The Forum Welcomes more than 300 Attendees at the 39th Annual Meeting
Attendees also heard from Chairman of the NYS Forum Board of Directors, Jim Bell - Director of Senate Technology Services. Jim, a longtime advocate for the Forum, discussed the benefits of Forum membership, highlighting where the Forum is going and what members can do to further its success, the health of the organization, and some recent changes to the Board of Directors. Jim introduced new board members: Karen Tyler, Statewide Financial System; Jenson Jacob, NYS Office of Information Technology Services; Melissa D’Andrea, Workday, NYS ITCR Chair; and Ross Maughan, IBM, NYC ITCR Chair. Jim also announced the new IT Corporate Roundtable Vice Chairs, Michelle Chank, Gartner, and Mark Romano, NYSTEC. The meeting featured two dynamic keynote speakers. Appearing first was NYS Chief Information Officer and Director of the NYS Office of Information Technology Services, Dru Rai. Dru gave an informative and enlightening talk about the current state of NY technology, his priorities, and future government technology needs. Next, Tonya Webster, NYS Chief Customer Experience Officer, spoke about building a more customer-centric state government by streamlining services, reducing barriers, and improving the digital experience for all New Yorkers. In closing, Forum workgroups reported on their past year accomplishments and their plans for the coming year. Overall, the event provided an opportunity for Forum members to connect, get updated on Forum activities, and learn what's in store at the Forum for ‘25/’26. Thank you to all our members who attended the Annual Meeting and shared input throughout the year. Your participation is vital to The NYS Forum’s success, ensuring our programs remain relevant, high-quality, and member-driven. |
(Albany, NY – Sept. 19, 2025) – The NYS Forum held its 39th Annual Meeting on September 19th with over 300 government and corporate members attending. Executive Director Fran Reiter kicked off the meeting by providing an overview of the Forum’s accomplishments and successes for the 2024-2025 program year. Among the highlights were the continued strengthening of relationships between government and corporate members, the establishment and success of the Government IT Leadership Roundtable, the strong momentum of the Artificial Intelligence Workgroup, the ongoing growth of the NYS Forum Training Academy, and the recent introduction of the Women in IT Roundtable, which has already seen great success. Fran also noted the significant increase in member participation across Forum programs and emphasized the many opportunities for collaboration in the year ahead.
