Agenda
10:00
10:00 - 10:05 (5 min)
Opening Ceremonies
CTO Don Bitner will officially kick off the Innovation Symposium
10:05
10:05 - 10:35 (30 min)
USDA Leadership Call to Action
Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden will provide opening remarks and drive home the importance of innovation in supporting USDA’s Mission. After that, CIO Gary Washington and CTO Don Bitner will set the tone for the day with an OCIO Call to Action for the innovation workforce.
Stephen Vaden
Deputy Secretary
USDA
Speaker
10:35
10:35 - 11:05 (30 min)
Innovation Trends Panel
This panel provides a forum for USDA technology leaders to explore emerging innovation trends that are shaping the department’s digital future and share insights from the front lines of transformation. This forward-looking panel will offer a preview of the technologies and techniques USDA is preparing to deploy in 2026 to enhance mission delivery and public service impact.
Moderator - Jerry Hingtgen
Federal Program Manager, Salesforce Platform
USDA Digital Infrastructure Services Center / Digital Services Center
11:05
11:05 - 11:35 (30 min)
Public-Facing Digital Experience & Engagement
Approachable Digital Services with AI
This session provides a streamlined overview of why Digital Experience is important in public service through highlighting many examples at how USDA uses AI and other technology to improve the digital experience of our stakeholders. The session also provides several resources and tips on how anyone can get involved in improving the digital experience of your stakeholders no matter where you are in the process. Come to the session with your questions and curiosity!
11:35
11:35 - 11:50 (15 min)
Break
11:50
11:50 - 12:20 (30 min)
USDA Applied approach to agentic AI
This session will open with an introduction to the concepts of Agentic AI, agent sprawl, and Model Context Protocol. Then we’ll transition to a discussion between the Chief Technology Officer and Chief Data Officer about how these issues should be addressed in the USDA Environment.
12:20
12:20 - 12:50 (30 min)
Unconventional Prototyping
AI experts from the Enterprise Data Management Center will share some tips and examples of how USDA innovation leaders have been able to use unconventional methods to quickly and inexpensively build prototypes and conduct proof of concept testing with AI and emerging tools.
Lead Data Scientist
12:50
12:50 - 13:20 (30 min)
Lunch Break/Spotlight Video
During the lunch break, join us in watching these 3-5 Minute short videos highlighting the groundbreaking work USDA Innovators have accomplished over the past year.
Please review supplemental information and additional videos at the USDA 2025 Innovation Symposium SharePoint site. https://usdagcc.sharepoint.com/sites/OCIO-InnovationSymposium-2025/
13:20
13:20 - 13:35 (15 min)
Awards for Hackathons
EDMC’s US Digital Corps Fellow Chloe Hall will announce the winners of the USDA Accelerator Hackathon that took place prior to the symposium. Hackathon problem statements experimented with ways to accelerate data reporting and automate permitting review workflows. Participants exercised their skills in a variety of systems including PowerApps, Python, and Amazon Web Services.
13:35
13:35 - 14:05 (30 min)
General Office Productivity & Automation
USDA employees who have been involved in testing new technologies and conducting AI exploration share real world examples of how they have increased productivity by streamlining and automating manual processes. Resources will be provided for where employees can go to access further training materials and workshops.
14:05
14:05 - 14:30 (25 min)
Rapid Application Modernization / Re-platforming Panel
This panel will explore the challenges faced by application owners who are looking to modernize legacy applications, many of which are plagued by dependencies on outdated hardware and antiquated code. We’ll explore new tools and processes available to development staff who are looking to overcome these obstacles.
Moderator - Michael Griffin
Branch Chief, Enterprise Hosting Branch,
USDA Infrastructure Services Directorate with MRP ITD
14:30
14:30 - 14:50 (20 min)
Innovation Workshop and Emerging Trends.
This is an interactive session where USDA CTO Don Bitner and service designer Laura Swartz will lead us in crowdsourcing ideas and brainstorming innovation opportunities. Come prepared to participate!
14:50
14:50 - 15:20 (30 min)
Enabling mission delivery through technology
DISC ACIO David Peters and CEC Deputy ACIO Frank Hoeppel will share a vision for how OCIO can be a more effective servant of the USDA’s mission and ensure that we’re providing consistently excellent services to farmers, ranchers and the American public. They’ll also explore how OCIO can enable mission delivery by providing services through a common OCIO entry point.
15:20
15:20 - 15:50 (30 min)
IT Senior Leader Panel Q and A
In the final panel of our day, IT Senior Leaders will respond to questions that have been submitted by USDA employees. There may be opportunities for live Q&A toward the end of the session.
Moderator - Jim Shrader
Strategic Integrator & Advisor Chief Technology Officer – USDA Office of the Chief Information Officer (CTO)
15:50
15:50 - 16:00 (10 min)
Closing Speech/Adjourn
CTO Don Bitner will close out the 2025 Innovation Symposium and offer some suggestions for how the innovation workforce can continue to collaborate throughout the next year.