TECHNOLOGY DAY BLOG

By Laura Vreeland, Class 40

 

Technology Day on Friday, Jan. 23 took place at NextSpace (www.nextspaceaz.com/), and it was the perfect setting for a forward-thinking agenda. If you have not visited, NextSpace is a standout venue offering meeting room rentals and podcast space in a modern showroom environment. The rooms and amenities were beautiful, and the team could not have been more welcoming. They even sponsored our happy hour at their on-site bar, which was a great way to wrap the day.

 

The day began with a presentation from SUSD School Board member and Arizona State University Executive Director of Data and Analysis, Mike Sharkey. As an added bonus, his spouse, Jessica Sharkey, is a member of Class 40, which made it especially fun to watch him take the stage. Mike spoke about data visualization and storytelling, reminding us that numbers alone rarely drive decisions. It is the story behind the numbers that creates clarity and action. His insights felt especially relevant as we prepare videos and presentations for our PLIF projects.

 

We then shifted to cybersecurity with Tim Roehmer, CEO of GMI, which is also located at NextSpace. Tim’s background includes time in the White House Situation Room, serving as Arizona Director of Homeland Security and advising Gov. Doug Ducey. He had the room fully engaged as he walked through practical strategies for keeping data secure and avoiding common phishing emails and cybersecurity scams. The big takeaway was simple: prevention is always easier and far less expensive than the cure. In a world where digital threats evolve daily, awareness and basic safeguards make a significant difference.

 

Brighton Leadership then challenged us to consider how many change projects our teams are managing at any given time. The discussion was eye-opening and prompted thoughtful reflection on capacity, communication and prioritization. Lunch from Wildflower provided a welcome pause before we headed into the afternoon sessions.

 

Scottsdale resident Gregory Puckett from Waymo delivered a fascinating presentation on the past, present and future of Waymo autonomous driving. The class was eager to ask questions, especially about real-world experiences riding in a Waymo vehicle.

 

Ross Wheeler and Tony Welcome from State Farm followed with “The State of AI in 2026: Current Trends, Opportunities and Risks.” Their message was clear: AI is not going anywhere. The conversation focused on how organizations can leverage AI responsibly while managing risk. 

 

City of Scottsdale CIO Bianca Lochner presented on the city’s commitment to innovation, noting that Scottsdale has earned recognition as the No. 1 Digital City in the United States for 2023, 2024 and 2025 in its population category. That distinction sparked a sense of pride across the room.

 

The final session, “Hands on with Microsoft Copilot,” led by Scotty Bingham from Microsoft, gave us practical tools we can start using right away. From drafting emails to summarizing documents and building presentations, Copilot demonstrated how AI can support productivity and free up time for more strategic work. It was also the one time during Scottsdale Leadership where everyone was allowed to be on their phones (right, Dana?). ;-)

 

Technology Day left us with new ideas and practical tools. From data storytelling to AI, cybersecurity and autonomous vehicles, the common thread was clear: innovation is happening all around us. The opportunity now is to decide how we lead with it.