WMCUG June - Cisco Live recap and career conversations June 24th
About this Event
We will start with a recap of Cisco Live. Andy will discuss the major announcements from CLUS including the launch of Cisco Cloud Control, an AI-native management platform. Additionally, announcements regarding AgenticOps capabilities for autonomous troubleshooting and continuous network optimization, scalable AI-purpose-built devices including secure routers and wireless gateways, post-quantum cryptography for resilient security, hybrid mesh firewalling for micro-segmentation, and AI-ready data centers and workplaces to support digital resilience and future-proof enterprise networks will be reviewed.
We will then move to a panel disccsions about carrers coveing a wide rang of topics including:
- What does the market look like
- How is the talent pipline changing
- What do these process look like from other views including HR, Recuriters, and hiring managers
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Enjoy dinner and enter our swag giveaway, courtesy of Cisco!
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Our Panel
About Eric Miller: HR Excuutive
Eric Miller is Director of Talent and Employee Engagement at Van Andel Institute, a nonprofit biomedical research and science education organization. With over 15 years in HR, he leads institute-wide talent strategy and partners with senior leadership to connect the people function to VAI's mission and goals. He oversees full life-cycle recruitment and helps drive the organization's culture initiatives. bringing a strategic, structured lens to how talent gets hired, developed, and retained.
About Tony Ellis: Senior Tehnical Contributer
Tony, Lead IT Domain Architect at Haworth. Survived 15+ years in IT infrastructure and networking—starting by breaking things in engineering roles, now in senior leadership thanks to experience, certifications, and pure luck. Passionate about tech career growth (minus the scars).
About Lane May: Professional Recruiter
Lane is specialized in Data Center, Cloud, and DevOps recruiter with TEKsystems, where he has been since 2009. His focus is on supporting both technical professionals and organizations across West Michigan and the broader Midwest.
Lane's main goal is connecting companies with high-impact IT talent. He works end-to-end in the hiring process—from identifying and qualifying candidates to guiding interviews, negotiating offers, and ensuring successful placements.
What he really prides himself on being more than just a recruiter—He aims to be a value-added partner. Lane helps companies navigate a competitive talent market, build strong pipelines, and position opportunities in a way that resonates with top technical talent. He also spends a lot of time building genuine relationships with candidates so when the right opportunity arises, we can move quickly to submit and take advantage of the moment.
About Philip Straatsma: Fromer Hiring Manager
Philip Straatsma is currently a Solutions Engineer for Cisco, before this he spent 12 years in the K-12 education IT administration space for a national school system with 100+ locations. 7 of those 12 years were in leadership roles within IT Infrastructure with his prior experience being in the Network Engineering capacity. He focused on building effective teams by identifying the right talent for each role. Committed to long-term results, he supported professional development through mentorship and skill-building, helping his team remain prepared to address evolving challenges.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 0.00
