Success happens when preparation meets opportunity. This year’s Red, White & You 2025 Conference in San Antonio, Texas, served as an intersection point for public sector leaders, technology experts and forward-thinking innovators to do one thing — win together.
Between unexpected mandates and ever-evolving IT solutions, staying on top of public sector technology is much easier said than done. In this high-stakes environment, what does it mean to win, let alone win together? And how can we empower you to achieve more? These were the questions our TD SYNNEX Public Sector specialists explored, sparking engaging conversations throughout this three-day event.
Unleash Your Potential With Partnership
As sessions and interactions unfolded, one theme became increasingly clear: growth as a technology partner in the public sector has little to do with selling products or positioning solutions — it’s about building long-term partnerships.
Lloyd McCoy, TD SYNNEX Senior Director of Public Sector Marketing summed it up well: “Government doesn’t need another pitch — they need a partner who listens and understands their needs.”
Now more than ever, public sector organizations and technology partners succeed when their focus is on working together to achieve more. As Dustin Hardin, Chief Technology Officer of Clear Creek Independent School District put it, “The partner that listens is the best kind because they know where we are and how to help us get creative.”
Increasingly, the public sector is turning to innovators who listen for, adapt to and empathize with their unique needs — especially as they evolve and change over time — to satisfy the communities they serve.
Success Starts With Understanding
Listening is essential to ensuring success. There’s no better way for public sector partners and organizations to understand the real-world problems these teams face. Whether addressing supply chain issues or preparing for cybersecurity threats, our industry is facing unprecedented challenges such as budget constraints, talent shortages, evolving regulations and compliance requirements, growing security concerns and more.
To effectively support these agencies, technology partners must lead with empathy and a listen-first approach to not only understand what they say they need now, but anticipate the obstacles they’ll face in the future.
Flexibility Is the Only Way Forward
If you’re looking to make an impact in public sector technology, customization is critical. The start of this year has made it abundantly clear that things are changing, and organizations need flexible solutions that evolve alongside them, not after the fact. This flexibility must extend to technology partners as well.
From shifting policy to fluctuating budgets, change is constant across this sector. There’s a need for built-in flexibility — not just with the technology itself, but the contracts, pricing models, delivery timelines and every other part of these innovations.
McCoy emphasized, “The partner who adjusts with their customer, not after them, is the one that will be remembered.” Today’s public sector IT teams seldom have the time or bandwidth to discuss every difficulty in-depth; they want partners that can anticipate their needs and proactively find solutions. McCoy concluded by stating, “Agencies don’t need generic fixes — they need solutions designed for their missions, their workflows and their people.”
Serving the Greater Good Through Technology
Empathy is more than just a soft skill, it’s a strategic asset. Understanding the pressures faced by government employees, educators and first responders enables technology partners to design tools that improve efficiency, security and impact on citizen experiences.
After all, as I shared during the event, government and education aren’t in the IT business — they’re in business of serving citizens and students.
The real measure of success is how well it can be used to empower the public workforce and improve services, solutions and connections to the communities we serve.
Fortunately, this shift in mindset is already happening. People now ask, “What can we do with this technology?” instead of “Why do we have to do this?” This change is unlocking new opportunities to apply advanced tools like AI, automation and secure cloud solutions, driving smarter classrooms and more resilient infrastructure.
Building for the Future
One of the most powerful takeaways from this year’s Red, White & You was the shared sense of purpose. Everyone, from federal CIOs to solution architects to sales leaders, is working toward the same goal: empowering the public sector to work more effectively, efficiently and securely using technology.
We’re proud to craft solutions that make the public sector better, and that our “Win together.” theme resonated with both those in attendance and across the industry. Our collective commitment to advancing public sector growth and innovation through technology continues to evolve our role from a distributor to a trusted advisor.
Whether you’re navigating funding changes, scaling secure infrastructure or tackling new IT challenges, we’re excited to continue working alongside you. We look forward to seeing you at Red, White & You 2026, where we’ll keep pushing the boundaries of what we can achieve and win together in the public sector.
If you missed any of the insights and action from Texas, relive the moments, takeaways, and daily recap from our TD SYNNEX North America LinkedIn page.
