7:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Seminar Registration

7:00 a.m. –8:30 a.m.

Continental Breakfast

8:30 a.m.–Noon
(Break: 10 a.m.–10:15 a.m.) 

Malware
This session will cover identifying, preventing and removing malware.  First, we will   discuss what could be considered as 'malware.'  Many programs (spyware, for example) border on malicious software, and what actually goes on behind the scenes should be examined.  In preventing malware, we will discuss and share information about antivirus, spybot, and intrusion detection software.  We will also discuss removing malware, whether by rebuilding PCs or other solutions.  Lastly, we will cover reporting viruses and other steps aimed at bad actors, whether through legal actions (e.g., against hackers) or procedures to make sure viruses and malware are removed from all systems.

Moderator: 

• Eric Dugger, Network Administrator, Legislative Counsel Bureau, Nevada

Trainers: 

• Eric Dugger, Network Administrator, Legislative Counsel Bureau, Nevada
• Tom Salonick, Technology Support Technician, House of Representatives, Pennsylvania, 
• Todd Wilson, Systems Engineer, Cisco Systems, Inc., Vermont

Noon–1:00 p.m.

Lunch
 -----SPONSORED BY WEST-----

1:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m.
(Break: 2:45 p.m.–3 p.m.)  

Managing Software Updates
With Microsoft sending out security patches almost daily, how can we insure that all workstations are patched up to current levels?  This session will cover software update services, testing patches before distribution, maintaining up-to-date hardware images and any other measures to ensure the security and integrity of our equipment.  Hear how some states accomplish this and have some of your questions answered!

Moderator: 

• Ann M. McLaughlin, Director, Legislative Information System, Delaware

Speakers: 

• Gigi Brickle, Director, Legislative Printing and Information Technology Systems, South Carolina
• Peter Capriglione, Manager, Business Applications/Legislative Technologist, Information Systems Division, General Assembly, North Carolina
• Lorie Johnson, PC Support Technician, Bureau of Legislative Research, Arkansas
• Thomas Jones, Network Administration Supervisor, House of Representatives, Pennsylvania
• Cheryl Spencer, Technology Services Supervisor, House of Representatives, Pennsylvania

7:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Registration

8:00 a.m.–9:00 a.m.

Welcome and Introductory Remarks: 

• Duncan Goss, Director of Information Technologies, Legislative Council, Vermont

• Mayor Peter Clavelle, Burlington, Vermont

9:15 a.m.–10:15 a.m.

Concurrent Session: Management Track
Managing Expectations
As legislatures turn over, new members coming in are much more computer-literate than those from years past.  Can you meet their increasingly high expectations?  When they ask you about the latest buzzwords, will you be able to give an intelligent answer?  How can you keep up with new trends?  And, by the way, why aren’t you using Representative Jones’ favorite new technology?

Moderator: 

• Paul Schweizer, Controller, House of Representatives, Minnesota 

• Michael Adams, Director, Legislative Information Services, Colorado
• Todd Jewell, Director of Information Technologies, House of Representatives, Pennsylvania

Concurrent Session: Technical Track
Voice over IP in the Legislature 
Last year in Harrisburg we heard about the potential of Voice over IP.  This year, we’re going to hear from people who are actually using it.  Does it live up to the hype?  Or does it create more problems than it solves? 

Moderator: 

• Steve West, Information Systems Manager, Legislative Computer Services, Arizona

• Steve West, Information Systems Manager, Legislative Computer Services, Arizona 
• Aaron Videtto, Telecommunications Administrator, Champlain College, Burlington, Vermont

10:00 a.m.–10:15 a.m.

Break
 -----SPONSORED BY LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL, INC.-----

10:30 a.m.–11:45 a.m.

Concurrent Session: Management Track
Getting Users, Management and Legislators to Embrace Security
In theory, all users of a computer system are actively involved in keeping the system secure.  In the real world, many users take at best a casual attitude toward security, sharing their passwords with others, leaving workstations unlocked, opening unexpected email attachments, and installing games loaded with spyware.  How can we convince users to take security seriously?

