On Tuesday, November 24^th, more than 175 government and corporate members attended The NYS Forum’s 34^th Annual Membership Meeting. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic the event was conducted virtually for the first time in the organization’s history. Kicking off the session, Forum Executive Director Mario Musolino welcomed the virtual attendees and provided a brief overview of the accomplishments and successes of the Forum during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic. High on the list, was the rollout of a new, more interactive website, establishment of a new workgroup focused on data analytics, and increased member participation through an enhanced WebEx platform. 

With many unprecedented changes underway throughout all levels of government, attendees heard about ongoing challenges and opportunities from members of the NYS Forum Board of Directors.  Jim Bell, Chair and Director of Senate Technology Services - ‎New York State Senate, Rajiv Rao - Chief Technology Officer, NYS Information Technology Services, and Eusebio Formoso - Chief Information Officer, NYC Department of Finance all discussed the state of IT in Government, the challenges that NYS and NYC are currently facing, highlights of their accomplishments as well as where they will be taking us in the near future. 

Rick Howard, Vice President of Gartner presented the keynote address, “Act Now to Make Remote Work Permanent in Government”. As government organizations recover from the pandemic, many are exploring new ways of getting work done — including greater reliance on remote work. Rick’s presentation provided best practices government leaders can adopt to move forward with a permanent and sustainable “anywhere” workforce model. 

Next, Christine Costopoulos Program Director, led a presentation by the Forum Work group co-chairs who provided a report out of their past year accomplishments and what they are currently planning for the upcoming FY 2020-21 year.  Closing out the meeting, Office manager Matt O’Bryan described the measures that have been put in place to ensure the safety of Forum members when returning to in-person meetings, and Communications/Marketing Coordinator Mike Montone provided details on the enhancements to our virtual meetings platform and website. 

We would like to thank all of our attendees for taking the time to attend our Annual Membership Meeting and for providing input throughout the year. The success of The NYS Forum depends on members helping to guide the services we provide. Your input is critical to ensure that our programs continue to be relevant and of the highest quality. As part of a member organization, you have an opportunity to shape the agenda! 

Thanks to all of those who attended and presented.