Presenter: Heartland Business Solutions - Tom Larson, Craig Everson, Chrissy Writz

Every major technology shift brings a combination of excitement, urgency, investment, and uncertainty. Y2K forced organizations to examine the resiliency of their systems. The dot-com era demonstrated both the transformative potential of the internet and the consequences of investing without a sustainable strategy. Today, artificial intelligence is creating another defining moment for IT leaders.

While much of the current conversation centers on tools such as Copilot, Claude, Gemini, and Anthropic, this presentation takes a different perspective. The focus is on the foundational question organizations need to answer: Is our data center, network, cloud architecture, and operating model ready for what AI will demand?

As organizations move from AI experimentation to production, the underlying infrastructure will ultimately determine whether AI initiatives can perform effectively, scale reliably, remain secure, and deliver measurable business value. The session explores the readiness of the modern IT environment and the strategic decisions required to support long-term AI success.

Presenters will be Tom Larson, Chrissy and Craig Everson

Tom Larson is a Director of Engineering for Enterprise Solutions at Heartland Business Systems (HBS), where he provides leadership and strategic direction for enterprise technology engineering initiatives. In this role, Tom works closely with customers, sales teams, and technical specialists to design and deliver innovative IT solutions that help organizations modernize infrastructure, improve operational efficiency, and achieve their business objectives.

With extensive experience in enterprise technology, Tom is focused on aligning technical strategy with business outcomes, ensuring clients receive scalable, secure, and reliable solutions. He is passionate about fostering collaboration across engineering, sales, and service delivery teams while guiding the successful implementation of complex technology projects.

Chrissy Writz is a Senior Solutions Consultant at Heartland Business Systems (HBS), where she partners with clients to identify technology solutions that align with their business goals and operational needs. In her role, Chrissy works closely with customers, account executives, engineers, and technology partners to develop strategic recommendations and deliver outcomes that drive organizational success.

As a trusted advisor, Chrissy is committed to building strong relationships and helping organizations navigate evolving technology challenges through innovative solutions and industry best practices. Her combination of technical knowledge, business acumen, and customer-focused leadership makes her a valuable resource for clients and colleagues alike.

Craig Everson is an Associate General Manager (Baby GM) at Heartland Business Systems (HBS), where he combines deep technical understanding with strong business leadership to help organizations leverage technology as a strategic enabler of growth, efficiency, and innovation. As a member of the HBS leadership team, Craig works closely with customers, consultants, engineers, and executive stakeholders to align technology investments with organizational priorities and measurable business outcomes.

Presenter: State of Wisconsin IT leaders from DWD, DHS, DOJ and others

This will be a panel discussion with:

DHS - CIO - Thomas Haukoh and DHS - CISO - Jen Mueller

DOA - Deputy CISO - Aaron Machotka

DWD - CIO - IT Director - Neeraj Kulkarni

DOJ - CIO Herb Britsch

DCF - Jenny Bundrage and Allison Stevens - Section Managers DCF BITS

The panelist will give an overview of their department and anything new that is coming, then there will be open discussion regarding questions about each individual department and needs associated with working together.  The main purpose of this panel is to have us all on the same page working together to make Wisconsin Information Technology the best it can be.

Presenter: Jeff Trunk - Solutions Architect - HPE Networking

Presenter: Nav Remineni - Solutions Engineer - Polimorphic

Presenter: Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District - Scott Johanning