Derek Christopher leads the Information Technology department for Hines & Associates, Inc. (Hines), a healthcare management organization based of Elgin, Illinois with several small branches throughout the Midwest. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (Magna Cum Laude) from Colorado Technical University and has been working in various IT positions for over 23 years. In 2004, Christopher joined Hines as a network administrator. In 2008, he was promoted to the role of Director, overseeing all IT-based systems, infrastructure, and staff. In addition, due to having an accounting background early in career, Christopher was also briefly overseeing Accounting. In these capacities and with the help of a great team, he has been able to facilitate substantial cost savings while increasing the technology footprint within the Hines organization. Some of these initiatives include an organization-wide Citrix and thin client deployment, greatly augmented security measures and user education, and the creation of an online reporting tool that has significantly enhanced and streamlined our customers’ access to their data. He's also happy to say that technology continues to be a hobby after all this time!

Mike Novak has a diverse background as a senior technology and business visionary with experience in automating multimillion dollar enterprises. Novak takes an unparalleled innovative approach to information technology management with an accomplished career in startups, Fortune 500, entrepreneurial environments and e-commerce businesses such as Hakkasan Group, Getty Images, Art.com, Teleperformance and Socrates.com.  

Novak has been a Technology Leader with over 28 years in enterprise management, architecture, data security and disaster recovery.  He has an in-depth understanding of current industry trends and future technologies. Throughout the course of his career, he has consistently proven to be an effective asset in designing enterprise management solutions through a combination of budget forecasting, cost saving procurement and integration.  His greatest strength is recognizing the role of IT as a pivotal support function whose primary purpose is that of supporting every department both internally and externally to ensure success as a whole. 

At Hakkasan Group, Novak demonstrates his executive vision by providing business analysis and implementing successful technology solutions and services to all facets of the enterprise and will continue to deliver long term success. Novak has an MBA from NLU.  He also has numerous technology certifications

Tony Moore is the Vice President of Technology Administration at Xavier University of Louisiana and has been a leader in Higher Education technology over the past 10 years. As Vice President, Mr. Moore provides overall vision and leadership in formulating innovative solutions and programs that support the university's mission and strategic goals. He has over 24 years providing cutting-edge thinking and using innovation as a catalyst for change. Prior to his appointment as Xavier University, he served as Vice President of Information and Technology Management at the Southern University System [2006-2010] and Chief Information Officer at Baton Rouge Community [2010-2014] respectively. Mr. Moore established a culture of transformative thinking and implemented 21st century classrooms enabling faculty to utilize technology to facilitate e-Learning initiatives.  At each institution, Mr. Moore implemented cost-effective solutions to advance the technological impact on administrative and business processes. Mr. Moore holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Southern University and a Master of Science in System Science from Louisiana State University.

Ed Freed has recently been named  IT Manager for Summit Polymers, a $650MIL tier 1 supplier to the automotive industry.  Reporting directly to the CFO, Freed has been tasked with transforming the organization's IT initiatives. Prior to joining Summit Polymers, Freed was the IT Director for Service Express Inc. (SEI), a leader in the world of third-party hardware maintenance. He also has 7 years experience in  municipal IT leadership where he was able to reduce IT budgets by over 50% while still increasing IT support and services through the implementation of cloud and other IT best practices.  Prior to that Ed worked for a number of Internet start-ups on both coasts.  He is a progressive and dynamic leader with over 12 years of IT leadership experience leveraging technology to help meet business needs.

Doug Pointious currently serves as a BI Analytics Executive with Amerisure Insurance.  He is an innovative technology executive, who has gained extensive expertise in strategic planning and complex solution delivery for an array of very successful business and information technology ventures.  Pontious’ broad experience includes accomplishments ranging from designing, developing, and implementing high-performance technical architectures to leading a large Business Process Outsourcing organization.

As a seasoned global leader, Doug Pontious has accumulated significant operational, marketing, and customer service related business expertise in delivery of sophisticated enterprise application suites and advanced Business Intelligence frameworks.  He has also established a strong business acumen from a diverse base of industries including insurance, financial services, and healthcare.  All gained while serving in vital executive positions with a passion for designing transformational business solutions and developing highly professional teams.

Mitch Hamilton is the Director of Information Technology for Harvard University Health Services, a multi-specialty boutique medical practice exclusively for members of the Harvard community. In addition to ambulatory care HUHS also offers health insurance products and a wide variety of education and wellness programs. Hamilton has worked in IT at Harvard for 22 years and has been responsible for the successful implementation of many major systems, including the company’s first Electronic Health Record. His current focus is security, process improvement, and migration to Azure. He has a passion for improving patient care through technology, education, and research.

Hamilton holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. He has served 12 years combined in the U.S Army and the U.S. Air Force National Guard as a Physical Therapy Technician and an Aerospace/Flight Medic.

