Development of the New York State GISLIS Association

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Development of the New York State GIS/LIS
Association

• Sam Wear
• GIS Manager
• Westchester County GIS
• with support from the
• The NYS GIS / LIS Association Steering Committee
• and
• Spatial Information Technology Center
• Fulton-Montgomery Community College

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How are you involved?(And other questions why
we doing this.)

• What professional GIS organizations are you
  associated with?
• Which ones represent your professional goals
  interests?
• Advocate your profession? Professional
  certification? Professional development
  opportunities?
• Can we meet and network on a regular basis?
• How can we better communicate and collaboratively
  work with business and industry?
• How does the GIS professional community
  communicate with elected officials that support
  our profession?

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NYS GIS Organizational Development

• c.1986 13 professionals meet in Albany
• c.1990 NYS URISA Chapter formed
• 1995-1998 NYS Temporary GIS Council
• 1998 NYS URISA Chapter dissolves
• C. 1998 NYS Coordination Program (OFT)
• Work and Advisory Groups formed
• GIS funding for OFT GIS initiatives begin
• 9/02 CSISC established
• May 2003 March 2004 exploratory NYS GIS/LIS
  meetings held
• March 2004 NYS GIS/LIS Association Steering
  Committee established and website launched
  www.nysgislis.org. Currently over 120 NYS GIS
  professionals have registered with the
  Association

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NYS GIS/LIS Association

• Professionals from government, industry/business,
  academia
• Need for broad user involvement (HD/SW neutral)
• Modeled after numerous other state programs
  (http//www.nsgic.org) See States in Review
  link
• Minnesota, Wisconsin, California, Nebraska, BAAMA
• Partner with established state regional GIS
  programs such as GISMO, LIGIS, Adirondack User
  Group professional societies
• Outreach to aligned disciplines in the areas of
  engineering, land use environmental planning,
  public safety, surveying, etc.
• Affiliation with national organizations such as
  URISA and GITA under consideration

5
Goals

• Assist, educate, and contribute towards the
  implementation and development of GIS technology
  in the state of New York.
• Support development of the GIS profession
  throughout the state of New York
• Foster a spirit of cooperation among local, state
  and federal agencies, and the private sector in
  addressing priority GIS issues and data
  development initiatives for New York.

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Goals (cont)

• Contribute towards hosting regular meetings,
  conferences and technical workshops for the
  exchange of information and to exhibit products
  and services.
• Educate the general public and elected officials
  about the nature of, and benefits from geospatial
  information and related technologies, including
  but not limited to, geographic and land
  information systems, the Internet, and global
  positioning technologies (GPS).
• Publish documents, produce educational materials,
  and promote education pertaining to geographic
  information and related technologies.

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2003 Aug/Sept On-Line Survey

• On-line at Fulton-Montgomery Community College
  (http//www.sitc.cc/Survey.htm)
• Support an independent professional GIS/LIS
  Association?
• If so, what are priority areas?
• Other professional organizations to partner with?
• Host a regional meeting or workshop?
• What disciplines will have an impact next 2-4
  years?
• Other topics/questions?

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Survey Snapshot

• 687 site hits
• 188 provided useable answers
• 1 90 support GIS/LIS Association concept
• 169 yes / 19 no
• 3 APA, Professional Engineers Land Surveyors,
  URISA/GISMO, ASPRS, NYSAPLS, AAG, NENA, NYS
  Association of Towns / Mayors
• 4 93 yes to hosting a workshop

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Question 2
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Question 5
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Current Activities

• Expanded website (www.nysgislis.org) development.
  (Association is looking for volunteers to assist
  in website maintenance and expansion)
• Building partnerships with existing statewide GIS
  user groups. Association is actively involved in
  building relationships with both existing and new
  regional user groups in several areas of the
  state including Long Island, Metro Albany,
  Adirondacks/North Country, Western New York,
  Lower Hudson Valley, Metro NYC, Southern Tier and
  the Catskills.
• Establishing a relationship with the GIS
  Certification Institute (www.gisci.org) to
  promote professional GIS certification throughout
  New York State
• Broad involvement and contribution to the annual
  NYS GIS conference. This year the Association
  will be sponsoring college students to present
  papers and posters at the conference. The
  Association is supporting a Continuing Education
  course for surveyors which will be offered at the
  conference.
• Three Association subcommittees formed
  Outreach, Professional Development, and
  Governance. Additional information is available
  at the Association website. Involvement
  contribution welcomed!

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Steering CommitteeLarry Alber, NYSDECDr.
Rachel Arulraj, Parsons BrinckerhoffLiz
Arabadjis, Highland GeographicTom Bodden, NYS
Association of TownsMichael Crino (Chair), Baker
Engineering NYGirk Gakmak, Spatial Information
Technology Center at FMCCAustin Fisher, Applied
GISRob Meteja, Town of ColonieChris Nickola,
ESRIJohn Trimber, James Sewall Co.Joleen
Winter, Hewlett PackardSam Wear, Westchester
County GIS
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Next NYS GIS/LIS Association Meeting

• June 9, 2004
• 945 1200
• DEC Headquarters, (First Floor Conference Room)
• 625 Broadway
• Albany, New York
• Directions http//www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dpa
  e/625directions.html

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Questions Answers