CompTIA Sharkbytes

A Conversation with Katherine Escobar, Managing Director of the National Information Exchange Model (NIEM), and Deputy Division Chief Data and Standards Division, U.S. Department of Defense, Joint Staff J6, and Paul Wormeli and Mike Phillips who are both part of a NIEM Tiger Team to reach out to local, territorial and tribal authorities (SLTT).  

For those who may have tried NIEM in the past or never heard of it, NIEM just celebrated 20 years of accomplishments in information and data sharing. NIEM was formed in part as a response to 9-11’s failures to gather and share data in a meaningful way. After freeing itself from early growing pains and cumbersome procedures – NIEM has become agile, streamlined and now supports 15 critical domains – many directly impacting state and local governments. In a world where is data is “pure gold”

We need to be able to share and digest it in a AI-ready environment. This discussion is an eye-opener.

Spencer has become a leading proponent of Change Management and even holds a certification in change management. He has served as a subject matter adjunct to PTI’s CIO and Tech Leadership Certification program for the past 7 years. Spencer has held numerous high-level positions in the private sector specializing in assessing the business and process impact of new technology-based solutions, ranging from enterprise-wide software systems to wireless communications networks.

Prior to his current position, Spencer was with Microsoft as Customer Success Manger, and in addition to having his own consulting practice, he led the Public Sector Practice of Chicago Office at Baker Tilly/Virchow, Krause. Previously, while working at Motorola, he initiated the company's Public Sector 3-1-1/CRM consulting practice, which focused on delivering Business Process Re-Engineering (BPR), Change Management, and Return on Investment (ROI) studies for clients. Spencer was also a founding partner of Market Strategy Group, LLC, a boutique management consulting company based in Chicago, where he led their Public Sector practice.

Spencer holds a BS in accounting from the University of Illinois and an MBA in corporate finance and strategic management from The Wharton School of Business. He is also a CPA and a Six Sigma Certified Green Belt.

Addressing the need for cloud security assurances, and borrowing best practices from FedRamp, state and local governments can now benefit from the work of the newly formed nonprofit, StateRAMP. Executive Leah McGrath discusses the goals and objectives of StateRAMP. McGrath has a rich experience in local government having served as deputy mayor for the City of Fishers, Indiana, and also served as government affairs director for the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns. She also served in the private sector working as vice president of public affairs and marketing for Knowledge Services - a certified woman-owned (WBE) professional services organization with employees located in offices throughout North America.

Bob serves on CompTIA’s Drone Advisory Council and shares his insights about how this technology can be a money-saver for local governments. A software architect and business executive, Mr. Dahlstrom is currently CEO for Apellix a company that develops precision software controlled aerial robotics systems. These aerial robots were designed to physically contact or fly in very close proximity to structures, to paint, clean, and measure them, and is able to autonomously complete maintenance, cleaning, coating and measurement tasks.

Before evolving into a tech entrepreneur, Bob was a full-time faculty member at Florida State University, worked for the Florida Legislature, and worked at AT&T Microelectronics where he wrote his first computer program in 1986. Bob is adamant that software is “eating the world” and loves having the vision, passion, and experience to work with a team of amazing people to design and create software controlled robotic systems that modify the built environment, keep people out of harm's way, and help save lives.

Doug Robinson is by far the most recognized and respected thought-leader in all things state government and tech. NASCIO has played an instrumental role in championing the DOTGOV Online Trust in Government Act that was signed into law in the last days of 2020. To date this Act has gone largely unnoticed. Yet this Act contains wide-ranging implications for local governments of all sizes across the nation. This podcast we will learn about its origins as well as what the Act contains and what it means for cities and counties.

Doug Robinson is by far the most recognized and respected thought-leader in all things state government and tech. Doug has been at the helm of NASCIO for some 16+ plus years and shares his insights from the NASCIO Wheelhouse. Doug’s background as a university researcher and state government employee leading to his becoming deputy CIO make him uniquely qualified to articulate the latest trends in government technology leadership. In this episode, we explore the roadblocks as well as opportunities for state CIOs and local government CIOS to work more closely together.

Remember when people would ask, “What is the cloud?” It seems like a lifetime ago. As remote work has become increasingly common, having a cloud strategy is no longer a choice. Adam Proulx, senior manager of member communities at CompTIA, and Sean Barrett, director of sales operations and marketing at Nuvolex, discuss how organizations are migrating to the cloud, the pros and cons of different cloud models, how businesses are utilizing automation, and how to realize your full business value as a solution provider.

Brad is one of the longest serving local government CIOs in the nation having been with the City of Scottsdale for 30 years. In this interview Brad discusses the many successes over the years plus some huge challenges that he describes when looking ahead. Leadership has always been a recurring theme with him – both in theory and practice. While technology has certainly changed over the years and continues to evolve, tech leadership has been the one constant where Brad argues that in the end it’s all about people and relationships. Brad is one of ten members who sits on PTI’s Tech Leadership Forum Executive Committee.

While CompTIA may be best known for its world class and far-reaching certifications, there is an all-inclusive membership side that encompasses dozens of technology interest groups, advisory councils, and global communities. Before coming to CompTIA, Gary enjoyed a successful career in the private sector as a consultant who specialized in working with companies seeking to build new channels within the technology field. I addition, Gary was recruited to serve as a CompTIA faculty member to help member companies better understand the market from which they were attempting to better understand. Now we shift to the addition of PTI and other public sector groups and explore ways these communities can learn and benefit from one another.

Join Alan Shark, Executive Director of Public Technology Institute, as he talks with Adam Frumkin, CIO off Franklin County, OH. They focus on the lessons learned as a CIO and how the learning never stops, there is something new day and with each new technology.Adam is an exceptional and recognized results-driven leader with more than 20 years of experience in developing, directing, and executing business transformation and strategies in alignment with corporate objectives for both public and private sectors. He has directed mid-sized organizations and managed annual budgets exceeding $20 million and has acted throughout his career as a change agent. Adam serves as chair of PTI’s Tech Leadership Forum and is a graduate of PTI’s CGCIO CIO Leadership Certification program where he graduated with honors.  Adam is also an adjunct professor at Ohio State University as well as Ohio Dominican University.