Public Sector Data Management Leaders at Pure Accelerate 2026

Watch a special on location episode of the Pure Report recorded at Pure Accelerate 2026 in Las Vegas. In this segment, we are joined by three public sector technology leaders representing the Mississippi Department of Revenue, Spring Branch Independent School District, and the Louisiana Office of Technology Services. These innovators share their unique journeys in managing complex IT landscapes while navigating the immense pressure of serving citizens and students at scale. Our discussion dives deep into the operational reality of government and education technology. We explore the critical shift from aging infrastructure to modernized platforms, focusing on database consolidation, cyber resilience strategies, and the transition to subscription based models like Evergreen//One. They offer candid insights into the technical hurdles of maintaining high availability and scaling data services to support unprecedented demand while keeping security and compliance at the forefront of every deployment. Beyond the architecture and hardware, our conversation highlights the human side of IT leadership in the public sector. Each leader emphasizes the importance of building empowered teams, fostering a culture of continuous learning, and navigating the challenges of organizational silos. Whether sharing lessons learned from past failures or discussing the future of AI and data intelligence, these professionals provide a blueprint for how to lead technology teams that are not just keeping the lights on, but are actively delivering better services to their communities. To learn more, visit: https://www.everpuredata.com/solutions/industries/government/state-and-local.html Check out the new Everpure digital customer community to join the conversation with peers and Everpure experts: https://purecommunity.purestorage.com/ 00:00 Intro to Mike Dehaan from MS-DOR 05:53 Hot Takes on NVMe and Openshift 09:15 Mike’s IT Oops Story 13:22 Intro to Troy Neal from Spring Branch ISD 15:47 Troy’s Path to Cyber Learning 20:06 Customer Blueprint for Cyber Success 22:25 What’s Next at Spring Branch 26:51 Intro to Adrian Erwin from LA-OTS 28:58 Adrian’s Career Journey to Databases 31:32 Database Mythbusting about Snapshots 33:15 Avoiding Downtime for Citizens