Moderator: 

• Andy Kraus, Senior Network Administrator, Legislature, Kansas

Speakers: 

• Jim Edman, Network Technologies Manager, Bureau of Information and Telecommunications, South Dakota
• Deirdre Grimes, Manager of Planning and Information Management, Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Canada
• Representative Judy Livingston, Vermont

Concurrent Session: Technical Track
Web Tips, Tricks and Techniques: RSS for Legislative Web Sites
Really Simple Syndication (RSS) is an XML format designed for sharing headlines and other Web content.  Several states are using RSS to provide users with notices of new Web content or to distribute newsletters.  This session will look at how to make your content available via syndication, which RSS format you should choose, and other tips for and potential uses of RSS for legislative Web sites.

Moderator: 

• Sharon Crouch Steidel, Director of Information Systems, House of Delegates, Virginia

Speakers:

• Sharon Crouch Steidel, Director of Information Systems, House of Delegates, Virginia
• Andy Harvey, Webmaster, Legislative Counsel Bureau, Nevada
• Glen Johnson, Network Administrator, Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel, Utah

Lunch and Exhibits 
Remarks:

• Jim Greenwalt, Director of Information Systems, Senate, Minnesota, NCSL Staff Chair

 Exhibitors: 

• Advent3B2
• Akamai
• Arbortext 
• IntelliReach

2:15 p.m.–3:45 p.m.

State-by-State Roundtable
This session offers the chance for each state or office to share information about new or interesting technology projects in place or underway. 

Moderator:

• Duncan Goss, Director of Information Technologies, Legislative Council, Vermont

3:45 p.m.–4:00 p.m.

Break

4:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.

Issue Roundtables
Participants (both management and technical) will break into small groups to discuss problems or issues your state may be facing.  Any problem or issue (technical, managerial or personal) will do.  Remember, those with contributions receive “compensation.”

Facilitator: 

• Todd Jewell, Director of Information Technologies, House of Representatives, Pennsylvania

Trip to Vermont State House
Buses will depart promptly at 8:15 am from the hotel.

XML Bill Drafting Systems (Joint with Legal Services Staff Section)
XML (extensible markup language), designed specifically for Web documents, provides a flexible way to identify and share information according to its content, meaning or use. This session will discuss the use of XML for bill drafting systems and its benefits for IT staff and users. States with XML bill drafting systems will explain why they chose XML and will discuss the impact on and involvement of users in the implementation of these systems.

Moderator: 

• Diane Boyer-Vine, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel, California

• Rick Johnson, Senior Software Engineer, Legislative Service Center, Washington
• Richard Masek, Associate Director, Legislative Service Commission, Ohio
• Jody Rosner, Project Manager, Legislative Data Center, California
• John Saxon, Deputy Director, Application Services, Legislative Data Center, California

Lunch (Joint with Legal Services Staff Section) 
 -----SPONSORED BY XCENTIAL-----
Real Democracy: The New England Town Meeting and How It Works 
Depending on the point he’s making, Frank Bryan may praise the New England town meeting as the closest thing we have to pure Athenian democracy or he might just call it “a long day sitting on a hard chair listening to people argue.”  Both descriptions fit, and Bryan, longtime UVM professor of political science, knows this better than most after 27 years of spending every first Tuesday in March in town halls across Vermont.  That work came together in November 2003 with the publication of “Real Democracy: The New England Town Meeting and How It Works” (University of Chicago Press). 

Speaker: 

• Frank Bryan, Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Vermont

E-mail as a Public Record (Joint with Legal Services Staff Section) 
In many states, the question of whether legislative e-mail is a public record has not been definitively determined. However, legislative staff can be called on to interpret whether e-mail is public record, or they may be responsible for retention and management of e-mail, or be required to provide public access upon request. This session will discuss these issues and explore how states are dealing with legislative e-mail.

