TAGITM,

Holy Toledo.  So many things to take stock of since my last letter.  We had an incredible Super Bowl.  (Yes, it was a HOLD!)  We rung in a New Year.  (It’s already the end of February?  How is that possible?)  Spy Balloons are all the rage.  There is so much else going on all around us, I can’t even remember it all.  What I do know is we should add some TAGITM centric things to the list of noteworthy happenings.  Here are my top TAGITM things to add:

• The release of our conference theme for this year: All Systems Go.  I don’t think we have secured Tom Cruise to come be a keynote speaker, but I can only imagine someone is going to show up in a flight jacket and some naval aviator sunglasses.  (Talk to me, Goose!)
• 100 submissions for educational breakout sessions at the Annual Conference!
• A GIS Day with one track that day dedicated to our GIS professionals and their technology and projects.  Have you gotten your GIS folks to create a sub-account with TAGITM so they can get on the ListServ and see all the things we have planned for them?  If not, then please do!
• A great job by the Education Committee, chaired by Fay Young, to work through those 100 submissions and end up with some great offerings across four tracks for this year’s conference.
• The release of conference hotel rooms for booking.  Have you reserved your room yet?  Better hurry!
• The opening up of exhibit booths and sponsorships.  They all sold out in two hours.  That’s amazing and speaks to the strength of our annual conference and how important our Affiliate Members view our conference.  Kudos to the incredible CMP Management team for managing this process.  We couldn’t do it without that entire team!
• A great Central Texas Educational Summit in The Woodlands.  Great speakers, great turnout, etc.  That’s two awesome educational summits TAGITM has put on this year.  The third education summit is coming late spring /early summer down in Pharr, hosted by the incredible Jose Pena and his team.  We are looking forward to hosting an event in the Rio Grande Valley.
• The annual conference is, as I type this message, just under 54 days away.  I can’t believe it is already here.

I know I can speak for the Board when I say we are excited to get everyone together again and have a great annual conference.  We’ve got some familiar faces for keynotes as well as new ones.  We think you will be motivated, educated and inspired.  As always, there are fun events planned.  We think there is some great content planned with lots of opportunities to hone your tech skills and/or management skills.  We look forward to all of it and to seeing everyone together once again.  This is year 45!  We might be over the hill, but the best is ahead of us.  Come join us for a great week at La Cantera Resort and Spa in San Antonio.

Tony Gonzalez,

TAGITM President

I hope you are all registered for the upcoming 45th Annual TAGITM Conference. Get ready for "All Systems Go" at one of the loveliest places in Texas, the La Cantera Resort in San Antonio. As your Conference Chair I can assure you we have so many entertaining items planned. The Conference and Education Committees have been working extra hard to provide you with a conference that will top last year’s record-breaking attendance.

Join us on Tuesday for Top Golf after the pre-education session. Then on Wednesday morning we will have our first ever Ladies Networking Breakfast with our friends from Strategic Government Resources (SGR) to facilitate discussion. Education has the instructors from ICMA to deliver a specialized CIO track that will be great for developing and current leaders. Thursday is everyone’s favorite casino and game night, so bring your teams along and plan for a conference to remember!

Jennifer Frescaz
2023 TAGITM Conference Chair

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By Fay Young, TAGITM Education Committee Chair 

The theme for the 2023 TAGITM Annual Conference is "All Systems Go," but the "education plane" has already left the runway.  Two trips have been made through the "cloud," and the big ride of the year, the annual conference, is preparing for take-off.  Our first "Ride through the Cloud" was on Dec. 6, 2022, when we traveled to Grand Prairie, TX, for the TAGITM North Texas Regional Summit.  Our second "Ride Through the Cloud" was on Feb. 8, when we traveled to The Woodlands, TX, for the TAGITM South Texas Regional Summit.

If you missed the trips to the first two destinations, don't worry.  There are two more destinations scheduled for this year.  Our next stop will be in San Antonio, TX, from April 11-14, 2023, for the TAGITM Annual Conference.  TAGITM will celebrate 45 years, and you will want to take advantage of this trip.  Registration opened on Feb. 13.  Secure your seat now!