Aaron Geiger's two main passions in life have always been Technology and Finance. He received a BSBA in Finance and Banking from the University of Missouri-Columbia, giving him a solid business finance background for ROI/TCO/RFP Analysis. Hestarted in Technology as an Infrastructure Engineer, designing and implementing Citrix solutions for a wide range of customers, ranging from small business to Fortune 500 companies.

In 2012, Geiger made the leap to Midsize Enterprise Executive as the CIO of Murphy Company, a leading Mechanical Contractor and Construction company. In 2013, he lead the MurphyTrack software initiative, for which he was awarded a Top 20 Most Innovative CIO award at MES 2014. Geiger joined ARCO National Construction in 2015 in a new CTO role, helping them accelerate their Technology adoption and drive value for their clients. ARCO was honored to be named “Client of the Year” by Alligatortek, ARCO’s development partner and MES vendor.

Most recently, Aaron Geiger joined Alberici Group in 2018 as their CTO. As CTO, he is defining the vision/roadmap for technology at Alberici and driving operational efficiency and customer experience. His team partners with project teams to constantly improve and iterate Alberici's technology stack. His vision statement is “To serve as a trusted advisor and partner in the evolution and improvement of our business.”

Nick Dell is currently the IT Manager for Midway Products Group, Inc., a Tier 1 supplier to Ford, General Motors, Toyota and Tesla.  He leads the company’s IT department and provides technological direction and vision to ensure they are ready for the next pivot point. Nick is an experienced IT leader in the Automotive, Legal & Healthcare industry, who specialized in refreshing technology and returning customer service to information technology. Previously leadership positions has been IT Manager - Server/Technical Support in healthcare industry, Director of Network Operations in IT outsourcing company and Network Infrastructure Manager in legal industry.

Chance Irvine has been working in the technology field since 1998 filling roles in IS and IT from developer to senior management in both commercial and military spaces. Throughout his career, Chance has built a reputation for leading his team’s to operational excellence with full transparency and a core expectation of empowerment. In 10 years he orchestrated stabilization of applications and infrastructure in 3 different companies, impacting the efficiency and reliability of numerous business units as well as technology operations. During the same period Chance has consistent success in reducing costs while increasing resources through adoption of hosted and hybrid-cloud based solutions and services, ensuring appropriate service levels and partnerships to protect and enable the business. Chance has a BS in Geography with a Minor in Computer Science from Northwest Missouri State University. Chance has been a member of the Northwest Missouri State Computer Science Professional Advisory Team for 14 years, is a past president of the Nebraska IT Leadership Forum and is an advisory board member for Nebraska IT Symposium as well as Infotec.org conferences. He is currently the Director of IT Operations and Infrastructure at Proxibid, Inc located, in Omaha Nebraska.

Mary Wyderski is the Senior Director of Information Technology for DSC Logistics, a $500 million logistics firm based out of Chicago. Mary recently joined DSC after serving as the VP of Technology for PSI for 17 years.  Due to her background in accounting and passion for technology, she recognizes the need to drive efficiency while focusing on how automation can increase the organization's bottom line. Mary's desire to streamline processes led to an early adoption of cloud strategy and resulted in the organization's ability to be more agile. Mary led a $5-million-dollar laboratory management system roll-out, encompassing 80 offices nationwide, which resulted in the company receiving a National Engineering Award for mobile technology. Mary attributes her success to working with a great team of leaders, vendors and technologists. 

John currently serves as the Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer for Woods, which is based in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. Woods is a non-profit provider of health and community services for those with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. Woods and its affiliates provide compassionate care and life-time learning opportunities to children and adults in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Delaware. Services include education, rehabilitation, mental health, developmental (MR), residential, and vocational.  As a member of the senior management team, he provides guidance and leadership in the selection and implementation of innovative information and telecommunications solutions. He has dedicated his entire 30plus-year career to the advancement of healthcare through the effective and efficient use of information. He holds a Master’s degree in Organizational Management from Misericordia University and two undergraduate degrees (Information Systems from the University of Scranton and Computer Science from the Pennsylvania State University). He served as President of the Pennsylvania Healthcare Information Technology Professionals (PHitP), a society of the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of PA and served as board chair of NEPARHIO (Northeast Pennsylvania Regional Health Information Organization). Board Service included Northeast Regional Cancer Institute, Catholic Social Services of Scranton, and Leadership Lackawanna. He maintains active involvement, in Northeast Pennsylvania Allied Health Education Council (NEPaAHEC) and local and district Rotary activities.

Jason Mason is a seasoned IT professional with over 20 years of experience implementing data center systems, running operations in IT and facilities while keeping ahead of the ever changing environment technology presents. He has spent the last 15 years with a media company, focused on the home building industry, and has been able to successfully navigate them through a digital transformation during one of the most turbulent times for both media and home building. Not afraid of change, Jason recently took a new role as Senior Vice President of Information Technology at Winsight Medea. He keeps contracts short and uses cutting-edge technology to his advantage. He treats his staff with respect, promotes from within and earns the dedication and respect of the folks that work for him and with him.