Moderator: 

• Lou Adamson, LIS Coordinator, Legislative Council, South Dakota

• Diane Boyer-Vine, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel, California
• Tom McCullion, CIO, House of Representatives, Florida
• Richard Masek, Associate Director, Legislative Service Commission, Ohio
• Gregory Sanford, State Archivist, Vermont

Tour: Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Factory 
The guided factory tour starts with a 7-minute “moovie," where you’ll find out how two childhood friends, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, turned a $5 correspondence course on ice cream making into a very successful business with a unique social mission which is incorporated into day-to-day business decisions.  Next, you’ll get a bird’s eye view of “Vermont’s Finest” in action and an explanation of the ice cream manufacturing process. Then it’s off to the FlavoRoom for delicious samples of the day.  You'll also have a chance to visit the scoop shop and gift shop.

General Session: Gadgets, Gizmos and Gear
This session will give you, the tech-savvy tech (or not-so-savvy tech), a look at some of the great new technologies being used by your fellow IT folks.  There will be reviews and demonstrations of the technologies and their application.  Items such as the “thing-a-ma-jig” the “what-cha-ma-culit” and the “hickey-bob” will proudly be on display.

Moderator: 

• Todd Jewell, Director of Information Technologies, House of Representatives,  Pennsylvania

Speakers: 

• Gigi Brickle, Director, Legislative Printing and Information Technology Systems, South Carolina
• Darryl Hazelwood, District Office Support Supervisor, House of Representatives, Pennsylvania

Concurrent Sessions: Management Track
Contingency Planning and Business Continuity
Most IT shops have plans in place to replace critical IT infrastructure in case of emergency. The scale of possible disasters has increased substantially over the last few years. How quickly can you rebuild your IT infrastructure offsite?  Do your House and Senate have alternative meeting sites? Are they anywhere near your alternate IT site?  Can you replace critical knowledge locked in the heads of your staff should they be unavailable? With luck, we'll never have to find out the answers to these questions, but...

Moderator: 

• Duncan Goss, Director of Information Technologies, Legislative Council, Vermont

• Val Asbedian, Chief Information Officer, Legislature, Massachusetts
• Dennis McCarty, Director, Information Systems Division, General Assembly, North Carolina
• Linda Norden, xwave, Maine

Concurrent Sessions: Technical Track 
XML Editors
ArborText vs. Word vs. Propylon vs. ?  A number of states and parliaments have implemented a variety of XML strategies, and we can now learn from their experience. 

Moderator: 

• Scott Darnall, Programmer/Analyst, Legislative Research Council, South Dakota

• Clyde Hatter, Product Manager, Propylon
• Rick Johnson, Senior Software Engineer, Legislative Service Center, Washington 
• Clyde Hatter, Product Manager, Propylon
• Tim Orr, Systems Analyst/Programmer II, Office of the Revisor of Statutes, Minnesota
• Devan Shepherd, Principal, XML Planning Group, Minnesota

Exhibitors: 

• Propylon
•  Xcential

Tour of the Shelburne Museum
Buses will depart from hotel promptly at 1:45 p.m.
The Shelburne Museum, founded in 1947, is one of the nation's most eclectic museums of art, Americana, architecture, and artifacts. Thirty-nine galleries and exhibition structures display over 150,000 objects spanning four centuries. Outstanding collections of folk art, decorative arts, tools, toys, textiles, and transportation vehicles are exhibited in tandem with paintings by artists such as Monet, Manet, Cassatt, Degas, Andrew Wyeth, Thomas Cole, Winslow Homer, Grandma Moses, and many others. The museum's 25 19th-century structures include a covered bridge, a round barn, a lighthouse, and a 220-foot restored steamboat that is a National Historic Landmark.

Closing Dinner: Ticonderoga, Shelburne Museum 
 -----SPONSORED BY PROPYLON-----
Enjoy dinner on the restored steamboat Ticonderoga, a National Historic Landmark, located on the grounds of the Shelburne Museum.  The completion of the Ticonderoga's renovation in 1998 has returned the boat to its original grandeur of the early 20th century.  Return to the glorious days of elegant travel with a memorable evening aboard the Ticonderoga.