State CIO and WaTech Director Bill Kehoe called for resilience, innovation, and collaboration in the face of economic challenges and shifting government priorities during a keynote address at the Washington State IT Industry Forum, held at St. Martin’s University Marcus Pavilion on March 18.
The IT Industry Forum provided an opportunity for government and industry professionals to explore pressing technology challenges and solutions The day-long event provided valuable opportunities for networking, collaboration, and discussions on IT resilience, security, and modernization.
Addressing an audience of nearly 300 state employees and industry partners, Bill emphasized the importance of leadership, adaptability, and collective action in navigating the complexities ahead. “It's not going to be business as usual,” he said. “So what does that mean for you, whether you're a state employee or an industry? What kind of adjustments and shifts do you have to make so that we can be more effective?"
During his keynote, Bill underscored the necessity of strong leadership at every level, reminding attendees that leadership is not limited to those in executive roles.
"In tough times, leadership is even more important,” he said. “Who are the leaders in this room? Everybody. We all have opportunities to lead. We have a sphere of influence."
He outlined key characteristics of resilient leaders, including positivity, problem-solving, and collaboration. He urged leaders to focus on finding creative solutions despite limited resources.
"We don’t need leaders (who) say, well, we don’t have budget,” Kehoe said. “Guess we can’t do that. Let’s figure something out. Let’s figure out the budget we have. Let’s ask our industry partners to help us find new ways of doing business. We can’t accept standing idle and waiting this out. We need action. We need solutions."
Commitment to key technology initiatives
Bill reaffirmed his commitment to key enterprise technology initiatives at WaTech is pursuing.
"One of those is a resident portal. Another one is our new identity and access management project. I will never give up on those two projects, because that's what our residents need right now,” he said. “We're going to partner with industry, we're going to partner with our agencies. We're going to find a way to keep moving forward on those projects."
Bill also challenged state agencies to break down silos and improve inter-agency collaboration. He highlighted the need for agencies to share resources and expertise rather than working in isolation and encouraged industry partners to rethink their business models and find creative ways to collaborate with the state.
“Work with us to get to a better place so that eventually we can be successful, and you can be successful,” he said.
Closing his speech, Bill invoked Theodore Roosevelt’s famous "Man in the Arena" speech, urging everyone to engage in shaping the future rather than sit on the sidelines.
“Get dirty, get bloody, get in the arena,” he said. “Don't be that person throwing rocks in the sand. We need all of you in the arena.”
Shaping the future together
Following Bill’s keynote, the event featured a fireside chat on leadership, an agency-vendor networking exchange, and multiple breakout sessions on topics such as cloud computing, cybersecurity, AI and automation, and IT modernization.
Archived recordings of the sessions will be posted on the Washington State IT Industry Forum page. The next industry forum is scheduled for September 24, 2025, at St. Martin’s University Marcus Pavilion and Norman Worthington Conference Center. More details will be posted online, and past attendees will be notified when registration opens.