AC26 | Session 01
Clutter to Clarity: Building a Paperless Future through Governance, Strategy, and Compliance
Target: Federal, Tribal, State, Local, Public Institutions of Higher Learning
Focus: Archives, Records Management, Technology/Tools
Levels: Intermediate
GARA: "Digital Repository Management" OR "Legal & Compliance Issues"
Overview

As agencies and organizations accelerate digital transformation, many discover that simply scanning paper does not create a trustworthy digital records environment. Without governance, standardized metadata, integrity controls, and proactive risk management, paper clutter is often replaced with digital clutter. Building a paperless future requires more than technology it requires a strategic approach that ensures compliance, accountability, and long-term stewardship.

Using real-world Electronic Content System (ECS) implementation experiences, this session provides practical strategies for building a compliant, defensible, and sustainable digital records program. Attendees will gain actionable insights into strengthening governance, leveraging metadata, improving audit readiness, managing digital risk, and applying lessons learned to move their organizations from digital clutter to trusted, accessible, and resilient records environments..

Key Topics Covered
  • Governance Foundation: Establish policies, roles, responsibilities, and oversight that create a sustainable framework for compliant digital records management.
  • Strategic Alignment: Learn how aligning processes, technology, and records management supports long-term digital transformation and operational success. 
  • Metadata as a Strategic Asset: Leverage metadata to improve discoverability, automate retention and disposition, strengthen accountability, and support legal defensibility. 
  • Compliance by Design: Apply digitization standards, integrity controls, and chain of custody practices to ensure digital records remain authentic, reliable, and legally admissible. 
  • Managing Risk Through Governance: Discover how governance, strategy, compliance monitoring, and continuous improvement work together to reduce organizational risk and create a resilient, audit-ready digital records program
Learning Objectives
  • Recognize the key components of a trustworthy digital records environment.
  • Learn how governance and metadata support compliant digital records.
  • Identify strategies to reduce risk and strengthen records accountability.
  • Understand how integrity controls and audit trails support digital trust.
  • Apply lessons learned from real-world ECS implementation.
Presenters
Charlene L. Lucero
Charlene L. Lucero
Records and Information Management Specialist, Bureau of Land Management, Headquarters
Charlene Lucero is a records and information management professional with 19 years of federal service, including 14 years specializing in federal records management. She has led enterprise records governance initiatives focused on electronic records modernization, file plan development, taxonomy design, and strengthening compliance frameworks aligned with federal mandates and cybersecurity priorities.

Charlene has played a key role in advancing digital transformation efforts by integrating records management principles into enterprise content systems, improving information lifecycle controls, and enhancing accountability across business units. She is passionate about bridging policy and practice—helping agencies move beyond compliance-driven records management toward strategic information governance.
Karen D. Jackson
Records and Information Management Specialist, Bureau of Land Management, National Interagency Fire Center
Karen Jackson is a Records Administrator at the National Interagency Fire Center under the newly established DOI Wildland Fire Service. She serves as Co-Chair of the DOI BLM Records Management Board, contributing to bureau-wide records governance efforts and collaborating with records professionals and leadership on policy implementation, program coordination, and compliance with federal records management requirements. In her role, she provides subject matter expertise that supports the modernization and effective administration of records programs across complex interagency operations.

With 18 years of federal service within the Department of the Interior, Ms. Jackson has developed a recognized specialty in interagency incident fire records administration. Her work focuses on strengthening records management practices through training, compliance guidance, and practical strategies for managing electronic records in operational environments. Working with dispatch centers and offices across the country, she helps advance consistent and reliable records practices that support operational accountability, transparency, and long-term records stewardship.
Tracy Rhodes
eERDMS Support Services (Contractor) for BLM, U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of the Chief Information Officer
Tracy Queensberry is a governance and information management leader focused on advancing paperless transformation through metadata strategy, compliance alignment, and risk-based lifecycle management in complex federal environments. With deep experience bridging policy, operations, and digital modernization, she helps organizations move from fragmented paper processes to sustainable, defensible information ecosystems. Tracy is particularly passionate about turning governance from a compliance burden into a strategic enabler for mission delivery.