2:30 - 3:30 PM (one hour sessions)

80. Accessibility and Procurement
81. Best Practices of Service Oriented Architecture
82. Building Identity Management for the State
83. Geospatial and IT
84. Options for Rapid Desktop and Mobile Application Development
85. How to Win Twitter Friends and Influence People
86. IT Legal Issues for Non Lawyers
87. How to Conquer Rambling and Emphasize Your Point in Just Three Sentences
88. Achieve Project Business Goals: Project Completion is only the Beginning
89. Quantifying User to System Authentication Strengths for Online Transactions
90. What Makes a Good Unit Test?
91. National Health Info Network's Impact on Security and Privacy of Health Data in MN
92. topic coming

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Thursday 9:45 - 10:45 AM Sessions

Accessibility
41. Read a Good Caption Lately? Accessible Videos “How-To”
Jamie Taylor, Technology Specialist, Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind & Hard of Hearing Minnesotans;
Jay Wyant, CEO, Remotocom: Lisa Richardsen, Director, CART/Captioning; Emily Bell, Media Accessibility Consultant, CaptionMax; Michael McIntee, Founder, TimeScape Productions; Greg Hubinger, Director, Legislative Coordinating Commission

Do you want your online videos to be understood? 10% of Minnesotans are deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing. In 15 years, it is expected to double! Captioning is MN Law. It is also the right thing to do. Learn how to build captioning into your videos to make sure your message isn't lost and is understood clearly.

By attending this session, you will learn:

1. The business/governmental case for captioning. It is more than just state law.
2. What captioning is, some terminology, and avenues of approaches to start you on your way.
3. What resources are available to help: state master contract, online tutorials, etc.

Speaker Bios:  Jamie Taylor is the technology specialist at the Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind & Hard of Hearing Minnesotans. She has a master's degree in deaf education and has presented at several professional conferences, speaking on topics ranging from voting machine accessibility to accessible pedestrian signals for individuals with disabilities, especially deafblindness.

Jay Wyant, past president of AG Bell, is the author of the online course "Video Captioning Essentials" and CEO of Remotocom, a multimedia communications services provider. Previously, he has led product marketing teams of several technology firms, including a cloud computing company and a national captioning company.

Lisa Richardsen has been performing CART and captioning since 1988.  Among her certificates are the Certified Broadcast Captioner and Certified CART Provider. In 2006 Lisa was presented the MAVRC Distinguished Service Award. Lisa was a founding partner of Paradigm Reporting and Captioning Inc. and serves as Director of CART/Captioning.

Emily Bell of CaptionMax specializes in high-definition captioning, subtitling, streaming video, and DVD. As a captioner, Emily worked on both prerecorded and live television. She currently works on advanced exports such mobile TV and 3D Blu-ray and serves as a media accessibility consultant and a project director for federal grants.

Michael McIntee, a former network TV news executive, started and ran All News Channel, managed and syndicated "First Business," and founded TimeScape Productions, a company that produces online videos, podcasts and manages user-generated video for magazines, associations and other organizations. Michael is an expert producer, writer, and video editor.

Greg Hubinger is the director of the Legislative Coordinating Commission, an office in the Minnesota Legislature.  The Legislature has broadcasted committee hearings and floor session for several years.  In the 2010 session, the office implemented a voice to text pilot captioning program for legislative proceedings that were webcast.

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Application Development
42. Introduction to Groovy
Scott Hickey, Senior Consultant, Object Partners, Inc.

Groovy is a programming language that runs on the Java Virtual Machine. It brings the power, productivity and readability of languages like Ruby, Python and Smalltalk to the Java platform  that make it ideal for scripting, business rules and glue code. The session will review code samples covering many features of the language. We'll conclude with lessons learned from using Groovy on real-world enterprise Java projects.

By attending this session, you will learn:

1. How to write shell scripts using Groovy
2. How to implement business rules in Groovy
3. Learn about Java and Groovy interoperability, including using Groovy to unit test Java classes

Speaker Bio:  A Senior Consultant with Object Partners, Inc., Scott Hickey has been developing software for over 20 years and working with Java since 1998. He was the lead developer for the Groovy Eclipse Plugin and has authored several Groovy related articles. He has presented at No Fluff Just Stuff Conferences as well as the international Grails and Groovy Exchange.

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MN Enterprise IT
43. Microsoft Office 365: Understanding the State's Move to the Cloud
Tarek Tomes, Assistant Commissioner, Customer and Service Relations, Christian Deloia, Product Manager, and Ted Goessling, Product Manager – all from the MN Office of Enterprise Technology

The MN Office of Enterprise Technology will offer Microsoft’s Business Productivity Online Suite to its State of Minnesota customers in the spring of 2011. Learn more about this historic partnership and the exciting new features, functionality and security it offers for Minnesota state government. Issues covered include:

• What does this new “cloud” delivery offer? How does it work? How is it better?
• Integrating SharePoint, instant messaging, email, conferencing, and mobile uses.

Speakere Bios:
As OET’s Assistant Commissioner of Customer and Service Management, Tarek Tomes manages, designs and implements IT solutions and services. Tarek’s background includes providing complex managed services for Global Fortune 100 Companies at BT Americas. His extensive work with Unified Communications and Collaboration services has also brought his financial forecasting and technical architecture skills into play.

