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Bios for Bridging the Digital Divide Presenters

David Bottar, Executive Director of the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board

David Bottar is the Executive Director of the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board, which is a public planning agency serving a five-county area in Central New York. The CNY RPDB provides a range of services associated with the growth and development of communities in Central New York with a focus on comprehensive planning, economic development, energy management, environmental conservation, community revitalization, transportation planning, regional information services, and intergovernmental coordination.

Mr. Bottar has over thirty years of professional planning experience. In his current position, he is responsible for a staff of 20 employees and for all program development, contract administration, financial planning, and fiscal management activities of the agency. During his career, Mr. Bottar directed the preparation of the CNY Regional Sustainability Plan, planned and implemented a regional economic development program, established a small business lending program, facilitated the completion of numerous community revitalization projects, developed an energy program, conducted regional research studies, completed major site reuse and master plans, formed and supervised the activities of several non-profit local housing development corporations, served as a principal liaison with various agencies at the federal, state, and local level, and served as a keynote speaker at numerous public community forums, symposia, conferences, and workshops.

Mr. Bottar is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning. He is a member of the American Planning Association, the National Association of Regional Councils, the NYS Association of Regional Councils, and the NYS Economic Development Council.

Annabeth Hayes, Co-Founder CNY Digital Inclusion Coalition, Director, Tully Free Library

Annabeth Hayes is a graduate of the Syracuse University iSchool (’07) and is the Director of the Tully Free Library. She is co-founder and co-chair of the Central New York Digital Inclusion Coalition, which focuses on targeting the digital divide and improving the community’s access to affordable broadband Internet, affordable digital devices, and digital literacy skills.

Kevin Sexton, Chief Information Officer, Onondaga County Department of Information Technology.

Kevin Sexton has served as Chief Information Officer for the last seven years at Onondaga County. Kevin is a career IT professional having 30 plus years of experience in several different technical roles and leadership levels. He has experience in the health insurance, banking, retail and government industries of business. After starting his career in Springfield, MA, Kevin has served the vast majority of his career in Onondaga County.

Jennifer Tifft, Director of Strategic Initiatives, City of Syracuse

Jen Tifft is the Director of Strategic Initiatives for the City of Syracuse, NY. In this role, Jen is responsible for oversight and management of the City’s $123M American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) portfolio, Syracuse Surge, and other signature initiatives to improve the quality of life for Syracuse residents and enable inclusive economic recovery and growth. Previously, Jen served as the Deputy Commissioner at the Syracuse Department of Neighborhood & Business Development.

Prior to her roles in city government, Jen was a leader in the Government & Public Services Practice at Deloitte Consulting, where she focused on helping government and not-for-profit organizations implement new programs and improve customer experience. Jen’s areas of expertise include program design, performance evaluation, cost reduction, communications and change management for large transformational initiatives. Jen’s experience also includes market analysis and strategic planning, especially related to disruptive technologies including connected and autonomous systems and Smart Cities/Connected Communities.

Jen holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University, a Juris Doctor from Syracuse University College of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts from Loyola University Chicago. She is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

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