Introduction by Iowa Lt Governor Chris Cournoyer

Overview: Iowa Lieutenant Governor Chris Cournoyer delivers the opening address at Iowa Corn Con, framing the conference as a catalyst for Midwest cyber resilience.

Key Topics: Iowa as a technology state beyond coastal innovation hubs; Corn Con's role in professional development and networking; state cyber security initiatives for local governments; and SCIM tabletop exercises for incident response.

Technical Details: Cournoyer describes state programs providing asset inventories, NIST framework assessments, and cyber security incident management exercises to local governments facing ransomware and data breach threats.

Takeaways: Regional conferences like Corn Con build cyber resilience outside major tech hubs. State government partnerships provide foundational security services to underserved local government entities.