Christian is the Product Manager for OET’s Enterprise Applications service offerings, which includes Perimeter Messaging Protection, Enterprise Email and Instant Messaging.  Christian joined OET in February 2009 and previous to that, he worked 11 years for a global services company in their professional services division.

Ted Goessling has worked from the perspective of analyst, applications manager, development manager, and now – Product Manager -  on implementations of business applications designed to reduce the business cycle and increase productivity.  Since 2009, Ted has focused on communication and collaboration technologies at OET. His 25 year-career also includes developing and integrating web-enabled  applications for engineering firm MTS Systems.

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Emerging Technologies and Trends
44. What Are Sparklines, Slicer, Backstage View, and Sky Drive? New features of Microsoft Office 2010
Sue Mach, Instructor/Trainer, North Hennepin Community College

The migration to Office 2010 can be accomplished much easier with a few pointers and having a trick or two up your sleeve. In this session you will be taken on a guided tour of the newest member of the Microsoft Office family. Topics include: navigating the new interface, looking at new features like sparklines, slicer, text effects, and backstage view & finding favorite and familiar commands.

By attending this session, you will learn:

1. How to navigate and customize the new look of Microsoft Office 2010.
2. About cool features of the newest member of the Microsoft Office family.
3. Tips on how to now find what you had in your previous version

Target Audience: Anyone making decisions about upgrading to or using Microsoft Office products

Speaker Bio: Sue Mach has over 20 years experience in IT training. She has taught in corporate, non-profit, and governmental settings. She has a degree in Business Education and has Microsoft Expert certification. Sue has an enthusiasm for her work that shows in the classroom. She is willing to tailor any class to meet the learning style of a variety of individuals. Computer classes can be fun as well as educational.

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Emerging Technologies and Trends
45. Migrating from UNIX to Linux
Bob Kozdemba, Sr. Solutions Architect for State/Local Government, Red Hat

You know it is time to migrate, but how do you make the move to open source?

This session will discuss the planning process and solutions involved in a migration from UNIX to Linux.  The seminar will introduce key strategies for migration and how you can support your business's most demanding challenges with open source solutions based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux. There has never been a better time to migrate your proprietary UNIX servers to Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Get the information you need to make that migration a success.

Speaker Bio: Bob is a Senior Solutions Architect with Red Hat's State, Local Government and Education team and is a Red Hat Certified Engineer and a Red Hat Certified Data Center Specialist. Bob has been involved with Linux and open source software for a number of years and was a contributor to the FreeWRL software project. Bob holds a B.S. in Computer and Information Science from the University of Maryland.

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Government Online Services
46. What We've Learned from a Year on the Social Web: Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube
Paul Burtness, Web Site Coordinator, Public Information Dept., Anoka County
Jennifer Fink, Marketing and Visitor Services Manager, Anoka County

Government agencies are trying to determine if the benefits of participating in the social web are worth the risks and added effort. Anoka County has been using Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to promote its Bunker Beach Water Park (facebook.com/bunkerbeach) as well as other county services. We'll share the lessons we've learned, helping other agencies clarify their reasons and plans for using social media.

By attending this session, you will learn:

1. How government agencies can find specific opportunities to achieve their goals by using social media.
2. How using social media requires planning, collaboration, and a realistic view of the effort required.
3. How the return on that effort can be identified and justified.

Speaker Bios:
Paul has been Anoka County's Webmaster for the past 9 years, but his career includes award-winning documentary videos and scores of marketing/training presentations as well as design and development of large-scale, data-driven websites. Paul is an active participant in Facebook and other social media.

Jennifer Fink is the Marketing and Visitor Services Manager for Anoka County Parks and Recreation. She has been in the marketing field for 9+ years. She is the person who does the day to day maintenance of the social and traditional media plan for the department.

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Leadership and Management
47. Finding Your Strengths for High Performance Teams and Leaders
Michael Monroe Kiefer, Professional Speaker/Trainer/Author, Powermind Training Inc.

In researching peak performers in any field, it has been well documented that they capitalize on their strengths. This allowed them to have a natural advantage to perform better on core tasks required by the job. This workshop, through an assessment, allows participants to recognize top strengths and explore maximizing them in their jobs, on projects and in a team setting.

By attending this session, you will learn:

1. Characteristics of peak performers.
2. How they capitalize on their strengths to perform better on core tasks required by their jobs.
3. How to identify your key strengths and how to maximize them on the job.

Speaker Bio: Michael Monroe Kiefer holds B.S. and M.S. degrees from Texas A&M University in genetic engineering and abnormal psychology. He spent 7 years managing a DNA Fingerprinting lab before starting the POWERMIND project on human potential. Michael has developed national training seminars and many psychological assessments, including a natural talent and genetic skills test. Michael specializes in performance enhancement and psychological profiling. He has trained personnel from the FBI, all branches of the military, corrections, law enforcement, and government agencies. He currently works with state and county governments.

