. The session also addresses employee challenges such as anxiety, stress, and demotivation, along with strategies to foster resilience and innovation. Practical tools and insights will be shared for navigating turbulent business environments.

10:00–10:10 am — Break

10:10–10:40 am — Joe Marton (Veeam): Staying Compliant and Resilient: Cybersecurity and Recovery Strategies for State and Local Governments
Description:
Explore current cyber risks, evolving backup and availability standards, and the latest disaster recovery and incident response strategies for State and Local Governments. Attendees will gain actionable approaches to enhance readiness and maintain trust in digital infrastructure.

10:40–10:50 am — Break

10:50–11:20 am — Megan Incerto (MS-ISAC) [Virtual]: The Future of MS-ISAC: Sustaining Cybersecurity Collaboration Beyond Federal Funding

11:20–11:30 am — Break

11:30 am–12:15 pm — Jeremy Gotcher (Pure Storage): Beyond the Cloud: Virtualization, Security, and Hybrid Infrastructure in 2025
Description:
Discover the latest trends, technologies, and strategies shaping IT infrastructure management in 2025, including next-generation virtualization, evolving cyber threats, and hybrid cloud approaches.

12:15–1:30 pm — Lunch

1:30–3:30 pm — From Roof to Response: Inside Oak Brook’s Drone-First Policing Revolution
Description:
Experience how Oak Brook’s Police Department is leveraging drones for emergency response. This session includes real mission footage, insights into the real-time crime center, and an inside look at how innovation is transforming public safety.

*Separate event invitation to follow to forward to other organizational employees that may want to only come for the afternoon session!

Imagine a drone arriving at a crime scene before officers — capturing critical footage, streaming live data, and guiding responders with unparalleled precision.

Step inside the command center of the first Drone as a First Responder program in Illinois, where Oak Brook’s Police Department is making it happen.

In this session, we’ll explore:

• how the program works
• watch real mission footage
• see firsthand how drones deploy at lightning speed to help officers make faster, smarter decisions

Experience a rare look at cutting-edge technology in action — where innovation meets public safety.

Presenters:

Darren Duerksen - Great Lakes Region State & Local Government Sales Leader

Donavan Dolph - UCaaS Advisor

Mark Boegel - Contact Center Sales Specialist

Gary Lawrence - Great Lakes (Illinois)  Account Executive 

Agenda TBD.

*** Lunch will be served at all locations! ***

GIANTS is a two and a half day conference full of opportunities to network with your peers, learn about new and exciting trends in local government technology, meet with industry leading vendors and enjoy some light entertainment.

As a government member, you get the opportunity to talk to others that fill a similar role for other organizations.  You can compare notes, share war stories, and learn how IT happens in their organization.

As a corporate member, you get face-to-face time with key technology decision makers.  Government members are the ones who drive innovation for their organizations.

GIANTS is a two and a half day conference full of opportunities to network with your peers, learn about new and exciting trends in local government technology, meet with industry leading vendors and enjoy some light entertainment.

As a government member, you get the opportunity to talk to others that fill a similar role for other organizations.  You can compare notes, share war stories, and learn how IT happens in their organization.

As a corporate member, you get face-to-face time with key technology decision makers.  Government members are the ones who drive innovation for their organizations.

GIANTS is a two and a half day conference full of opportunities to network with your peers, learn about new and exciting trends in local government technology, meet with industry leading vendors and enjoy some light entertainment.

As a government member, you get the opportunity to talk to others that fill a similar role for other organizations.  You can compare notes, share war stories, and learn how IT happens in their organization.

As a corporate member, you get face-to-face time with key technology decision makers.  Government members are the ones who drive innovation for their organizations.