Thank You To Our Business Partners
On the Main Stage
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Downloading the Universe The ARMA InfoCon 2024 Opening Keynote Address will be delivered |
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It all started because astronomer Phil Plait got tired of news coverage repeating myths about balancing an egg on an equinox, planetary alignments causing earthquakes, and the 'faked' moon landing. He created a website called 'Bad Astronomy', and started calling out bad science online. Clearing up widespread scientific misconceptions naturally evolved into sharing the science he loved as well. He found readers eager to hear his concise, accessible, and sometimes funny explanations about both basic theory and the latest advances.
Twenty years later, Dr. Plait is known as the Bad Astronomer and has written three popular science books (Bad Astronomy, Death From The Skies! and Under Alien Skies). He wrote and hosted “Crash Course Astronomy”, a 46-part educational web series that has nearly 80 million views and is frequently used in schools. He was the head science writer for Season 1 of "Bill Nye Saves the World" on Netflix, and currently writes a weekly astronomy column for Scientific American. He writes the thrice-weekly ‘Bad Astronomy’ newsletter that keeps subscribers apprised of the latest sky news, and is known for his social media presence.
His lively and engaging events have, in the past, included balancing eggs on stage and screening clips from blockbuster movies to point out particularly terrible science. He has spoken at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center, the Space Telescope Science Institute (home of Hubble and the James Webb Space Telescope), the Hayden Planetarium in NYC and many other world-class museums and planetaria; conferences, astronomy clubs, colleges & universities, and community groups. He has appeared on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, Pax TV, Tech TV, Syfy, Radio BBC, Air America, NPR, and many other television and internet venues. His writing has appeared in Discover magazine, Sky and Telescope, Scientific American, Astronomy magazine, Night Sky magazine, Space.com, and more. Dr. Plait earned his doctorate in astronomy at the University of Virginia, and worked on the Hubble Space Telescope as a NASA contractor at the Goddard Space Flight Center.
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Unlocking the Future: Transforming Records Management in the Digital Age Join us for an insightful presentation titled “Unlocking the Future: Transforming Records Management in the Digital Age”, with the subheading “An Opportunity for Change”. This session will explore innovative strategies and technologies that are revolutionizing the way we manage records. Discover how embracing digital transformation can enhance efficiency, security, and accessibility in records management. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about the future of records management and how it can drive positive change in your organization. |
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John Montel is the Bureau Chief Information Officer for the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Trust Funds Administration. He currently oversees IT operations for three major sites in Washington, DC; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and approximately 80 field sites across the country, including Alaska.
John has over 30 years of experience in the Information Technology sector as a Senior Executive, working with various federal agencies including the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, the US House of Representatives, Department of Justice, Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, Federal Emergency Management Agency, US Secret Service, and the Department of the Interior, where he currently serves.
Mr. Montel was the CEO of U.S. Microsystem Management and served as an executive technical lead on several national projects, including the 2001 Anthrax and Ricin attacks, Hurricane Katrina, and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
John brings a wealth of experience in implementing large-scale, department-wide initiatives and leading innovative modernizations of electronic records and information management systems across Indian Affairs. While managing his current Bureau CIO duties, he also serves as one of 11 Associate CIOs supporting the modernization of the Department’s IT with cutting-edge technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Multi-Factor Authentication, and other enterprise programs across the agency.