Speakers

Katy Ruckle was appointed as Washington state's Chief Privacy Officer in 2020. Since then, Katy has published Washington's foundational privacy principles and launched statewide training on privacy and data protection for public employees. In 2023, Katy received the Governor’s Outstanding Leadership Award for her privacy leadership in the state. Currently, Katy serves as co-chair to the State’s AI Community of Practice and recently published guidance for public procurement of automated decision systems. Katy is also leading work on the Governor’s Executive Order on AI.

In previous roles, Katy created and directed the privacy program at the state's largest social service agency -- overseeing public records, records management, legal discovery, and HIPAA compliance. Before that she served as the agency’s Contracts Counsel, advising on complex contract and procurement issues regarding health care and technology.

Katy is a licensed attorney and was admitted to the Washington State Bar Association in 2005. She also holds certifications from the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) in US privacy law (CIPP/US) and privacy program management (CIPM) and is recognized as a Fellow of Information Privacy from the IAPP. She presently serves as an officer on the board of the Washington Government Lawyers Bar Association and volunteers as a mediator at the Pierce County Center for Dialog and Resolution. She has worked for Washington state since 2006.

Nishant Shah is Senior Advisor for Responsible AI for the State of Maryland. In that capacity, he works closely with stakeholders across the state to build & execute an AI strategy centered on responsible, ethical, and productive use. Prior to Maryland, he was a product leader on Meta’s Responsible AI team, with previous stints at Amazon, the White House’s US Digital Service, and Refunite, a mobile tech nonprofit in East Africa. He received his Master’s from Columbia University’s School of International & Public Affairs, and his Undergraduate degree from Boston University. 

Santiago "Santi" Garces, driven by early experiences in his native Bogotá, Colombia, has dedicated his career to optimizing government efficiency and effectiveness. As the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the City of Boston, he leads the Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT), striving to make it an engine of transformation by employing data science and human-centered design. With a robust history in civic tech roles, including pivotal CIO positions in South Bend and Pittsburgh, Santi has won the Bloomberg’s Mayor Innovation project for the Commuter's Trust and has played an instrumental role in citywide technological advancements. A multilingual and a tech-savvy innovator, Santi has also co-founded a nonprofit, enFocus, aimed at creating innovative solutions for government and industry. His leadership, spanning planning, sustainability, and technological infrastructure, continues to shape the cities he serves towards a more efficient, inclusive, and technologically advanced future.

Chris Teale is a technology reporter for Route Fifty, part of the Government Executive Media Group. He reports on state and local governments' use of technology, including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, internet connectivity, social media and modernization. Teale was previously a technology reporter for Morning Consult, covered smart cities for Industry Dive and had spells in local news in Northern Virginia. He is a graduate of the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom and has lived in the Washington, D.C., area for more than a decade.