NSGIC Elects New Board

The National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC) proudly introduces its newly-elected President and Board of Directors for 2009-2010.

Front Row (l to r): Barney Krucoff (DC), Jon Gottsegen (CO), Mike Van Hook (AL), Learon Dalby (AR), Will Craig (MN). Back Row (l to r): Ivan Weichert (KS), Tim De Troye (SC), Mike Byrne (CA), Bert Granberg (UT), Chris Diller (WI). Not pictured: Danielle Ayan (GA)

Will Craig, of the University of Minnesota, will lead NSGIC as President. Craig’s term as President comes on the heels of a successful Annual Conference in Cleveland, Ohio with nearly 300 participants. Despite challenging economic conditions, state representative attendance increased from last year.

Supporting Craig is a strong cabinet of officers including Immediate Past President Learon Dalby (AR), President-Elect Jon Gottsegen (CO), Treasurer Ivan Weichert (KS), and Secretary, Barney Krucoff (DC).

Tim De Troye (SC), Chris Diller (WI), Bert Granberg (UT), and Mike Vanhook (AL) were elected to the Board as Directors, joining Michael Byrne (CA), and Danielle Ayan (GA), who will continue their terms on the Board.

During his acceptance speech, Will Craig noted that he plans to continue and build on the progress made over the last year under the leadership of Learon Dalby.

"Now we need to walk through the doors that Learon has opened," he said.

What Are the Main Issues?

Tuesday at the NSGIC Conference, Bill Burgess presented a provocative overview of where we are in our effort to create the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI).

He posted a list of thirteen "main issues." People have been asking to review these even after that session, so here they are:

1. Definition of the NSDI
2. No measurement to gauge progress
3. Is the NSDI Federal or National?
4. Ineffective Governance/Management
5. No Congressional Mandate to Build the NSDI
6. No Consequences for Failure
7. No Consequences for Failing to “Play Nice”
8. Micromanagement
9. No Political Champion
10. Cumbersome Standards Process
11. No Effective Strategic or Business Planning
12. Unrealistic View of the Private Sector’s Role
13. Data Sharing v. Data Partnering

The full presentation will be posted to the NSGIC web site after the conference.

NSGIC Members Honored

Two long-time NSGIC members were honored with Lifetime Achievement Awards (PDF) and five others received Outstanding Service Awards (PDF) at the 2009 NSGIC Annual Conference in Cleveland, Ohio.

Zsolt Nagy (left) and Dennis Goreham (right) were given Lifetime Achievement Awards by NSGIC President Learon Dalby (Arkansas). Mr. Nagy and Mr. Goreham have both recently retired from state service -- Mr. Nagy from North Carolina and Mr. Goreham from Utah.

Both have long been leaders among the state GIS coordinators and have given years of service and knowledge to NSGIC. Zsolt Nagy has moved on to join AECOM and remains a part of NSGIC as a corporate partner. Dennis Goreham will continue to repesent the states on the National Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC).

Diane Schafer, who serves as Director of Meetings and Member Services for NSGIC as a part of the management company KSG, was given an Outstanding Service Award as "the glue that holds this organization together." Her friendly, smiling face (or voice on the phone) is what defines "NSGIC" for many of us. She is supremely helpful and simply as nice as can be.

A group of three were given Outstanding Service Awards for their work to help all of the states respond to the broadband service mapping grant opportunity that arose this year. Jon Gottsegen, of Colorado (left), Michael Byrne, of California (right), and Christian Jacz, of Massachusetts (not pictured), joined former Outstanding Service Award winners (one only gets the one) Bill Johnson (NY) and Dave Brotzman (VT) to "determine the issues, find answers, and share information with the remaining states."

And Learon Dalby was given an Outstanding Service Award for his tireless and inspiring advancement of the NSGIC agenda. In his year as NSGIC President, Mr. Dalby, of Arkansas, has provided a clear and challenging vision for NSGIC, communicated that vision within the organization and to the rest of the GIS Community, and turned us loose to achieve that vision.

