When it comes to technology in the community – who or what should lead? The wonders of technology and engineering have always shaped the human condition. Technological breakthroughs not only power our imaginations but also create space for ingenuity that demands a response. The response can force change while challenging existing social tensions of equity, equality, and access leaving us to figure out a way to govern an inertia equally capable of crushing and creating human opportunity. The recent abuses occurring within social media platforms, such as facebook and twitter, serve as our most recent reminder of the fine line between a parasitic and a mutually beneficial human-technological symbiosis. As we continue the march into the digital world of the internet of things, smart cities, and hyper-connected communities in what ways can we keep humanity at the center? What processes and governance approaches should be considered? What can we learn from local, national and international experts on best practices? In what ways is our region involved and preparing?

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