Illinois Digital Government Summit 2025 — Event Recap

Zion Cloud Solutions: Empowering Government Through Cloud, Data & AI Innovation

Zion Cloud Solutions (ZCS) proudly participated as an Anchor Sponsor at the Illinois Digital Government Summit 2025, held on November 13th in Springfield, IL. As a trusted partner to public-sector organizations, we were excited to collaborate with state and local leaders on how advanced cloud technologies, secure data practices, and applied AI can accelerate government transformation.

Spotlight Session Featuring Arun Reddy, CEO — Future-Ready: Building the Skills to Thrive in Cloud-Driven IT

Our CEO, Arun Reddy, took center stage as a featured panelist in the session Future-Ready: Building the Skills to Thrive in Cloud-Driven IT. Joined by leaders from the Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology, Accenture, and the Summit moderator Rachel Pevey (GCIO – Illinois Child and Family Services), the discussion delivered practical insights on preparing government IT teams for a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

What Arun Reddy Spoke About

During his spotlight session, Arun shared key perspectives shaped by ZCS’s real-world modernization work with public agencies:

1. The New Skills Needed for Cloud-Forward Government

Arun emphasized that government IT teams must evolve beyond traditional infrastructure skills and adopt a “cloud-native” mindset. He highlighted critical capability areas:

• Cloud architecture fundamentals

• Data engineering and data governance

• AI-assisted productivity and workflow automation

• Security-first engineering

• Cross-functional collaboration between IT and business teams

2. Workforce Transformation Through Continuous Learning

Arun discussed the pressing need to make upskilling accessible and sustainable across government.
He shared ZCS’s approach:

• Flexible, modular training programs for cloud and data skills

• On-the-job coaching integrated into agency projects

• Creating internal “cloud champions” who mentor their teams

• Leveraging AI tools to accelerate learning curves

3. Real Challenges, Real Solutions

Drawing from recent modernization engagements, Arun addressed challenges governments commonly face:

• Legacy systems slowing adoption of new capabilities

• Staffing gaps and difficulty hiring cloud-skilled talent

• Security concerns during migration

• Need for unified data strategies

He shared success stories where agencies overcame these barriers by:

• Prioritizing foundational cloud governance

• Using low-code and automation to support overwhelmed teams

• Implementing “start small, scale fast” migration roadmaps

• Aligning leadership, IT, and operational units around shared goals

4. A Strategic Path to Cloud Readiness

Arun underscored that cloud readiness isn’t just a technology milestone — it’s a holistic cultural shift.
He recommended that agencies:

• Begin with clear, measurable outcomes

• Modernize data infrastructure early

• Adopt AI responsibly and securely

• Build partnerships that provide ongoing expertise

The session was highly interactive, with the audience engaging deeply around workforce readiness, talent modernization, and the pace of government innovation.

Panel Details

Session Title: Future-Ready: Building the Skills to Thrive in Cloud-Driven IT
Date: November 13, 2025
Time: 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM CST
Location: Plaza C/D, Illinois Digital Government Summit, Springfield, IL

Moderator:

• Rachel Pevey — GCIO, Illinois Child and Family Services (DOIT)

Panelists:

• Lori Sorenson — CTO, Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology

• Cindy Lovell — Employee Development Manager, Illinois DOIT

• Lindsay Abney — North America Lead, Software Engineering Tech Development, Accenture

• Arun Reddy — CEO, Zion Cloud Solutions

Our Presence in the Partner Pavilion

Throughout the summit, attendees visited the ZCS booth to explore how we’re helping government agencies:

• Modernize operations with secure cloud solutions

• Leverage data intelligence for better decisions

• Deploy applied AI to improve service delivery

• Implement reliable, scalable, high-availability platforms

Our experts engaged in detailed discussions, shared project experiences, and demonstrated how ZCS solutions are enabling smarter, more efficient public services.

About the Illinois Digital Government Summit

Celebrating its 25th year, the Summit brought together technology professionals and government leaders to discuss innovations that enhance public service delivery. This year’s themes spotlighted the fast-rising role of AI, cloud modernization, data strategy, workforce readiness, and the future of digital government.