Government technology leaders from the U.S. Army, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), General Services Administration (GSA), and other agencies will gather in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 28 for the 2026 Red Hat Government Symposium, where discussions will focus on accelerating IT modernization, strengthening cybersecurity, and putting artificial intelligence (AI) to work across government missions.
The annual symposium, themed “Mission: Velocity,” will take place at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, bringing together government and industry leaders to explore how open platforms, intelligent automation, and AI-ready infrastructure can help agencies deliver new capabilities faster without compromising security or mission continuity.
As agencies look to move AI beyond experimentation, modernize legacy infrastructure, and respond to increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, this year’s program will examine the technologies and strategies needed to turn those priorities into operational results.
The event will feature government speakers from across the defense, civilian, and state and local sectors, including:
- Jay Gazlay, acting associate director for vulnerability management at CISA
- Bill Newhouse, cybersecurity engineer and project lead at the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
- Babur Kohy, director of the federal Identity and Cybersecurity Division within GSA’s Office of Government-wide Policy
- Lance Jenkinson, chief information officer and deputy assistant inspector general for management and administration at the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General
- Ryan Riccucci, senior advisor for law enforcement and technology integration at U.S. Customs and Border Protection
- Dave King, lead Ansible architect at the Defense Health Agency
- Luke Gallagher, technical director of the Office of Economic and Manpower Analysis at the U.S. Army
- Sean Gainey, retired lieutenant general, U.S. Army, and former commanding general of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command
- Daniel Macrina, enterprise systems manager at Fairfax County Public Schools
- Keith Hudson, assistant director of IT operations at Fairfax County Public Schools
- Thomas DeBoeser, enterprise storage manager at Fairfax County Public Schools
Throughout the day, speakers will explore how agencies can translate emerging technologies into practical mission capabilities, with sessions addressing application modernization, enterprise automation, AI-driven command and control, and cybersecurity.
Discussions will examine approaches to integrating AI into government operations while maintaining appropriate governance and security controls, as well as opportunities to use automation to reduce manual processes and improve operational efficiency.
Cybersecurity will also take center stage, with conversations on post-quantum security, vulnerability management, and protecting critical systems as agencies navigate an evolving threat landscape.
Additional sessions will focus on modernizing applications and infrastructure across hybrid environments, improving interoperability, and maintaining resilience as agencies adopt new technologies.
Red Hat technology leaders will join government speakers throughout the program to share perspectives on open-source innovation, hybrid cloud infrastructure, automation, and enterprise AI.
The symposium runs from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET on Oct. 28 and will be held in person at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. Attendees are eligible to earn continuing professional education (CPE) credits.
View the full agenda and register for the 2026 Red Hat Government Symposium.