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Personal and Professional Development
48. Verbal and Nonverbal Skills for Creating a Highly Favorable First Impression
V.J. Singal, Professional Speaker/Trainer, President, The Articulate Professional, Houston, Texas

Citing several real-life stories, most of them humorous, V.J. first establishes why ALL professionals should care about the kind of impression they create with a new acquaintance. He then shares with his audience an array of simple but highly effective verbal and nonverbal techniques they can readily employ to create a very favorable first impression.

By attending this session, you will learn:

1. Simple nonverbal skills to instantly create a positive impression
2. How to be more effective during networking events
3. How to internalize specific and readily implementable techniques to reduce the loss of communication that occurs because of an accent

Speaker Bio: V. J. Singal is the author of The Articulate® Professional (3rd edition 2008). An engineering graduate, he has an MBA with Distinction from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. His opinions have been published in The Wall Street Journal and The Economist, and aired on the BBC and CNN Headline News. V. J. has presented workshops at conventions / conferences throughout the U.S. More at www.verbalenergy.com 

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Project and Portfolio Management
49. Higher Quality Applications at a Lower Cost: The Magic of Lean and Agile Techniques.
Tomo Lennox, Consultant, Bow Tie Computer Services

We are in the midst of a revolution in software development. Cutting edge companies are pioneering better specification, development and test techniques, but most of the world is still using techniques from the 70s. It really is possible to improve quality, release more quickly and reduce costs. In this presentation, you will learn a collection practices that have the potential to dramatically improve productivity.

By attending this session, you will learn that:

1. Lean projects lower the risk and give you more feedback earlier in the project.
2. Lean projects get more work done faster.
3. Lean projects have fewer bugs

Speaker Bio: Tomo Lennox has been developing software, testing software or managing development project for over 30 years. Though originally a proponent of the "big design upfront" school, he became frustrated with the high overhead and low productivity (20 programmer lines of code per day). Yet there were teams doing software "the wrong" way who had much higher productivity. He started a quest to learn the truth.

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Security and Disaster Recovery
50. Aligning Data Security and Access with the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act
Paul Laurent, Security & Compliance Solution Specialist, Oracle, Chicago, Illinois
Jack Brinson, Director, Database Security Product Management, Oracle, Chicago, Illinois

This presentation will discuss means and methods of using the MN Government Data Practices Act as a baseline for classifying and securing sensitive Government data. Topics will include understanding and classification of organizational data, determining the means and scope of data security under Minnesota law, and controlling and monitoring access to non-public Government data.

By attending this session, you will learn:

1. How to use the MN Govt. Data Practices Act as a baseline for classifying and securing sensitive Government data.
2. The means and scope of data security under state requirements, and controlling and monitoring access to non-public Government data.
3. The security & privacy challenges facing Minnesota state and local entities in the current IT landscape.

Speaker Bios:
Paul Laurent, J.D., M.S., CISSP. With a background as a criminal prosecutor and a technologist, Mr. Laurent serves as one of Oracle’s top authorities in mapping governance and compliance mandates to technology, procedure, and enterprise architecture. Mr. Laurent’s expertise brings him into constant interaction with Oracle’s public sector customers throughout all of North America.

Jack Brinson, B.S., MBA. Mr. Brinson is Director for Oracle's Database Security products on Oracle’s Global Product Technology team. Mr. Brinson is a long time veteran at the Oracle Corporation and recognized Database Security expert. Mr. Brinson has been responsible for the strategic direction, marketing, business development and product management of Oracle’s Database Security products.

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Testing
51. SQL and Tonic: Gen Up Some SQL for Faster Testing
Larry Green, Consultant, BenchmarkQA

SQL is the language of organized data, yet it is seldom presented as a powerful tool to shorten application functional test time. This presentation provides strategies and SQL samples that will enable the user to more thoroughly apply SQL in their tests.

By attending this session, you will learn:

1. Why SQL should be in a key component of a software tester's toolkit.
2. When and how to use SQL queries to shorten test execution time.
3. About a number of SQL query templates and testing approaches for application testing.

Speaker Bio: Larry brings extensive implementation experience in manual and automated functional and performance testing, test and QA management, software engineering infrastructure, process improvement, and requirements analysis.

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Special Selections
52. The Desktop Virtualization Journey
Mike Tellinghuisen, Systems Engineer, Applied Communications of Minnesota

This session will address the benefits and business reasons for desktop virtualization. Points of interest will be: 1) beginning the desktop virtualization journey, 2) using desktop virtualization to ease transition to Windows 7, 3) transforming IT with efficient, automated desktop management, and 4) delivering desktops across a variety of locations and endpoint devices

Speaker Bio: Mike Tellinghuisen is a systems engineer at Applied Communications of Minnesota who specializes in virtualization and storage optimization.  Visit his blog http://mtellin.com/

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Special Selections
53. Information Classification and Policy Management
Clayton Baer, Lead Support Engineer, Crabtree Companies Inc.

This session will show how organizations 1) can apply enterprise-wide policies to email and desktop information at the point of creation and use and  2) manage content based on centrally-defined business rules and by intelligently identifying, classifying, and securely routing critical email, documents, and electronic files to their appropriate location within their enterprise content management or records management platform.

Speaker Bio: Clayton Baer is currently the Lead Support Engineer for Crabtree Companies Inc. and has strong background in document imaging industry and microfilm industry. He has expertise with many enterprise content management systems, hardware, and software solutions. Specializing in business analysis and document workflow, Clayton has managed more than 150 enterprise implementations from concept thru deployment.

