“Against all odds, 2021 was an extraordinary year for MISAC. Despite the unpredictable challenges of navigating California’s ‘new normal,’ MISAC members have gone above and beyond with their steadfast support and service.
“As the chief information officer for the city of Roseville, I believe data helps measure and determine the outcome of success. Let’s look at the past year in terms of numbers:
- Eight volunteer committees now do a great deal of MISAC’s legwork: Education, Cybersecurity, Legislative, Policies and Procedures, Awards, Conference, Communication, and, as of this year, IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility).
- 30 mentors and mentees participated in MISAC’s first-ever mentor program.
- Five business partnerships were formed in 2021: Cal Poly Cybersecurity Institute, MS-ISAC CIS, Info-Tech Research, State/Microsoft Agreement, NICE/NIST.
- 26 agencies submitted applications in our updated and upgraded 2021 MISAC Excellence Awards Program.
- MISAC Education presented seven Strategic Partner Case Study Webinars.
- The Legislative Committee reviewed over 2,750 state and federal bills, narrowed to 100 technology bills and 22 tech-related bills, and went on record opposing SB556 (Utility Pole Attachments).
“And, of course, we can’t talk about 2021 without acknowledging our ‘homecoming’ conference last September. Although our conference kicked off during the delta variant upheaval, our numbers didn’t decrease tremendously:
- We had a record-breaking 276 exhibitor and sponsor representatives attending.
- We had a total of 513 attendees, including 235 MISAC members.
“There’s a lot that data simply can’t capture, though. For instance, data can’t explain the thrill of reuniting with longtime colleagues and collaborators in person. And data can’t measure the ease of networking with just the right person.
“If there’s anything I’ve learned throughout this past year through collected data or personal experience, it’s that the future of work is technology.
“MISAC member Frank Vawter stated in a recent Education Committee call: ‘Every emergency is an IT emergency.’ Frank is certainly on to something, because technology remains at the forefront of every crisis. Throughout the last two years, our members have proven themselves to be trailblazers throughout their organizations.
“Thank you for your continued dedication and resilience as we look forward to a new year.”
Sae was the subject of a Techwire"One-on-One" interview in March.
Some other recent takeaways from MISAC include:
- MISAC has scheduled its 2022 annual conference for Oct. 2-5 in Monterey.
- Sae published the organization’s work plan for 2022-23, which is available online.
