Welcome to the GPN & ARE-ON Joint Conference 2026 schedule. Use this page to browse sessions, view speaker and session details, and build your personal agenda for June 22–24 in Rogers, Arkansas. Check back through May as additional sessions and details are added.
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Recently joined GPN after working on NTIA, HUD, and HRSA grants in Texas. Now constructing a home near UAMS, UALR, and Philander Smith University in Little Rock.
Monday June 22, 2026 12:00pm - 12:20pm CDT NWACC Commons1 College Dr, Bentonville, AR 72712
Gary Bolton is President and CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA), the largest industry association dedicated to advancing all-fiber-optic broadband networks. Prior to joining FBA, he held senior executive roles at both venture-backed technology startups and large publicly... Read More →
Tuesday June 23, 2026 8:45am - 9:30am CDT Grand Ballroom I–IV3303 Pinnacle Hills Pkwy, Rogers, AR 72758-8936
Elon has spent his entire career in education IT, with seven years in K-12 and thirteen years in higher education as both a technical practitioner and in technology leadership roles. He believes there is no greater way to impact the future of Arkansas and the quality of where he lives... Read More →
Tuesday June 23, 2026 12:30pm - 1:00pm CDT Grand Ballroom I–IV3303 Pinnacle Hills Pkwy, Rogers, AR 72758-8936
Building collaborations by using non-research funding mechanisms Using federal and state funding sources to imagine sustainability, collaborations, customer engagement. Audience: CIOs / CTOs, Grant Administrators and PIs, Faculty and Academic Researchers
Elon has spent his entire career in education IT, with seven years in K-12 and thirteen years in higher education as both a technical practitioner and in technology leadership roles. He believes there is no greater way to impact the future of Arkansas and the quality of where he lives... Read More →
Wednesday June 24, 2026 8:45am - 9:15am CDT Grand Ballroom I–IV3303 Pinnacle Hills Pkwy, Rogers, AR 72758-8936
This keynote presents research on how IT organizations can build resilience in the face of environmental turbulence by focusing on the foundational pillars of IT service quality (people) and IT governance (process). Drawing on a study of 157 IT leaders, it demonstrates that resilience is not reactive, but proactively developed through mature governance practices and a strong service culture. Attendees will gain practical, research-backed insights on how to strengthen their IT organizations to adapt, recover, and lead through disruption.
Attendees will leave with a clear, actionable framework to strengthen IT organizational resilience by intentionally advancing IT service quality (people) and IT governance maturity (process), enabling them to lead their organizations more effectively through disruption.
Recently joined GPN after working on NTIA, HUD, and HRSA grants in Texas. Now constructing a home near UAMS, UALR, and Philander Smith University in Little Rock.
Wednesday June 24, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am CDT Ambassador Ballroom C3303 Pinnacle Hills Pkwy, Rogers, AR 72758-8936
Amy Apon has been a Program Director in the Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure since January 2023. She is the lead Program Director for the Campus Cyberinfrastructure program. Apon joined NSF through the Intergovernmental Personnel Act in January 2023 from Clemson University... Read More →
