Program Details

Philip Droege currently serves as the Director of the White House Office of Records Management. He grew up in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC and graduated from Concordia College in Seward, Nebraska in 1989. Mr. Droege started his professional life as a high school teacher on Long Island, New York. In July of 1990 he moved back to Washington, DC to take a job in the White House as a Records Technician. During his 35 years in the White House Office of Records Management, he has served in six Presidential Administrations as a Records Analyst, Supervisor, Deputy Director and his current position as Director, which he has held since 2004.

John Montel serves as the Bureau Chief Information Officer for the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Trust Funds Administration. He oversees IT operations for three major sites in Washington, DC; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and approximately 86 field sites across the country, including Alaska.

With over 30 years of experience in the Information Technology sector as a Senior Executive, John has worked with several federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, US House of Representatives, Department of Justice, Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, Federal Emergency Management Agency, US Secret Service, and the Department of the Interior, where he currently serves.

Previously, John was the CEO of U.S. Microsystem Management, and has led several national projects, such as the 2001 Anthrax and Ricin attacks, Hurricane Katrina, and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, as an executive technical lead.

John brings extensive experience in implementing large-scale, department-wide initiatives and spearheading innovative modernizations of technology, electronic records and information management solution. In addition to his responsibilities as Bureau CIO, he serves as one of 11 Associate CIOs supporting the modernization of the Department’s IT with advanced technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Multi-Factor Authentication, and other enterprise programs across the agency.

Jill Reilly is the Director for Catalog and Online Access at the National Archives and Records Administration. In addition to her 12 years at NARA, she has served at the US Department of Agriculture (National Agricultural Library), Library of Congress (Law Library), and US Department of Education, focusing throughout her career on digital access and discovery. She has a masters in library science (archival administration) and a master of arts degree in U.S. history from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Rebecca Conner has a bachelor’s degree in American studies and history from Skidmore College, a master’s degree in information and library studies from The University of Michigan, and is both a Certified Records Manager and Information Governance Professional. She is currently the Senior Manager of Records and Information Management at Amtrak. She lives in the Washington DC area with her wife Sophia and two adorable cats, Samwise and Rosie.

Currently the Sr Director of Data, AI and Autonomy. John is a senior executive and technology leader specializing in AI, automation, and data at enterprise scale, with deep experience embedding governance into modern analytics and AI platforms. He has led complex initiatives across regulated industries, helping organizations operationalize AI responsibly by grounding it in trusted data, governed information, and clear accountability.

John is known for bridging strategy and execution, translating advanced AI and automation capabilities into real-world outcomes while ensuring transparency, defensibility, and trust remain central as organizations scale intelligent systems.