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Thursday 11:00 - 12:00 AM Sessions

Accessibility
54. An App for Access 
Michael Hingson, Assistive Technology Authority, The Michael Hingson Group

How can blind persons perform jobs in the work place?  Technology is a definite help as Michael Hingson will demonstrate during this informative and interesting session.  He will discuss and show several technology tools he uses on the job, including the KNFBReader Mobile, a hand-held device which can read aloud any printed material.

Speaker Bio:  Michael’s career has spanned nearly 30 years in senior sales and management for high tech, innovative companies. He is an authority on Assistive Technology and an advocate for empowering peoples with varying abilities. Michael earned his master's degree in physics from the University of California at Irvine and is a lifetime member of the Physics Honors Society, Sigma Pi Sigma. 

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Application Development
55. Succeeding with Test-Driven Development
Christopher Bartling, Consultant, Pintail Consulting LLC

Test-driven development is a key ingredient to achieving better software quality. This session will demonstrate test-first TDD and show how it can focus your design efforts and allow you to build loosely-coupled systems which are easier to maintain and flexible to future change.

By attending this session, you will:

1. Learn what test-driven development is and why it's important in your development toolset.
2. Learn how TDD can help drive your software design.
3. See a demonstration of test-first TDD in action and witness how TDD can actually speed up your development.

Speaker Bio: Chris has 15 years of software development experience and currently consults in the Twin Cities area in Java, Grails, and .NET platforms. Chris is test-infected.

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MN Enterprise IT
56. Security Metrics: Wishful Thinking for Government Entities?
Eric Breece, Security Architect, MN Office of Enterprise Technology

With an ever increasing need to demonstrate the value of security to today’s business world, security metrics can be an avenue for articulating that value in a way that is meaningful. Implementing a security metrics program for a large, decentralized organization like state government presents an interesting challenge with many opportunities to fail. Come hear how the state is approaching the problem.

By attending this session, you will learn:

1. What security metrics should do for you, your leadership, and your organization
2. How you can make security metrics meaningful to your organization’s leadership
3. The limitations and challenges with undertaking a security metrics program

Speaker Bio: Eric Breece is a security architect for the State of Minnesota and is principally responsible for building the first enterprise-wide information security program for the Executive branch. He brings 16 years of information technology and information security experience that ranges from application development to infrastructure implementation, in industries from manufacturing to financial to health care.

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Emerging Technologies and Trends
57. Demystifying Linux?
Mike Palmer, ITS Database, MN Dept of Human Services

Do you need to demystify Linux for your staff? Many data centers are utilizing Linux for a variety of reasons and there are great benefits, however, shops may have limited experience supporting a Linux environment. How do you get staff to map their Windows server skills to Linux OS and filesystem? Linux tends to be expert friendly with cryptic command line functions, so you need skilled staff capable of supporting it.

By attending this session, you will learn:

1. What you must know to access a Linux server with open source tools
2. About the command line vs. GUI, when does it make sense? Where?
3. If mapping Windows Administration skills to Linux can be done

Speaker Bio: Mike Palmer is a database team lead for the Social Services Information Systems (SSIS) project which is part of CFS; a division of the MN Dept. of Human Services. Mike utilizes his programming, project management, collaboration and problem solving skills to automate processes that are made interesting in a distributed environment. In addition to Oracle DBA team lead, he is also a Lotus Notes admin/developer and Linux Admin.

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Emerging Technologies and Trends
58. Art of War Version 2.0 - Sun Tzu vs. the Hackers
Christophe Veltsos, Professor, MN State University, Mankato

This session updates the ancient warrior's wisdom for the information age. While the battleground has changed, much of the strategies outlined centuries ago are still valid. The Internet allows a handful of attackers to target corporations large or small and pillage data stores for profit, without firing a single shot.

By attending this session, you will:

1. Discover a classic read for many in information security or executive management, this talk will highlight the relevance for today's threat landscape.
2. Discover why Sun Tzu's work provides us with rich imagery that we can use to communicate with management about the threats, actors, and consequences.
3. Want to go back and dust off your copy of Sun Tzu's Art of War... still relevant after all these centuries.

Speaker Bio: Dr. Christophe Veltsos, CISSP, CISA, CIPP, GCFA, is president of the Mankato Chapter ISSA and teaches Information Security courses at Minnesota State University, Mankato. He has performed information security assessments for both public and private sector. He serves on a number of security related advisory boards and conference committees. He maintains a blog at: www.DrInfoSec.com

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Government Online Services
59. E-JAM & Tech Connections: MnDOT Social Media and Collaboration Technology Strategy, Policy, and Implementation
Kris Schulze, Tech Connections Project Manager, MN Department of Transportation
Nick Thompson, Director, Office of Policy Analysis, Research and Innovation,  MN Dept of Transportation

Our topic is important because we actually used collaboration ideas and tools to gather employee ideas from all levels of the organization as the basis for the initiatives. We feel that other departments and organizations can use our experience as a model to help improve idea gathering and implement social media and collaboration strategy, policy, risk management and implementation practices.