Frankly, we were surprised that he had not been honored already.

2009 NSGIC Annual Conference Program!

The official, final program for the 2009 NSGIC Annual Conference (#NSGIC2009) is now available on-line. You can read it here or download the PDF itself.

Potential highlights include (in no particular order) presentations on:

• The fusion of Fusion Centers with GIS staff in the states
• The Geospatial Revolution Project, a public media and outreach initiative from Penn State Public Broadcasting
• Broadband mapping initiates
• Government transparency and Government two-point-O
  
• The 2010 Census (fill it out, please. It is easy and it is safe!)
• Imagery and Transportation for the Nation

Of course there will be the usual business meeting and caucus meetings, open-mic sessions, and more intense networking and knowledge exchange than should be legal in polite society.

Another Travel Guide to Cleveland (#nsgic2009)

Hard on the heels of the New York Times post about Cleveland, below, we're starting to get more information about this city in which NSGIC will hold its annual conference (#nsgic2009 for the cognoscenti). So let this post serve as an update-able semi-perma-post about that fair city.

In it, we can post information such as...

From Dan Widner (VA):
If you would like something fun to do on Sunday, consider a multi-modal transportation experience! The Cuyahoga Valley National Park contains the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath. You can combine the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad with a bike rental from the Peninsula store of Century Cycles to take your bicycle onboard the train and ride back to your starting point.

From the National Park Service website:

Discover the heart of Cuyahoga Valley National Park by walking, bicycling, or running on the Towpath Trail. You can travel the historic route of the Ohio & Erie Canal on the same path that mules walked to tow canal boats loaded with goods and passengers. From the trail, you can make connections to many natural and historic sites, as well as to Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad (CVSR). Beyond the park, you can continue your journey on the Towpath Trail further along the Ohio & Erie Canalway.

What else should we know about coming in? Where, for example, are the best golf courses?

From Mike Mahaffie (DE):
Why not try using some mapping tools to note where fun things are?


View What to Do In and Around Cleveland in a larger map

This is a simple, open, crowd-sourced map of stuff mentioned above (so for). Feel free to add to it.

A Travel Guide to Cleveland (#nsgic2009)

We're getting close to travel time for the 2009 NSGIC Conference, in Cleveland, Ohio. Craig Niedig, who has some sort of USGS software that lets him read ahead into the near future, sent along a link to a Cleveland Travel Guide in this coming Sunday's NY Times travel section: 36 Hours in Cleveland.

It makes good reading and should be a useful resource for those wise enough to plan to join us along the Cuyahoga River in a city that, after some tough years, is bouncing back:

...instead of abandoning the city, local entrepreneurs and bohemian dreamers alike are sinking roots; opening a wave of funky boutiques, offbeat art galleries and sophisticated restaurants; and injecting fresh life into previously rusted-out spaces.

Learon Dalby Looks Back on a Year in NSGIC

The following is the tenth in a series of monthly guest-posts from 2008-2009 NSGIC President Learon Dalby, of Arkansas.

NSGIC is a great organization because of its people. NSGIC has been busy this year and you might be surprised to hear I had very little to do with it. I believe good people do good things -- as long as you get out of the way. A lot of good folks have done some extraordinary things for this organization this year.

Stu Davis institutionalized the use of a committee/workgroup structure during his presidency. Each committee has a chair and a charter which is revised each year. The committee chairs report to the Board each month. The Board, in turn, sets direction as needed. This process ensures the workload of the volunteer organization is spread across a number of participants.

The great thing about this structure is it encourages people to engage in specific areas that match their interests. I encourage you to get involved; there is plenty of opportunity.

A group of NSGIC Leaders participate in a "president's call" on Fridays. This call is an informal telephone gathering of past-presidents, committee chairs, and board members, schedules permitting. The purpose of the call is to provide advice to the president on a variety of hot topics. This call also serves as a mechanism to ensure the leadership is fully engaged and aware of critical activities.

