The past four years has seen an unprecedented shift towards remote work, leading to the rapid development and adoption of collaboration platforms like Microsoft Teams, WebEx Cisco, and Zoom.

In this seminar, we will explore how these platforms have revolutionized the way we collaborate and communicate in the wake of the global pandemic. We will delve into the features and functionalities that make each platform unique, examine their impact on productivity and communication, and discuss the future of collaboration in a post-pandemic world.

Join us as we uncover the innovations and advancements that have transformed the way we work and connect with others.

Participants will:

• Discover how communication platforms have evolved with the changing work environment
• Learn the latest innovations in Teams, WebEx and Zoom
• See how other County departments are leveraging platforms to enhance internal and external communications
• Answer questions on the effects of the hybrid workplace and loss of social capital
• Explore how to make meetings more engaging for attendees

Speakers:

James Allen began his career with Los Angeles County's Internal Service Department in 1997 and has since accumulated over 25 years of experience in administration and management of large governmental organizations. Throughout his tenure, he has held increasingly responsible executive management positions at both the Internal Services Department and LA County Library, focusing on organizational development, process improvement, capital programs, and information technology. Mr. Allen's expertise extends to joint County/City programs and projects, and he currently serves as the Fifth District's Commissioner and Vice-Chair on the County Library Commission[1][4].

In his current role, Mr. Allen manages Unified Communications services for the County of Los Angeles and is excited to explore how modern collaboration tools and Generative AI can enhance overall County communications. He holds a bachelor's degree from National Labor College in Labor Health and Safety and has earned several executive leadership certifications from prestigious institutions such as Harvard, MIT, UC Berkeley, and USC. Outside of work, Mr. Allen enjoys hiking with his family, volunteering at his local high school, coaching youth soccer, and playing on a men's soccer team, a passion he has maintained for the last 20 years.

Citations:

[1] https://managementcouncil.lacounty.gov/Profile/4821/jamesallen

[4] https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-allen-atyourservice

Erick Cerna began his career in 1999 with the Department of Public Social Services. He has a bachelor’s degree in information technology and over 24 years of experience in information technology management, overseeing an array of IT technologies in multiple departments ranging from application development to infrastructure projects and Operations. 

As an Information Technology Specialist and IT Manager, Mr. Cerna has functioned in multiple facets of IT, including application development, system management, resource planning, and creation of new lines of technological services.  Throughout his career he has leveraged project management methodologies to implement operational excellence initiatives that drove cost reductions throughout the organization.

In his spare time, he enjoys reading, hiking, riding motorcycles, boating and camping with his family. He also volunteers his time coaching soccer and fundraising at his children’s school events.

Jeremy Mathurin currently serves as Director of Technology Strategy for Los Angeles County, collaborating directly with CxO leaders throughout the county to align technical solutions to business problems. Jeremy has extensive experience supporting federal, state, and local organizations in their technology innovation efforts, focusing primarily on data analytics, robotic/intelligent automation, artificial intelligence, operations, and process engineering. Most recently, Jeremy secured a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree with a concentration in Digital Technology Innovation from Cornell’s S.C. Johnson School of Business.

Kieran Garcia is a Modern Work Specialist in his 2^nd year at Microsoft. Prior to that, he spent 8 years as an independent consultant assisting public sector customers with deployments to Microsoft 365. Lately all of his tech attention has turned to generative AI – specifically Copilot for M365.

Kieran’s spare time is almost exclusively catered around a rambunctious 4 year old and a life long love of soccer and video games.

More speakers coming soon! Registration will open July 17th.