IT Innovation Summit Sacramento – Sessions and Speakers Announced
Sessions Focus on Jobs, Innovation, Productivity and Education
February 1, 2011 (Folsom, CA) —The WhyITNow.org initiative – established to promote jobs, innovation and productivity in the U.S. – are welcoming prominent industry and education professionals to speak at the second in a series of nationwide IT Innovation Summit scheduled for March 3, 2011 in Sacramento, CA.
President Obama says “business innovation is a building block to more jobs” and the president is calling on us to employ technology and innovation to solve our nation’s most pressing problems. California needs to develop students who have 21st Century skills and who are technologically savvy. Bill Cullifer, Executive Director for WebProfessionals.org and the Chair of the WhyITNow.org initiative said “the IT Innovation Summit is established to focus on jobs, innovation, productivity and excellence in the classroom.“
“By maximizing the power of technology, we can strengthen the quality and affordability of our health care, advance climate friendly energy development and deployment, improve education throughout the country, and ensure that America remains the world’s leader in technology” said Obama. Cullifer and the WhyITNow.org initiative consortia agrees and together with business and industry leaders, trade and professional associations and education the event speakers will share experiences and innovation ideas in the areas of Health IT, Green IT, Web design and development, New Media and IT pathways in education.
Session and Speaker line-up
Health IT Session Panel:
* Alan Rowland, Education to Careers Business Development Manager CompTIA
* Andy Vaughan, Director, Strategic Programs for Monster Public Sector & Education
* Kaiser Permanente Hospital (invited)
* California Workforce Investment Board (invited)
* Sutter General Hospital (invited)
* Catholic Hospital West (CHW) (invited)
Summary: The Obama administration has declared Information Technology (IT) as one of the main objectives for transforming health care. Along with government policy initiatives, the economic landscape is driving an immediate need for health care organizations to improve efficiency and reduce costs, while maintaining a sharp focus on quality and patient reported outcomes, such as patient satisfaction. The ability to design, develop, and deliver IT projects, strategy, and initiatives using proven tools and techniques is paramount to having a positive impact on an organization’s mission and, ultimately, its profit margin.
Green IT Session Panel:
* Andy Vaughan, Director, Strategic Programs for Monster Public Sector & Education
* California Small Business Association (invited)
* California Workforce Investment Board (invited)
* John Bjerke, Area Academy Manager, Western US Cisco Networking Academy
* Gary Page, Information Technology Consultant – California Department of Education (CDE)
* IBM.com (invited)
* Uzma Almakky, Director CRVE.org
* Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD)
Summary: Awareness of the significance of Green IT is increasing. Driven by a combination of economic, national security issues, cost and energy reduction mandates, IT professionals are tasked to formulate and enact their Green IT strategies to harvest the environmental and financial benefits of becoming more eco-conscious. This session offers both a strategic view of Green IT into the future, and practical steps that IT teachers can take to move from Green IT awareness to action.
Web Design, Web Development and New Media Panel:
* Andy Vaughan, Director. Director, Strategic Programs for Monster Public Sector & Education
* Diana Bennett, College of San Mateo
* David-Michael Rengh, West Hills College
* Suzanne Ama, Cerro Cosa Community College
Summary: Web Design, Web Development and New Media are integral parts of modern life. The Web profession offers a dynamic and entrepreneurial working environment that has had a revolutionary impact on the global economy and on society. Among its most important functions are the efficient transmission of information, storage and analysis of information and display through computer networks and systems, the Internet, and computer databases. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics the demand for Web and New Media professionals will continue to be strong as more of these workers will be needed to accommodate the increasing amount of data sent and number of devices over the Internet, as well as the growing number of Internet users. In this session speakers will focus on Web Professional and New Media careers that are available in every sector of the economy including health care and medicine, natural resources including agriculture, bio engineering and transportation.
IT Pathways, Articulation and Vision for the Future Panel:
* Gary Hoachlander, President ConnectEdCalifornia.org
* James B. Jones, Executive Director Mid-Pacific ICT (MPICT) Center
* Kay Ferrier, Lead Consultant CA Dept of Education’s Business and Marketing Education
* Stephanie Low, Dean, Curriculum & Instruction Academic Affairs Division California
This session will focus how the secondary and post-secondary educational systems are working to establish college and career IT pathways that will provide skills students need to achieve their individual academic and career goals.
The current economic fiscal crisis is calling all key stakeholders to evaluate how to best work together to prepare students for college and careers. Teachers for example, want to make sure their instruction is on-target and to know “what works” while seeking and receiving support to help them improve their practice through better curriculum and local partnerships. Policy decision makers want to see improved results on a limited budget and time constraints. In this session panelist will explore career pathways that prepare students for college and careers.