As VP IS/CIO, Tammy leads the Information Services department at Continental Mills, a privately held Food Manufacturer in the Seattle area which produces several well-known products including Krusteaz Baking mixes, Ghirardelli Brownies, Wild Roots Trail mix, Alpine Cider and Kretschmer Wheat germ.  During the 22 years Tammy has been with Continental Mills, she has been responsible for the successful implementation of many major systems, including the company’s first ERP Application and several large scale manufacturing automation systems.  Also during her time with Continental Mills, she has participated in growing the company from a regional manufacturer servicing the Pacific Northwest, to a national company with an international presence and multiple manufacturing sites across the US.  In this role, Tammy is committed to building high performing teams who are both technically excellent and business savvy, seeing that as the key to her department’s success.  In 2014 Tammy was named one of the “Top 20 Most Innovative Midmarket CIO’s” for her work on implementing Business Intelligence for the organization.

Before joining Continental Mills, Tammy started her career working at The Boeing Company, starting in the Industrial Engineering Department as a Master Scheduler and later working as a Systems Analyst. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of Washington and a Master’s Business Administration with concentrations in Operations Management and Information Systems, also at the UW.

Terry Brown-Walker is Vice President and Chief Technology officer of Summerwood Corporation t/a Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut, where she has been employed for the past 32 years.   She is also a certified network engineer.  In her highly visible position at Summerwood Corporation, and as a corporate officer, she is often in the field instructing restaurant personnel on the use of technical equipment or distributing documentation explaining the implementation and use of new technologies mandated by Yum. Terry also oversees her company’s wide and local area networks. She was previously a member of FranMac’s Technology Board which is responsible for all new initiatives being deployed in all Taco Bell’s worldwide.

Terry has lectured at various universities and has been involved in forums encouraging women and minorities to take advantage of opportunities in the field of Information Technology.   Terry finds technology challenging and never tires in exploring ways to get more women involved in the decision making roles in the industry.

Jeff Lutes is the VP of Technology for the Orlando Magic. He oversees the IT and broadcast technologies and services department. In addition to having responsibility for the IT infrastructure at the Magic facilities and the Amway Center, his teams are responsible for all technologies at the Amway Center including interior and exterior LED, IPTV streaming, digital displays, high density Wi-Fi, retail systems, all video room equipment, and strategic vendor and partner relationships. Prior to joining the Magic, Lutes worked as the VP of technology for an international manufacturing company in Central Florida. He is the former CIO of CNL Financial Group.

Leslie W. Cothren Obtained an Associate's degree in Business Computer Programming in 1995, a BA in Computer Information Systems in 2000, and an MBA with a marketing emphasis in 2006. He is certified as a CISSP, HCISPP (Healthcare Information Systems Privacy Practitioner), and ITIL v3 Foundations. Cothren has been in Information Technology since 1994, when he began his career as a backup operator. He served as the IT Director of King Hickory Furniture Company in 1997 and remained with that company for 13 years. In 2007, he joined  Universal Mental Health Services as IT Specialist. In 2008, promoted to IT Director, where he's been since that time. Cothren is active in SIM (Society for Information Management), HIMSS (Healthcare Information Management Systems Society), and several smaller organizations.

Vennard Wright (PMP, ITIL Practitioner) is currently the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC).   As CIO, he provides the requisite leadership to transform the management of information technology (IT) capabilities and services to support WSSC’s mission of providing world class service to more than 1.8 million residents.  In this role he is responsible for leading a client-focused and process-based organization that is fiscally responsible, consisting of WSSC staff, consultants, and implementation support organizations.

Prior to joining WSSC, his professional IT experience included serving as CIO for Prince George’s County Government (MD), Director of Technology for Hillary Clinton during her successful US Senate re-election campaign and subsequent 2008 Presidential Campaign.  He was also Chief Technology Officer and Technical Organization Delivery Manager for Electronic Data Systems (EDS), which was subsequently acquired by Hewlett Packard (HP).

Sean Patrick is the Director of Information Technology & HIPAA Security Officer at Ridgecrest Regional Hospital in Ridgecrest, California.   Patrick joined RRH in 2017, previously he was Director of IT at Gifford Healthcare in Randolph, Vermont.  Patrick has also served as the IT Director at Gibson Area Hospital & Health Services in Gibson City, Illinois.     Sean Patrick is a graduate of Auburn University with a Bachelors in History/Education.   He served 8 years in the United States Navy working in Information Systems and Special Communications.  He is an active member of CHIME & HIMSS, he recently attended the CHIME CIO Bootcamp.