This year has provided a number of opportunities for NSGIC to provide input into national efforts. The use of social media tools (ie this blog, the NSGIC twitter account, etc.) has allowed us to expand our reach and, just as importantly, receive input from the GIS community. I am convinced now more than ever we, as a community, must come together with a common goal.

I hope you are making plans to attend the 2009 NSGIC Conference in Cleveland, Ohio, in October (if you are tweeting, that's #nsgic2009). This will give us a chance to fill you in on all of the activities NSGIC has been involved in and a chance to get you involved in a committee.

Because NSGIC is a great organization because of its people. And you are, or can be, one of those NSGIC people.

Registration is Now Open for the 2009 NSGIC Annual Conference

Now is the time to register for the 2009 NSGIC Annual Conference in Cleveland, Ohio. You can register on-line or download a printable registration form (PDF).

The conference, set for October 4 through October 8, will include the usual NSGIC mix of meetings, meals, networking, late-night brainstorms, peer-to-peer challenges and inspiration, and that astounding realization we all end up with around the third day: there's just a crazy amount of GIS coordination going on around the nation, and we're all a part of it!

The conference theme -- Fifty States Rockin' Solid -- is an accurate evocation of the intensity of a NSGIC conference.

Folks gathered at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel will hear from state and local leaders, from private sector partners, and from many federal agencies. They will caucus and hold business meetings. They will argue with and teach one another in the hallways. They will sit down together in any nook they can find and plan the sorts of projects that expand the use and sharing of geospatial tools and information by local, state and federal government in service to the people.

There's no good reason why you shouldn't be a part of this.

Registration for NSGIC members is $485 before September 4, or $570 after September 4, and $670 after September 25. For non-members, registration starts at $685 before September 4, rises to $770 after September 4, and to $870 after September 25.

Registration for all non-sponsoring corporate attendees is $1,500. So, why not consider becoming a sponsor?

In any case, registration is now open. So. Go and register.

Second Call for Content for the 2009 NSGIC Annual Conference

The NSGIC Conference Planning Committee has released its second and final call for content for the 2009 Annual NSGIC Conference. The Conference is scheduled for October 4 through 8, at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel in Cleveland, Ohio. This follows a first call, in April.

The NSGIC Annual Conference is an opportunity to explore state-level GIS coordination activities without losing focus on the NSGIC Advocacy Agenda (PDF).

Ideas for conference content should be e-mailed to Tony Spicci. While all suggestions are welcome, it is really very helpful to include names of individuals or groups that can present on the topic suggested.

The conference committee will review all suggestions and try to accommodate as many as time permits. A separate call for topics for the state caucus meetings will be released prior to the conference.

Plan on Being in Cleveland in October

Registration is now open for the 2009 NSGIC Annual Conference: Fifty States Rockin' Solid.

The conference will be held at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel (in Ohio, as you might expect) from October 4 through 8. The preliminary agenda (in Excel format) includes state caucus sessions, committee meetings, workshops, open discussions with private sector partners, homeland security training sessions and open-mic sessions. There will be a social event at the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame.

The registration fee for members is $485 by September 4, it is $570 after September 4, and $670 if after September 25. For non-members, registration is $685 before September 4, $770 after that date, and $870 if after September 25. For all non-sponsoring corporate attendees, the registration fee is $1,500.

On-line registration is available as well as a downloadable PDF registration form.

Theme Set for 2009 NSGIC Conference

The theme has been chosen for the 2009 NSGIC Annual Conference, October 4 through 8, in Cleveland, Ohio.

NSGIC 2009: Fifty States Rockin’ Solid

The theme makes obvious reference to the establishment, in Cleveland, of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and the (unofficial?) Cleveland theme song, "Cleveland Rocks!"

"This year's theme reflects NSGIC's commitment to all 50 states -- and insular areas -- working together to build the NSDI," explains Conference Committee Chair Tony Spicci, of Missouri. "It also recognizes that we’re going to have some fun doing it."

Conference plans include a social event at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.