By attending this session, you will learn about:

1. In September 2009, Mn/DOT hosted an online employee idea gathering event titled 'E-Magination JAM,' which was based on IBM’s Innovation Jam model.
2. Of the 500+ ideas that were collected from the E-JAM, 80+ technology ideas were grouped into a new Mn/DOT Flagship Initiative called Tech Connections.
3. Tech Connections manages ideas that support Mn/DOT’s organizational strategy by assessing risks, informing policy decisions, and implementing ideas.

Speaker Bio(s):
Kris Schulze recently rejoined the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) as a project manager for the Office of Information and Technology Services and serves as the Project Manager for the Tech Connections Flagship Initiative. As Project Manager for the Tech Connections Flagship Initiative, she plans, develops, coordinates and implements ideas relating to Tech Connections related to social media, information sharing, Web 2.0 and collaborative technologies.

Nick Thompson is Director of Policy, Research and Innovation at the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT).  Nick is also program manager for implementation of the Minnesota Urban Partnership Agreement (UPA), a new multi-modal Congestion Reduction program that includes next generation technology deployments. Nick has worked for Mn/DOT for the past 14 years in a variety of roles focusing mainly on using technologies and operations to manage traffic.

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Leadership and Management
60. Don't Trust "Trusting Your Gut"
Robert Lewis, Professional Speaker/Trainer/Author, President, IT Catalysts, Inc.

This entertaining and thought-provoking presentation debunks the seductive, dangerous and increasingly pervasive notion that acting on instinct is a path to success. You'll leave with solid, practical techniques you can use to encourage the superior alternative in your organization: evidence-based decision-making, and the culture of honest inquiry it depends on.

By attending this session, you will learn:

1. How "trusting your gut" works, and why it doesn't work well.
2. How to make the superior alternative -- evidence-based decision-making and a culture of honest inquiry -- a reality in your organization.
3. What to look out for along the way so your efforts aren't derailed.

Speaker Bio: Robert Lewis is the award winning author of eight books, and more than 750 columns, on the subjects of effectively leading information technology organizations, integrating them into the enterprise, and the additional steps businesses need to become adept at designed and planned change. He is president of IT Catalysts - a consultancy specializing in helping organizations achieve designed, planned change.

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Personal and Professional Development
61. Accelerated Time Management: Doing Twice as Much in Half the Time
Michael Monroe Kiefer, Professional Speaker/Trainer/Author, Powermind Training Inc.

Everyone with a job in now being asked to do more, with less. This leads to high stress, burnout, and careless, costly errors. This workshop teaches the techniques required to double your work output without the negative psychological stress factor. You will learn how to: combat the 8 major time wasters, save time over the phone, with e-mail, prioritize work, set goals, organize your workspace, and handle paperwork.

By attending this session, you will learn:

1. How to reduce stress through improved time management.
2. How to combat the 8 major time wasters.
3. How to save time working on your computer, planning and communicating.

Speaker Bio: Michael Monroe Kiefer holds B.S. and M.S. degrees from Texas A&M University in genetic engineering and abnormal psychology. He spent 7 years managing a DNA Fingerprinting lab before starting the POWERMIND project on human potential. Michael has developed national training seminars and many psychological assessments, including a natural talent and genetic skills test. Michael specializes in performance enhancement and psychological profiling. He has trained personnel from the FBI, all branches of the military, corrections, law enforcement, and government agencies. He currently works with state and county governments.

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Project and Portfolio Management
62. Project Management vs. Program Management: Strategies for Transition Success
Ruffin Veal, Principal, Ruffin Veal & Associates

In today's program management environment, a clear understanding of roles, responsibilities, tools, techniques and best practices is absolutely essential for a successful transition from project management to program management. This presentation will focus on program management while exploring the corresponding project/portfolio management essentials and dynamics necessary for collaboration and organizational success.

By attending this session, you’ll learn:

1. Are you a project manager and ready for the next level? Then your next step is program management. But what's necessary for a successful transition?
2. Are you a program manager? What's necessary to ensure the success of your program? What are the best practices of the top 1% of program managers?
3. Are you a portfolio manager? What's your role in program management strategy? Where is your influence absolutely essential? Here's a hint, Governance.

Speaker Bio:  Ruffin Veal III has been an information technology and management professional for over three decades. His industry related articles can be seen in the Project Management Institute's (PMI) Virtual Library as well as in national and international publications. He is a Certified Project Management Professional (PMP). He holds a B.S. degree in Computer Science and an M.S. degree in Project Management.

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Security and Disaster Recovery
63. Managing Data Security During IT Asset Disposition
Ryan Laber, Director, Asset Recovery Corporation

The growing importance of data security and number of devices carrying sensitive information has forced organizations to review their disposal programs. Hard drives from computers and severs are now just part of the concern. During our presentation, attendees will learn how leading organizations are managing the disposal of other devices and insuring compliance across all equipment types.

By attending this session, you will:

1. Review regulations and guidelines that govern proper data disposal.
2. Learn how to implement a secure IT asset disposal program.
3. Hear how other programs securely dispose of their IT equipment.

Speaker Bio: Ryan Laber has nine years of experience in the IT asset disposition industry and recently authored the whitepaper "Managing Data Security Risks of IT Asset Disposition". Ryan holds a BA in Economics from St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota, and is currently pursuing his MBA in information technology and marketing from the Carlson School of Management.

