This talk is a discussion exploring how mistakes by IT helped facilitate an important shift in the narrative of IT vs Business.

Mr. David Blair joined the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Office of Information Technology (OIT) as the Chief of Transformation in January 2017. In this capacity he is responsible for managing execution of the USCIS Transformation Program, which a digital modernization program that is moving USCIS from legacy paper-based business operations to an integrated electronic environment offering end-to-end digital processing services. Through Transformation, Mr. Blair is optimizing the development and delivery of technology solutions through a "platform of services" model that is centered on the creation of tangible business value, fulfillment of operational needs, and achievement of enterprise efficiencies.

Before joining the OIT team, Mr. Blair served as the Chief of the Capability Delivery Division (CDD) within the USCIS Office of Transformation Coordination (OTC). In this role, Mr. Blair was accountable for delivering digital products and services via a web-based solution called the Electronic Immigration System (ELIS), which is a digital platform that offers USCIS employees a seamless user experience with all of the digital products and tools needed to perform highly complex processing and adjudicative tasks.

Prior to joining USCIS in 2012, Mr. Blair served as a Program Manager at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific (SSC Pacific) in San Diego, CA, managing several defense-related projects that provided critical software and systems engineering support to naval information warfare. Mr. Blair also spent over 11 years on active duty as a U.S. Navy SEAL at SEAL Teams Eight, Five, and Three.

Mr. Blair attended San Diego State University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in International Security and Conflict Resolution, and a Master of Science in Homeland Security.

Jim Lloyd currently serves as Branch Chief of the Innovation Branch, Division 4, Field Operations Directorate (FOD), US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Department of Homeland Security. In this position, he is responsible for a cadre of Business Advisors and Subject Mater Experts who bring innovative ideas into operational reality through collaborative and creative solutions. Prior to being Branch Chief, he had been a valuable member of the Innovation Branch since 2016, where he was responsible for gathering business requirements, continuous process development, and improving the transformative USCIS initiative named ELIS (Electronic Immigration System).

Jim Lloyd started his career with INS in 1998 as a "District Adjudications Officer" in the Santa Ana Field Office. He moved to the Los Angeles Field Office in 2003 to take a supervisor position and then moved into the Special Assistant role for the Field Office Director in 2008. In 2010 Jim became the West Coast Chief of Operations for the Verification Division and managed the SAVE and E-Verify programs in 5 locations (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, Chicago, Lincoln). In 2013 he returned to the Adjudications ranks by taking the Assistant Regional Director position over the Adjudications program in the Western Region.