 GMIS holds an Annual GMIS International Conference each year where IT leaders come to learn from each other and industry experts and share knowledge and lessons learned.The 2009 conference, scheduled for August 23 through 27th in Newport, Rhode Island, features keynote speaker Senior Vice President Howard Charney, is a member of Cisco’s Office of the President and Executive Staff and reports directly to CEO John Chambers.In addition to networking with public sector IT leaders from around the world, membership in GMIS International includes access to a document repository, active listserv, leadership opportunities through participation on an Advisory Council and the Executive Board, and vendor participation to share emerging technologies and trends.