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Testing
64. Inject Confidence and Quality in to your Projects with Embedded Testing
Heather Tinkham, Senior QA Consultant, Object Partners, Inc.

Are you struggling with these challenges on your projects: · mushy requirements · builds that don't work · getting releases out the door · crabby testers · bugs that multiply or never get fixed. Hear how supplementing your formal QA with testers on the development team can help tame these issues. This session, based on real life, will cover how to make this approach be in everyone's best interests without breaking the bank.

By attending this session, you will learn:

1. How to improve the confidence in and quality of your projects by utilizing embedded testers to find and fix bugs before they spread like weeds.
2. How to increase the velocity of your development and the satisfaction of your users and team by leveraging testing in key ways.
3. What the primary signs of success, warning signals, critical success factors, and most common pitfalls are to this approach.

Speaker Bio: Heather Tinkham has over 25 years of experience in testing, business analysis, and project management. A firm believer that the best approaches to software development depend on the problem at hand, she finds that each project brings new insights in to the very human endeavor of creating software. Her current focus is effectively integrating manual and automated testing on projects with very limited testing staff.

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Special Selections
65. Mobilize your Enterprise Application and Get Moving with Mobility!
Robert Beauchamp, Founder and CEO, RjR Innovations Inc

Mobilization of all applications...it’s time! Experts in IT mobility suggest that adding mobility solutions to existing and new systems will show ROI sooner rather than later. The key is to locate a mobility solution that is efficient, cost-effective to implement and not product dependent. There is no faster way to extend the reach of your applications to your mobile users than by centralizing mobility through a common platform.

Key Issues:

• Access to your applications … any time … anywhere.  Allow your end users to view and/or update the data from anywhere at any time.
• Going mobile is not as costly – organizations have the mobile gear (smart phones) required to work remotely – driving costs down and productivity up
• Each enterprise app does not need its own mobile app! A centralized platform allows you to standardize throughout with only one mobility solution
• Put everyone on the same page! Provide up-to-the-minute information, eliminate workflow redundancy and increase customer service and responsiveness

Speaker Bio:  Robert Beauchamp is CEO and founder of RjR Innovations Inc., an IT Solutions Provider fully dedicated to the implementation, service and support of an ITSM framework. Under his leadership, the company has experienced steady and consistent year-over-year growth. Robert’s persistence and drive won him the prestigious 2009 “Forty Under 40” award, which is presented annually for exceptional business ideas and implementation strategies.

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Special Selections
66. Symantec Solutions for IT Evolution
Carlee Chun, Senior Systems Engineer, Symantec

Recent industry data reveals that the average storage utilization in today's data center is less than 40%. Symantec solutions provide complete data protection that can optimize any data center. Learn how Symantec’s information-centric approach enables you to better utilize hardware while cutting cost, complexity and risk.

Speaker Bio: Carlee Chun joined Symantec Corporation in February of 2008 as a Senior Datacenter Infrastructure Specialist. She is mainly working with Public Sector customers especially focuses on SLED. Carlee has over 10 years of experience in managing data storage and backup and recovery in enterprise datacenters.

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Thursday 1:15 - 2:15 PM Sessions

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Thursday 1:15 - 2:15 PM Sessions

Accessibility
80. Accessibility and Procurement
Betsy Hayes, Contract Management, MN Dept of Administration

This presentation will cover Minnesota’s unique and practical approach to the procurement of accessible products and how accessibility is integrated into requirements for service contracts. The session will explore the process, tools and considerations involved in Minnesota’s unique approach to achieving a more accessible environment for both state employees and citizens who interact with state government.

By attending this session, you will:

1. Understand how IT procurement will ensure accessible purchasing
2. Learn about new tools and processes changes
3. Receive an overview of the considerations the procurement workgroup used to guide their process development

Speaker Bio: Betsy Hayes’s bio coming

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Application Development
81. Best Practices of Service Oriented Architecture
Prakash Podaralla, Project Lead, MN Dept of Human Services

This session describes what makes the service lifecycle fundamentally different from the traditional application lifecycle. This session also provides SOA fundamentals, the best practices in choosing the appropriate SOA methodology for a project, and ESB (Enterprise Service Bus). We will also discuss cost estimation techniques and talk about how the DHS has implemented the HIPAA/EDI transactions using SOA

By attending this session, you will:

1. Learn SOA Fundamentals
2. Understand design patterns of SOA
3. Learn cost estimation techniques for SOA Projects

Speaker Bio: Prakash Podaralla is an IBM Certified SOA Solutions Designer with 13 years of experience as tech lead and EDI/EAI architect for healthcare, pharmacy, financial, and telecommunication applications. He designed projects involving various technologies including WTX, WESB, WID, J2EE, MQ series, mainframes. Prakash holds a B.S (electronics& communications) from India.

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MN Enterprise IT
82. Building Identity Management (IAM) for the State
Gary Ostrem, Security Services Product Manager, MN Office of Enterprise Technology
Jim Steinwand, Access Control Manager, MN Office of Enterprise Technology

The State of Minnesota is taking a step-by-step approach to Identity Access Management, with the long-range goal of having a single enterprise solution within the next few years. Come hear how we define our IAM ideal, and learn where we are today. What have we accomplished? What’s next? Who’s involved?

