Cybersecurity: Advancing Security Through Collaboration
Time: Noon to 1:15 pm
Venue: WOW Hall
291 West 8th
Eugene, Oregon
97401
- Join the Livestream
- YouTube
- Podcast
We will meet at the WOW Hall, 291 W 8th. Learn more: https://wowhall.org/about-us/. Walk, ride a bike or take the bus. You may park on the street or in the parking lot of FOOD for Lane County's Dining Room, across 8th from the WOW Hall. A freewill donation acknowledging the Dining Room's generosity may be made at the meeting.
Lunch will be available for $15.
Topic:
Cybersecurity threats increasingly affect the daily operations of local governments, critical infrastructure, businesses, schools, and community organizations across Oregon. Responding to these challenges requires more than technology—it requires coordination, workforce development, public awareness, and strong partnerships across sectors.
This panel features leaders affiliated with the Oregon Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (OCCoE), including representatives from the University of Oregon, the City of Eugene, and the Lane Council of Governments. The panel will discuss the growing impact of cyber threats on Oregon communities, lessons from recent incidents across the state, and collaborative efforts to strengthen cybersecurity resilience.
Speakers will highlight OCCoE’s mission and statewide initiatives, including education and workforce programs, community outreach, and partnerships that support local governments and public institutions. The discussion will also showcase practical cybersecurity efforts currently underway within the City of Eugene and regional government organizations serving Lane County communities.
We look forward to seeing you there.
Speakers
Title: Director, Information Services
Organization: City of Eugene
Website: https://www.eugene-or.gov/114/Information-Services
Biography:
Biography is provided by the speaker and edited for length/proofreading
Robin Mayall is the Director of Information Services for the City of Eugene. Previously, she was the Director of Information Technology & Strategic Innovation for Lane Transit District where she also held former roles as a Business Analyst and Project Manager.
Robin graduated from the University of Oregon in Art/Computer Science and has worked as a Software Engineer/Program Manager for Microsoft, a Business Intelligence Analyst at Symantec, a volunteer robotics team coach for F.I.R.S.T., and “Coder in Residence” in Eugene/Springfield school districts.
She is currently the Vice Chair of the Oregon Cybersecurity Advisory Council, Vice President for Oregon Association of Government IT Management (OAGITM) and serves on the Lane County Transportation Advisory Board.
Title: Executive Director
Organization: Lane Council of Governments
Website: https://www.lcog-or.gov/
Biography:
Biography is provided by the speaker and edited for length/proofreading
Brenda holds a B.A., M.S., and a law degree. After practicing law for over two decades, Brenda found her calling in public service. Her desire to collaborate and find solutions, along with her decades of management experience, helped her be successful in several statewide and local government positions.
Brenda has served as the Executive Director of LCOG since 2012 and is the longest serving ED of an Oregon regional government. LCOG employs over 380 people and is the second largest regional government in Oregon with an annual budget of over $85 million.
LCOG provides IT services to other public agencies and operates an internet exchange. Because these services are essential to public safety agencies, schools, and other public entities, cybersecurity is a priority. Her interest in these issues led her to complete the Digital Transformation in Government course at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She also serves as the regional government representative on the Oregon Cybersecurity Center of Excellence.
Title: Professor/Head of Department of Computer Science
Organization: University of Oregon
Website: https://ix.cs.uoregon.edu/~reza/
Biography:
Biography is provided by the speaker and edited for length/proofreading
Reza Rejaie is Professor and Head of the Department of Computer Science at the University of Oregon and a founding Associate Director of the Oregon Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (OCCoE).
With more than three decades of experience in networking and cybersecurity, he has contributed to both academic research and real-world practice through collaborations with public and private sector partners. He led the development of a strategic vision that helped position the University of Oregon as a regional hub for cybersecurity research, education, and workforce development.
Professor Rejaie’s research has contributed to advances in networking and cybersecurity and has been recognized through honors including a National Science Foundation CAREER Award and a European Union Marie Curie Fellowship. He has held visiting appointments at leading research institutions in Europe, including Sorbonne University and Politecnico di Torino.
In his current roles, he leads statewide initiatives focused on strengthening cybersecurity education, workforce development, and public awareness, including outreach programs for high school teachers and students across Oregon. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and a Distinguished Member of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). He was recently named the 2026–27 Fulbright-Nokia Distinguished Chair in Information and Communications Technologies in Finland.
