Telework Exchange, a public-private partnership focused on promoting telework across government, today announced the program details for the upcoming Spring 2012 Town Hall Meeting on Wednesday, May 2, 2012, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. The 11th semi-annual event will help government agencies address management policies and technology challenges to enable a secure, mobile workforce. The Spring Town Hall Meeting is expected to bring together more than 900 government attendees.

Oscar Gonzales Jr., deputy assistant secretary for administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will kick off the event and deliver the morning keynote from 8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Gonzales will discuss the role telework plays in building a resilient and productive workforce at USDA and address the importance of management support and involvement in successful telework programs.

Beginning at 12:30 p.m., the Town Hall Meeting luncheon will include a blue ribbon panel keynote address on government best practices in mobile technology. Tom Temin, host, The Federal Drive with Tom Temin and Emily Kopp, weekday mornings on Federal News Radio 1500 AM, will moderate the blue ribbon panel keynote, which will feature leaders in mobile technology, including:

• Dr. Rick Holgate, assistant director for science and technology/chief information officer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives
• Dr. Emma Garrison-Alexander, assistant administrator for information technology, Transportation Security Administration
• Samuel A. Nixon Jr., chief information officer, Commonwealth of Virginia
• Dr. Simon Szykman, chief information officer, U.S. Department of Commerce

The all-day, two-track event will feature 30 government and industry speakers who will address both the technology and management components of enabling an efficient workforce. The management track will focus on how to align telework programs with agency missions, how to implement effective performance measurement practices, and how to collect telework return on investment data. The technology track will address how to successfully leverage mobile and collaborative technologies that support a distributed workforce and empower a resilient government.

Telework Exchange will close out the program with its 7^th annual Tele-Vision Awards Ceremony, honoring the best in government telework. The full Town Hall Meeting program runs from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. To view the complete event agenda and to register, visit www.teleworkexchange.com/townhallmeeting. Registration is complimentary for government attendees; industry rates apply.

“While the Federal government is making progress, leveraging telework takes time,” said Cindy Auten, general manager, Telework Exchange. “These Town Hall Meetings are the ideal platforms to discuss best practices to advancing mobility and to share lessons learned. In the last year, we’ve seen a renewed sense of enthusiasm in telework and mobility and a strong focus on leveraging technology to bolster collaboration, regardless of the work location.”

Telework Exchange is pleased to have the following Spring Town Hall Meeting sponsors, including Adobe, Booz Allen Hamilton, Microsoft, BlackBerry, Accelera Solutions, Becrypt, Riverbed Technology, SwishData, Rofori, SonicWALL, VMware, Intel, U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s Performance Management Solutions, and U.S. Department of Defense Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program.

About Telework Exchange

Telework Exchange is a public-private partnership focused on demonstrating the tangible value of telework and serving the emerging educational and communication requirements of the Federal teleworker community. The organization facilitates communication among Federal teleworkers, telework managers, and IT professionals. For more information on Telework Exchange, please visit www.teleworkexchange.com.