By attending this session, you will learn:

• The State’s long-range IAM strategy
• he State’s new enterprise Oracle contract and IAM architecture standards
• The IAM partners and our strategy team
• Common elements to an IAM solution: Simplified sign-on (SSO), self-service, account management, directory centralization, etc.

Speaker Bios:
Gary Ostrem brings more than 25 years of experience in networking, cryptography, Internet security, and service management to OET.  He is responsible for managing the security service portfolio ensuring business, technical, and financial service requirements are met in addition to proactively working product innovation for emerging services.

Jim Steinwand is a Security Services Manager at OET. For seven years, his work has focused on access control, web authentication, and the State’s cyber-security. Jim has also worked in IT security for Qwest and U.S. Bank. He is on the InfraGard Minnesota Members Alliance board, and co-chairs a legislative workgroup for the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC).

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Emerging Technologies and Trends
83. Geospatial and IT
Mike Dolbow, GIS Coordinator, MN Dept of Agriculture

A follow-up to 2009’s “Integrating Geospatial into IT”, this presentation will examine a business function that required significant coordination between geospatial technologies and traditional IT in order to successfully deliver its data to the desired audience. Topics include examining business requirements from a geospatial perspective, streamlining data for maintenance and delivery, and maximizing existing resources.

By attending this session, you will:

1. See a detailed example of methodology for maintaining and delivering a simple geospatial data set using ESRI and IBM products.
2. Learn about the increased functionality gained by geospatially enabling your data.
3. Understand how one program utilized existing resources under a coordinated effort to enhance their information delivery.

Speaker Bio: Mike Dolbow is the GIS Coordinator for the MN Dept of Agriculture (MDA), where he provides leadership in the design and development of enterprise geospatial solutions. His team supports a wide variety of business functions and GIS users throughout MDA. Before joining MDA in 2005, Mike was a GIS Specialist at the Metropolitan Council for five years.

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Emerging Technologies and Trends
84. Options for Rapid Desktop and Mobile Application Development
Jason Dean, Web Application Developer, Public Speaker/Trainer, Dakota County Technical College

In this presentation we will explore options for developing cross-platform desktop and mobile applications quickly, easily, and effectively. We will take a high-level look at several options for building these applications with tools that are much easier and faster to use than Java, C++, .NET, and Objective-C. We'll also discuss the trade-offs with choosing these technologies over traditional desktop/mobile development.

By attending this session, you will learn:

1. There are options for desktop and mobile development that are as fast and easy as web development and easier to learn than traditional dev
2. Options other than Java, C++, .NET, and Objective-C. Options like Griffon, Adobe AIR, Appcelerator Titanium, PhoneGap, and Rhodes.
3. About developing applications that run on Windows, OSX, and Linux and mobile platforms: iPhone, Android(phone/tablet), Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, and iPad

Speaker Bio: Jason has been a web application developer for four years, focusing on application security for most of that time. A veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard trained in both physical and information security, he held a secret security clearance and has a Bachelor of Science degree in IT Management. He keeps busy managing a programming user group, speaking at conferences and user groups, training, and blogging @ http://12robots.com

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Government Online Services
85. How to Win Twitter Friends and Influence People
Christophe Veltsos, Professor, MN State University, Mankato

Looking to grow your professional career as an information security or privacy professional and network with many of the top practitioners in the field? Twitter can help you do just that; find out how to connect & interact with the thriving infosec and privacy communities on Twitter. Learn how 140-characters can help propel your career and your professional friendships to the next level.

By attending this session, you will:

1. Find out how Twitter can help you grow your professional network & influence.
2. Discover that Twitter is like the Wild West; while it offers many opportunities, it also offers many traps. Who to follow, ignore? What to say?
3. Receive a list of the 100 influential information security people on Twitter.

Speaker Bio: Dr. Christophe Veltsos, CISSP, CISA, CIPP, GCFA, is president of the Mankato Chapter ISSA and teaches Information Security courses at Minnesota State University, Mankato. He has performed information security assessments for both public and private sector. He serves on a number of security related advisory boards and conference committees. He maintains a blog at: www.DrInfoSec.com

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Leadership and Management
86. IT Legal Issues for Non Lawyers
Linda Dahlen, Chief Information Security Officer, MN Dept of Transportation

There are many complex legal issues that can affect IT professionals and managers. Some of these include data practices, litigation, privacy, 1st Amendment issues, and computer forensics. Even if you have legal staff to advise, you and your organization can still benefit from better understanding of these issues.

By attending this session, you will:

1. Understand how attorneys approach their responsibilities in advising IT professionals.
2. Understand the most likely ways an IT professional will become involved in a legal matter.
3. Learn important steps to avoid problems when being involved in a legal matter as an IT professional or manager.

Speaker Bio: Linda is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, Morris and William Mitchell College of Law. She has been a licensed attorney since 1982. She became a Certified Information Security Systems Professional in 2001. She enjoys sharing information with colleagues.

