Katie Savage, Francesca Ioffreda to Headline State of GovTech in Montgomery County, MD

Maryland's top technology and innovation officials join a keynote lineup that also features leading govtech investors at CivStart's seventh annual national summit, September 9–10 in Silver Spring.

SILVER SPRING, Md., Aug. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- CivStart today announced the keynote lineup for State of GovTech 2026, the organization's seventh annual national summit bringing together government leaders, technology entrepreneurs, and investors. The event takes place September 9–10 at the Silver Spring Civic Building in Montgomery County, Maryland.

Katie Savage, Secretary and State Chief Information Officer of the Maryland Department of Information Technology, will deliver a keynote address on Day 2. Savage leads technology strategy for the State of Maryland, overseeing cybersecurity operations, digital services, and IT infrastructure across state government.

Francesca Ioffreda, Chief Innovation Officer for the State of Maryland, will open Day 2 with a keynote on innovation in state and local government. Together, Savage and Ioffreda give attendees a direct look at how one of the nation's most active states is approaching technology modernization, AI adoption, and service delivery.

Ron Holifield of Civic Marketplace will open the summit on Day 1. A widely recognized voice in local government leadership and public sector talent, Holifield will set the tone for two days focused on innovation, procurement reform, and the practical realities facing city and county leaders.

The summit will also feature a GovTech Investor Keynote, bringing together Tom Spengler of SOVRA, Rachel Stern of GovTech Ventures, and Jeff Cook, Managing Director at Shea & Company, for a candid conversation on where government technology investment is heading, what is getting funded, and what both founders and public sector buyers should understand about the current capital environment.

State of GovTech is deliberately structured to prioritize hands-on work over passive programming. Alongside keynotes and panels, the agenda includes working sessions where attendees draft AI use policies, run live cybersecurity breach simulations, and bring unresolved problems from their own jurisdictions to be worked through with peers.

"Most conferences send people home with a folder of slides," said Nick Lyell, Co-Founder and COO of CivStart. "We built this one so people go home with decisions. The keynote lineup reflects that — these are practitioners and investors who can speak to what is actually working and what has actually broken."

The summit is expected to draw 200 to 300 attendees, split evenly between public sector leaders — CIOs, chief data officers, IT directors, city and county managers, and department heads — and the entrepreneurs, investors, and industry practitioners who serve them. Registration is free for government employees.

Additional speakers and the full agenda are available at civstart.com/sogt26.

About CivStart
CivStart builds technology tools that help government leaders move from complexity to clarity. Its flagship product, Clarity, is a free workflow tool that helps state and local government leaders define their challenges, connect with peer governments, and act with confidence. Learn more at civstart.com.

Media Contact
Nick Lyell
Co-Founder & COO
[email protected] | 608.234.2166

SOURCE CivStart