Dr. Bianca Lochner, Ph.D.

Chief Information Officer - City of Scottsdale

Bianca Lochner, Ph.D., has over 20 years of experience in information technology and local government. As the Chief Information Officer for the City of Scottsdale, Arizona, she combines her passion for public service with technology to transform government services. Previously, she served as Assistant CIO for the City of Phoenix and CIO for two school districts, where she led digital transformations, Smart City strategies, and initiatives for transparent and innovative governance.

Briana Brown

Chief Information Officer - Denova Collaborative Health

As Denova's Chief Information Officer, Briana Brown excels in driving technological advancements and operational modernization. With over 15 years in healthcare operations and technology, she has a proven track record of delivering significant savings and fostering centers of excellence. She is passionate about solutions that are designed on the fusion of people, process, and technology. Briana's academic credentials include a B.S. in Management & Organizational Development and an Executive MBA. Being a native Tennessean, exploring all that Arizona has to offer has been an amazing experience. She is quickly becoming an avid scorpion hunter.

Frank Sweeney

Chief Information Officer - Arizona Department of Child Safety

Frank Sweeney serves as Chief Information Officer and Assistant Director at the Arizona Department of Child Safety, where his focus is simple: serve the people doing the work and use technology to make their jobs easier, smarter, and more effective for the families of Arizona. With nearly three decades of experience across startups, large corporations, and state government, Frank has spent his career pushing the boundaries of how technology can solve real human problems. He is known for bringing energy, curiosity, and a practical mindset to complex challenges, often helping teams see possibilities where others see obstacles. Frank believes the best technology solutions start with understanding people. His leadership approach centers on listening first, building strong teams, and creating environments where innovation can happen responsibly. Whether modernizing systems, applying AI to complex casework, or aligning technology with mission outcomes, his goal is always the same: make the work better for the people doing it and the communities they serve. Above all, Frank views his role not as leading technology, but as serving others through it; bringing people, ideas, and tools together to make government work better for those who depend on it most.

Ty Howard

Chief Information Officer - City of Goodyear

Senior Technology Officer and Project Management Professional (PMP) with over 20 years of experience across the public, private, and academic sectors. History of driving continuous process improvements, managing multimillion-dollar impact projects, and promoting the implementation of diverse information security frameworks and cybersecurity operating models to enhance program capabilities. Adept at managing service offerings and recognized for developing creative programs that improve user experiences while making data-driven decisions and creating cost-effective solutions compliant with industry standards. Passionate about personal and professional development, of self and others, demonstrated by a track record of Adjunct Professor positions at several large universities, mentoring, coaching, and collaborating with organizational leadership toward achieving goals and strategic plans.

Matthew Peterson

Chief Information Officer - Arizona Arthritis and Rheumatology Associates

For the past 7 years, Matthew has been the CIO at Arizona Arthritis and Rheumatology Associates, the largest practice of its kind in the country. Matt has been featured in numerous TV/radio shows and newspaper/magazine articles. He graduated from Brigham Young University in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management and from Arizona State University in 2019 with a master’s degree in Information Management and worked six years as the director of information technology at OneGuard and another six years as the chief architect and technology director at Glendale Elementary School District, serving 15,000 underprivileged children. He started a successful technology company and created an infrastructure that attracted half a billion website visitors in just the first few months. Matt wrote a best-selling fantasy novel called Paraworld Zero and was invited to speak throughout the country. He was also the radio show host of TheAuthorHour.com where he interviewed world-famous authors such as Dean Koontz, Anne Rice, and R. L. Stine. He served a 2-year mission for his church, earned the Eagle scout award in Boy Scouts, received a second-degree black belt in karate, and performed in several musicals. He lives in Peoria with his wife, seven children, and their giant African tortoise.