Registration is now open
IMPORTANT: We’ve moved from our usual location for 2025
We’ll be at SentryWorld in Stevens Point on April 29-30th
Exhibitor registration
We have 23 available exhibitor booths this year, as well as dedicated time for attendees to explore booths and chat with exhibitors during the reception from 4:00-7:00pm on Tuesday, April 29th.
Please note that there are no presentation sessions available to exhibitors this year, only booth space.
All information for exhibitors can be found on our FAQ page.
Schedule
Please note that this schedule is a work in progress — we’ll be updating it with presentation session details soon.
Tuesday, April 29, 2025
7:45 am - 8:30 am: Registration and Breakfast
8:30 am - 10:30 am:
Welcome and Comments
WiscNet Board of Directors 2025 election: Candidate Introductions
State of WiscNet: Brian Remer, WiscNet CEO
WiscNet Secure Platform Update: Jason Downey, WiscNet CISO
10:30 am - 10:45 am: Refreshment break
10:45 am - 11:45 am: Presentation sessions
Table Top Exercise- Amy Jaeckel, Green Bay Area Public School District
Demystifying Generative AI: Unlocking the Potential Beyond Terminator Fears- Jason Schmidt, OshKosh Area School District
Tech Dept Budgeting (Build it, advocate for it and get resources you need!)- Brady Mesenberg, DC Everest Area School District
The 5 Voices: How to Communicate Effectively with Everyone You Lead- Dennis Pauli, Edgerton School District
Who Cooked Tilapia in the WiscNet Café?- John Pederson, WiscNet
(Re)Committing to Digital Inclusion- Dr. Cassandra Hill, City of Madison
The Certified Education Technology Leader (CETL) Certification from CoSN: A Valuable Asset for Technology Directors and Administrators- Kathleen Stephany, Holmen School District
TEACH/DOA- Matthew Yeakey and Zachary McCollum, State of Wisconsin DOA
11:45 am - 1:00 pm: Lunch
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: Connecting People Roundtables: Geographic Regions
2:00 pm - 2:15 pm: Refreshment break
2:15 pm - 3:15 pm: Presentation Sessions
All Things E-Rate- Rachel Schemelin and Bill Herman, State of Wisconsin DPI, with Aneta Kosturova, WiscNet
CAN Opener- Steve Schlomann, Waukesha School District
The challenges of Cybersecurity in K-12 Education- Brian Casey, Stevens Point Public Schools
Designing a Technology Acquisition Process- Amy Jaeckel, Green Bay Area Public School District
Welcome to the WiscNet Artificial Intelligence and Research Computing Affinity Groups- John Pederson, WiscNet
Public Libraries, Big Data, and AI: Oh My!- Rob Nunez, Kenosha County Public Library System
Cyber Incident Preparedness: Is Your District Ready?- Dan Johnson, CESA 5
The Leadership Challenge–Liberating Others and Fostering Healthy Relationships- Dan Pauli, Edgerton School District
3:30 pm - 4:00 pm: Special session: The WiscNet Network: Josh Gorton, Eric Hammons, Chris Wopat
4:00 pm - 7:00 pm: Reception with exhibitors
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
8:00 am - 8:30am: Breakfast
8:30 am - 8:45 am: “Business With Bacon”
8:45 am - 9:45 am: Keynote Speaker
10:00 am -11:00 am: Connecting Strategies Roundtables
11:00 am -11:15 am Refreshment Break
11:15 am - 12:15 pm: Presentation Sessions
Team Management Success, Yes!- Kevin May, Oregon School District
Building a Windows Lab Environment- Ben Dumke, Lawrence University
Building a Security Operations Center (SOC) with Students- Jesse La Grew and Zachary Miller, Madison College
Redundancy in Metro Fiber Networks using CWDM- Dan Parenteau, University of Wisconsin-Madison
eduroam: Getting Started, Looking Ahead, and Why It Matters for Your Institution- Rich Turiel, Josh Gorton, John Pederson, WiscNet
Community Engagement for Planning and Beyond- WiLS
Dr. David Plonka, WiscNet
Women in the WiscNet Community- Sarah Miller and Aneta Kosturova, WiscNet
12:15 pm - Lunch
If you need a PDF for documentation purposes, you can find that here.
Keynote speaker
We’re thrilled to announce our keynote speaker, Emily Easton of the Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE), who will talk to us about quantum computing, quantum networking, why it matters to us in the WiscNet community, and what the future may hold.
As the Director of Education and Workforce Development at CQE, Emily oversees the development and implementation of programs that inspire, prepare, and connect students and professionals in the emerging fields of quantum science and engineering, including the Open Quantum Initiative, annual Quantum Recruiting Forum, and NSF-funded Quantum Leap Challenge Institute Quantum Careers Workshop. She holds a Ph.D. in Communication, she has 20+ of experience in leading and managing projects, programs, and services in academic and research settings, including initiatives focused on broadening participation, career development, organizational effectiveness, and community outreach, specifically in the sciences.
Hotel accommodations
You can find all the details about lodging — including how to reserve a room in our block at both the Inn at SentryWorld and Country Inn and Suites — here:
2025 Board of Directors elections
There are two board positions open this year: They represent the following member segments:
(1) K-12 seat
(1) At-Large seat
Candidate nominations for the 2025 Board of Directors are now closed. The election will open on March 3rd. For more information, see our Board of Directors page.
Questions?
If you have any questions, concerns, or anything else related to WiscNet Connections, contact Sarah Miller at sarahmiller@wiscnet.net or (608) 210-3957.