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Personal and Professional Development
87. How to Conquer Rambling and Emphasize Your Point in just Three Sentences
V.J. Singal, Professional Speaker/Trainer, President, The Articulate Professional

At crucial moments during meetings or other forums when one must speak with emphasis, many professionals diminish their impact by being too verbose, sometimes even launching into an infinite ramble, or by being too feeble and vague. With the help of real-life examples of exemplary utterances, participants will learn a simple but powerful three-sentence technique to emphasize a point concisely, clearly, and with impact!

By attending this session, you will learn:

1. How to reply to a "why" question, or emphasize a point (with impact) in just three sentences, even if it relates to a complex issue!
2. How to use a variety of verbal and nonverbal techniques to make such a statement forceful and persuasive.
3. How to quickly dispel wrong or contrary notions from the mind of a listener.

Speaker Bio: V. J. Singal is the author of The Articulate® Professional (3rd edition 2008). An engineering graduate, he has an MBA with Distinction from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. His opinions have been published in The Wall Street Journal and The Economist, and aired on the BBC and CNN Headline News. V. J. has presented workshops at conventions / conferences throughout the U.S. More at verbalenergy.com.

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Project and Portfolio Management
88. Achieving Project Business Goals: Project Completion Is only the Beginning
Jay Kasdan, Project/Account Manager, Fredrickson Communications

Defined business outcomes tied to the project charter are critical components of any successful project. So why do so many projects fail to meet their goals? The answer is often the failure to implement the project outcomes into the daily work procedures of the organization. This session introduces key strategies to help the project business goals become reality.

By attending this session, you will learn:

1. The role of process owners and supervisors in project success.
2. Why the difference between trained and proficient is critical to project success.
3. The importance of measurement, accountability, and implementation.

Speaker Bio: Jay has worked with America's leading companies to help them design, develop and implement performance solutions. Jay was the training and change management manager for Deluxe Corporation’s initial SAP implementation that received the (ASUG) national Impact award. Jay has been chosen to speak at a number of national, regional, and local events including the STC and ASUG national, ASTD regional, and Minnesota PMI Chapter.

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Security and Disaster Recovery
89. Quantifying User to System Authentication Strengths for Online Transactions
Paul Lesov, Security Architect, Wells Fargo

Identity and Access Management (IAM) systems often support multiple ways of authenticating users. Often, even a single IAM framework can support multiple authentication types. This presentation attempts to define comparative strength of different types of non-biometric authentications and provides a set of criteria to allow an IAM provider to calculate the overall strength of combined authentication types.

By attending this session, you will learn:

1. How to compare the relative strength of the authentication system looking at factors such as device, platform, OTP security
2. How to design a better something you know authentication with guidelines for q/a and passwords
3. A proposed method for assigning a quantities measure to the authentication strength will be provided which will give a rating between 0<rating<3

Speaker Bio(s): Paul Lesov is a senior security architect for Wells Fargo bank. He has over 15 years of IT security expertise in both public and private sectors. Paul provides security guidance on business initiatives to Wells Fargo and their business partners. Paul is a member of CISSP and holds an undergraduate degree in Computer Engineering from USC and a Master degree in Computer Science from University of Minnesota.

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Testing
90. What Makes a Good Unit Test?
Tom Ammons, Developer, MN Dept of Human Services

Does unit testing make sense for you? Does it create more work or save you work? What makes a good unit test, what should you be testing and what should you not be testing?  How can you test exceptions and database calls? You will leave with a basic understanding of unit testing and have a better idea of what it can do for you and your team.

By attending this session, you will learn:

1. What makes a good unit test
2. What you should test and how you should test it.
3. Pros and cons of unit testing.

Speaker Bio: Tom Ammons has been part of the IT world for over 20 years and has programmed everything from a chip to a mainframe. Tom is currently on a development team for DHS where he started a Unit Testing pilot for the team.

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Special Selections
91. National Health Information Network’s Impact on the Security and Privacy of Health Data in Minnesota
Carolyn Petersen, Managing Editor, Mayo Clinic
Mary Brown, Lead Specialization Faculty, Capella University

The recent economic stimulus and health reform bills have provided significant financial incentives for healthcare providers and researchers to accelerate the adoption of electronic health documentation systems. The National Health Information Network is part of the framework needed to engage in the widespread, large-scale health outcomes research believed to be essential to healthcare cost reduction.

By attending this session, you will learn:

1. What the National Health Information Network is and what are the objectives that led to its creation
2. What role Minnesota plays in the advancement of the National Health Information Network
3. What the impact of the National Health Information Network is on the security and privacy of health data in Minnesota?

Speaker Bio:
Ms. Petersen is a managing editor for Mayo Clinic Global Products and Services, where she is responsible for content management of mayoclinic.org. She has MS degrees in Biomedial Informatics and Exercise and Movement Science. She participates in the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Bioinformatics Grid Architecture Workspace, the FDA's Anesthesiology and Respiratory Therapy Device Advisory Panel and AMIA ethics workgroup.

Ms. Brown has over 30 years of experience in the healthcare industry. She has earned CISSP and CISA certifications and holds an MS degree in Information Security and is working towards a PhD in information technology education. Mary earned the Mn. ISSA Information Security Professional of the Year award in 2006 and the Harold Able Distinguished Faculty award in 2009.

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Special Selections
92. Topic coming

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