Date/Time

October 25, 2024 | 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM ET

Location

Kossiakoff Center

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory

11100 Johns Hopkins Road

Laurel, MD 20723

Happy Hour Immediately Following

4:00PM – 6:00PM

Lib’s Grill

8191 Maple Lawn Blvd, Fulton, MD 20759

Event Agenda:

9:00 am—10:00 am: Registration, Networking, & Vendor Tables Open (Continental Breakfast Provided)

10:00 am—10:15 am: Welcome & Announcements

10:15 am—11:15 am: Keynote Sessions

1. Build, Retain, and Sustain a Culture of Excellence, Tony North
2. How to Provide and Maintain 5 Star Service, Matt Beran

11:15 am—11:30 am: *1st Prize Drawing & Break 🏆

11:30 am—12:30 pm: Keynote Sessions

1. Building and Sustaining an Exceptional Multigenerational Team, Melissa Jackman
2. Cyber Security, Boris Goncharov

12:30 pm—2:00 pm: Lunch Provided, Networking and Vendor Tables Open

1:50 pm—2:00 pm: *2nd Prize Drawing 🏆

2:00 pm—3:00 pm: Discussion Panel - The Keys to Build, Retain, and Sustain Extraordinary Teams

3:00 pm—3:15 pm: Refreshment/Dessert Break and Vendor Tables Open

3:15 pm—3:30 pm: Closing Remarks and Prize Drawing*

*Must be Present to Win! 

Keynote Session 1 - Presented by Tony North, IT Cyber Security and HR Industry Management Leader

Build, Retain, and Sustain a Culture of Excellence

To build, retain, and sustain culture, organizations must prioritize aligning values with actions, fostering employee empowerment, and consistently reinforcing cultural norms through communication and adaptation. Doing this requires proactive leadership, fostering alignment between organizational values and actions, while empowering employees to embody and champion these values.

This session will address the challenges of building, retaining, and sustaining a positive organizational culture and provide practical tips on how to overcome them and in turn create and maintain a lasting culture of excellence.

Keynote Session 2 - Presented by Matt Beran, Sr. Product Marketing Specialist with INVGate

How to Provide and Maintain 5 Star Service

Equip your team with the insights and ideas necessary to elevate your service delivery to new heights and establish your organization as a beacon of exceptional customer care. goals and dreams.

This session will delve into innovative concepts and strategies tailored to meet the dynamic needs of modern customers. Whether you're a seasoned professional or new to the world of customer service, this presentation promises valuable takeaways for all service providers.

Keynote Session 3 - Presented by Melissa Jackman, Director of IT Service Management & Support, Duquesne University

Building and Sustaining an Exceptional Multi-generational Team

From baby boomers to gen Zers, this session dives deep into the nuances of every generation in today's workforce and clues you in to the methods for providing each with ways to optimize their success, regardless of their work style.

You'll discover the multigenerational impact on company culture, effective communication styles, the pitfalls of stereotypes, strategies for feedback and supervision, and how to coach for success.

Keynote Session 4 - Presented by Boris Goncharov, Chief Strategy Officer, AMATAS

Nightmare on Cyber Street: How Your Organization can Survive the Hacker’s Onslaught

Welcome to “Nightmare on Cyber Street: Surviving the Hackers’ Onslaught.” Tonight, you’ll find yourself on a cyber street you thought was safe—a place where businesses thrive, data flows, and operations hum along without a care. But just like in every horror classic, beneath this calm surface lies a lurking terror, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
In this story, there’s no Freddy Krueger. The villain is even more insidious: faceless hackers, moving in the shadows, slipping silently through our digital defenses. Like a nightmare, they appear when you least expect it, exploiting the tiniest weaknesses and turning our business’s most secure systems into a house of horrors.
You’ll witness real hacking stories unfold—companies brought to their knees, their secrets spilled into the darkest corners of the web. Just like the chilling moment in a horror movie when the villain strikes, these businesses never saw it coming.
This isn’t a nightmare you can wake up from—it’s the new reality. The question is: when the evil comes for you, will you be ready to survive the onslaught?

Discussion Panel: The Keys to Building and Maintaining Extraordinary Teams

Successful, cohesive, high-performing teams don’t happen by accident. They are a result of experienced, effective leadership that fosters collaboration and cultivates a culture of innovation. Join us and this esteemed panel of IT support leaders for an engaging discussion on the key strategies and insights for building and maintaining extraordinary teams. Discover how to identify and leverage diverse talents, set clear goals, and create an environment where teams thrive and achieve exceptional results. Whether you're a team leader or a member, gain valuable tips and real-world examples to elevate your team's performance and impact.

