NJ Government Technology Conference a Success

 

 

NJGMIS, an association of Public Sector Information Technology specialists, successfully held its fifth annual Technology Education Conference at the Palace at Somerset Park in Somerset, NJ. 

Approximately 175 IT professionals attended education sessions, networked with their peers and learned about the latest technology products from 43 hardware and software vendors.

"This is the largest conference we have had to date, and we anticipate even greater participation next year," said Bob McQueen, NJGMIS president and chief information officer of Princeton.

The keynote address was presented by Lt. Gen. Jefferson "Beak" Howell, director of the Johnson Space Center during the Columbia Space Shuttle disaster. Howell is presently an adjunct professor with the Lyndon B. Johnson School for Public Affairs at the University of Texas in Austin. Howell's impressive resume includes 37 years as an officer in the Marines, in which he commanded at all levels: leading infantry platoons of 50+/- Marines, a 250-Marine fighter/attack squadron, a 5,000-person aircraft group, a 15,000-person aircraft wing, and ultimately a Marine force of 80,000+ Marines and sailors.

Howell presented "Lessons in Leadership." This engaging and informative session focused on "Beak’s Rules of Leadership" that he learned and developed over his many years as a Marine and a civilian director. Many of these rules were tested when Lt. Gen. Howell took command of the Johnson Space Center with a work force of 15,000 individuals, including hundreds of astronauts and scientists and thousands of engineers. 

The educational sessions included topics specific to websites and social media, K-12 issues, management concerns, procurement in NJ and in-depth technical discussions.