PASSMN Meeting 2026-09-15 (Virtual Meeting Only)

Important Note: This meeting is online only and will not be held at the Microsoft Technology Center

Agenda:
📅 Tuesday, September 15, 2026 📅
🕜 3:30-4:00 Kickoff / Announcements
🕜 4:00-5:00 Adapt or Be Automated: Continuous Learning in the Age of AI and Data Engineering (Chris Gambill)
🕜 5:00-5:10 Break
🕜 5:10-6:10 Virtual networking and discussion.
🕜 6:10-6:15 Closing

Sessions

🕜 4:00 pm
⭐️ Adapt or Be Automated: Continuous Learning in the Age of AI and Data Engineering
🙂 Chris Gambill
In data engineering, the tools never stop changing. From on-premises ETL to cloud-native pipelines, from dashboards to AI-driven insights, the landscape evolves faster than most teams can keep up. But the data engineers who thrive aren’t the ones who know a single tool inside out; they’re the ones who adapt, learn, and apply new practices as the field transforms.
In this session, we’ll explore why adaptability is the most critical skill in the AI era. You’ll learn how to evaluate new technologies, when to embrace the latest innovations (like generative AI for pipeline automation), and when to stick with proven practices. Real-world stories from 25 years in the field will highlight how continuous learning turned potential failures into successful, future-ready data projects, and has kept me in a career that I love.

🕜 5:10 pm
⭐️ Virtual Networking and Discussion

Speakers

🙂 Speaker 1
⚡️ Adapt or Be Automated: Continuous Learning in the Age of AI and Data Engineering

Chris Gambill is the founder and principal advisor at Gambill Data, a founder-led data strategy and architecture advisory firm. With 26+ years of experience across data engineering, governance, architecture, analytics, migration, and leadership, including 14 years in Fortune-scale telecommunications—he helps organizations make high-stakes decisions about data platforms, modernization, operating models, and AI readiness.
His work connects executive priorities with engineering reality.

Chris advises leaders on Databricks and Microsoft Fabric strategy, lakehouse and data architecture, governance, platform reliability, and the organizational practices required to turn a roadmap into systems people can trust.

Chris is a Databricks Certified Data Engineer Professional. Gambill Data is a Databricks Bronze Partner and a member of the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program. He also coaches data engineers in technical judgment, communication, architecture, and leadership.
His sessions are practical, candid, and grounded in the production lessons that rarely appear in tutorials.