Moderated by:

Cecilia Baldwin, Digital Director, Guidehouse

Panelists:

Janine Cage, Executive and Trade Floor Support Manager, Freddie Mac

Janine Cage has worked in the Information Technology field for over 17 years bringing a presence that uniquely blends technical acumen, attentiveness, empathy, and charm that has earned her numerous awards and special recognition from all she has supported. Janine started her career as a Tech Support Analyst before finding her niche in Desktop Support, then expanding her expertise to End User Services. She has proven success in developing support teams, holding a high regard to providing value through collaboration, thorough training, developing efficient processes and delivering an exceptional user experience. Janine possesses certifications in ITIL v4 Foundations and Certified Agile Leadership Essentials. She previously earned the HDI Support Center Manager certification and is currently pursuing her Project Management Professional certification.

Darryl Jacoby, Group Supervisor, Help Desk & Desktop Support, 

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory

Darryl Jacoby is the Group Supervisor of Help Desk and Desktop Services for the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), the nation's largest university-affiliated research center. He has 30+ years of IT experience leading & mentoring high-performing teams. His leadership style puts a heavy focus on staff engagement and career development, contributing to APL being recognized as a ComputerWorld Top 100 Places to Work in IT for six consecutive years. In addition to presenting sessions at SupportWorld Live, Darryl was named a 2019 finalist for the HDI Manager of the Year award.

Omar Graves, Senior Manager IT Service Desk, Mercer Advisors

With over 30 years of experience in the IT industry, Omar Graves has a proven track record of building high-performing teams in both Help Desk and Security. He has served as an IT Help Desk Manager for over a decade and as a Security Manager for three years. Currently, Omar excels in his role as a Senior IT Service Desk Manager and also serves as the VP of Sponsorship for the HDI Capital Area Chapter, where he continues to drive excellence and innovation.

Monica Morrison, Director IT Delivery, Marriott International

Monica Morrison is Director, IT Delivery for Marriott International.  She has more than 25 years of experience implementing ITSM best practices that have improved service delivery and support in large companies as well as non-profit organizations.  Monica is a dynamic, passionate leader with remarkable strategic vision and focus on customer satisfaction, process improvement, and solutions implementation.  She has extensive experience coaching and mentoring individuals and building strong, high-performing teams.  Monica holds ITIL and HDI Support Center Manager certifications and currently serves as President of the HDI Capital Area local chapter.

Speakers and Bios

Tony North, IT Cyber Security and HR Industry Management Leader

Tony has a diverse career in management, IT, cybersecurity, HR, and as a Podcaster for TechTalkTony. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, he became SAFECO Insurance's first PC Software Trainer, later overseeing 200+ software implementations for companies like iVanti, McAfee, Ascentis, and Skillsoft. Living abroad for two-years in England, along with traveling 27 countries and 43 U.S. states for business has enriched his global business perspective. 

He holds a bachelor’s in business operations from the University of Phoenix and is a lifetime member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. Residing in Bothell with his three children, Tony is actively involved in his community, volunteering with nonprofits, coaching sports for ten years, and hosting conferences. A chess enthusiast, he has competed in three world tournaments with his father.  Tony is recognized as a trusted advisor, committed to excellence and continuous improvement both professionally and personally.

Melissa Jackman, Director of IT Service Management & Support, Duquesne University

As the Director of IT Service Management & Support, Melissa Jackman serves as the overall IT Service Management (ITSM) leader & strategist with a strong focus on customer satisfaction and standardization of IT service processes throughout the University. She has a passion for staff development and highly collaborative teams. Focused on the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of delivering services to the campus community, her areas of oversight include IT Service Desk, IT Communication, IT Training and Identity Lifecycle Management, Computer Labs and CTS Front Desk operations.

Jackman is a member of the HDI Steel City Chapter and served as President from 2016-2018 and the EDUCAUSE IT Service Management (ITSM) Community Group.

Matt Beran, Sr. Product Marketing Specialist, InvGate

Matt Beran has over20 years of experience in Service Management and Customer Service.  Known for challenging industry norms, practical advice, and unique approaches to Service Management.

He is the host of Ticket Volume, a weekly podcast about Information Technology and is a highly regarded speaker. His favorite topics introduce new ways of thinking about service experiences and improving teamwork.

Boris Goncharov, Chief Strategy Officer, AMATAS

Devoting over 18 years to his professional journey, Boris Goncharov has earned recognition as a strategic thinker in information security. As Chief Cybersecurity Strategist at AMATAS, his mission is to challenge and rethink conventional security paradigms, pioneering innovative strategies to shield businesses against emerging cyber threats.

Boris is well known for his unique visual presentation style that effectively demystifies complicated information security concepts into accessible, visually engaging narratives. His ability to seamlessly convey complex ideas greatly enhances comprehension and retention amongst varied audiences.

Boris' extensive range of top-tier industry certifications, including CIPP/E, CCISO, CCSP, CBSP, CISSP, ISSMP, CCSK, CEH, CEI, CHFI, ITIL, TOGAF, and Prince2, exemplifies his unwavering commitment to excellence and expertise in information security.