News Events Research
Industry Insights
Opinion Podcasts MeriTV
Shift Happens

Federal IT isn’t standing still, and neither are the rules, priorities, and playbooks shaping it.

Shift Happens is a one-day MeriTalk forum where government and industry leaders examine what’s changing in how agencies fund, buy, secure, authorize, and scale technology – and what those shifts mean in practice.

Candid, policy-forward conversations will explore the shift in approach across AI, cybersecurity, quantum, acquisition, cloud authorization, and digital services, focusing on practical implications, implementation realities, and what comes next.

July 14, 2026
8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
International Spy Museum
Washington, D.C. 20024
Attendees are eligible to receive continuing professional education credits (CPE) for this event. No advance preparation is required. View CPE details.
Alexis Bonnell
OpenAI for Government
Caroline Boyd
MeriTalk
Nicole Burdette
MeriTalk
U.S. Marine Corps
cdance
Workday
Grace Dille
MeriTalk
Duncan Edwards
SpyCloud
Bill English
General Services Administration Office of Inspector General
Felipe Fernandez
Fortinet Federal, Inc.
Scott Flanders
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Bart Larango
Splunk
Cherilyn Pascoe
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Matheus Passos
Department of Commerce
Anish Patel
Cloudflare
Ajay Phogat
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Nick Polk
Office of Management and Budget, The White House
Jessie Posilkin
U.S. General Services Administration
Egon Rinderer
NinjaOne
Maria Roat
Executive Office of the President
Ray Shuler
Homeland Security Investigations
Washington
ACT-IAC
-
Alexis Bonnell
Head of AI Adoption and Deployment
OpenAI for Government
-

As agencies push AI from experimentation into day-to-day operations, security, governance, and risk management can no longer sit on separate tracks. This session will examine how leaders are adapting their strategies to support faster deployment, stronger safeguards, and more confident decision-making as AI use expands. Learn how agencies can build trust, resilience, and operational readiness into AI adoption from the outset. […]

Grace Dille
Grace Dille [moderator]
Managing Editor
MeriTalk
Bill English
Chief Information Officer and Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer
General Services Administration Office of Inspector General
Cherilyn Pascoe
Director, National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Anish Patel
Head of Federal
Cloudflare
-

AI, automation, and shifting mission demands are changing what agencies need from their IT workforce and how that work gets done. This session will explore how leaders are rethinking roles, skills, team structures, and day-to-day operations to prepare for a more dynamic, technology-enabled environment. Learn how agencies can strengthen workforce readiness while building more adaptive, efficient, and mission-focused IT organizations. […]

Nicole Burdette
Nicole Burdette [moderator]
Principal
MeriTalk
Matheus Passos
Matheus Passos [pending approval]
Acting Chief Technology Officer and Deputy Chief Information Officer
Department of Commerce
Egon Rinderer
Senior Vice President, Federal & Enterprise Growth
NinjaOne
-

As budgets tighten and expectations for results climb, modernization efforts are facing a higher bar for prioritization, execution, and measurable value. This session will examine how leaders are sharpening modernization strategies, focusing investments, and improving visibility into progress and outcomes as every decision carries greater weight. Learn how to approach modernization with more discipline, clearer justification, and less room for delay or drift. […]

Maria Roat
Maria Roat [moderator]
Former U.S. Deputy Federal Chief Information Officer
Executive Office of the President
Bart Larango
Federal Industry Advisor, Public Sector
Splunk
Jessie Posilkin
Jessie Posilkin [pending approval]
Executive Director, Technology Modernization Fund
U.S. General Services Administration
-
-

As new technologies, policies, and expectations reshape the federal environment, leadership is increasingly defined by the ability to guide change without losing sight of core mission goals. This session will explore how leaders foster adaptability, align teams around shared purposes, and create the conditions for lasting organizational resilience. Learn how agencies can lead through change with greater clarity, consistency, and organizational confidence. […]

Nicole Burdette
Nicole Burdette [moderator]
Principal
MeriTalk
Maj. Christopher Clark [pending approval]
Artificial Intelligence Lead
U.S. Marine Corps
cdance
Industry Advisor, Defense & Intelligence
Workday
-

Agencies are being asked to do more than modernize security – they are being asked to prove it is working in an environment shaped by more complex threats, faster operations, and growing use of automation and AI. This session will explore how cyber leaders are sharpening strategy, strengthening execution, and improving enterprise-wide visibility as demands for speed, resilience, and accountability grow. Learn how agencies are aligning cyber operations with mission needs in a more dynamic security environment. […]

Caroline Boyd
Caroline Boyd [moderator]
Principal, Government Programs
MeriTalk
Felipe Fernandez
Chief Technology Officer
Fortinet Federal, Inc.
Nick Polk
Nick Polk [invited]
Branch Director for Federal Cybersecurity
Office of Management and Budget, The White House
-

Agencies are rethinking the operating models, delivery approaches, procurement strategies, and internal capabilities needed to move faster and deliver better results. This session will explore how leaders are aligning teams, processes, acquisition and procurement functions, and technology decisions to strengthen digital service delivery in a more dynamic environment. Learn how agencies can turn pressure for speed and performance into a more effective model for procuring, building, and delivering technology while balancing mission needs, innovation, and accountability. […]

Washington
Gary Washington [moderator]
Chief Strategy Officer
ACT-IAC
Nina D'Amato
Chief Technology Strategist, Public Sector
Lenovo
Scott Flanders
Chief Information Officer
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Ajay Phogat
Senior Advisor to the Chief Information Officer
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
-
-

As open-source intelligence evolves and digital evidence sources multiply, federal investigators are rethinking how they track subjects, build cases, and work across agencies and sectors. This session will explore how leaders are adapting investigative strategies to a landscape shaped by breach data, advanced analytics, AI, and growing demands for legal and operational rigor. Learn how agencies are approaching modern investigations with stronger partnerships, new tools, and a sharper focus on speed, scale, and accountability. […]

Caroline Boyd
Caroline Boyd [moderator]
Principal, Government Programs
MeriTalk
Duncan Edwards
Senior Investigator
SpyCloud
Ray Shuler
Former Assistant Director, Cyber & Operational Technology
Homeland Security Investigations
-
Caroline Boyd
Principal, Government Programs
MeriTalk
ACT-IAC
Cloudflare
Elastic
Fortinet Federal
Lenovo AI
ninjaOne
Splunk
Spy Cloud
Workday Government

International Spy Museum

700 L’Enfant Plaza SW
Washington, D.C. 20024

Event Enquiries

shifthappens@meritalk.com
703-883-9000, ext. 127