About the Professional Development committee
The Professional Committee will identify, organize, and implement educational events that may, or may not, coincide with the annual conference. This committee will also be responsible for outreach to educational institutions and develop any annual GIS Day activities. This committee is focused on professional educational opportunities for our members, and promotes the GISP credential. Where possible, the committee will seek opportunities for members to connect with professionals in related technologies. Suggested activities: Develop professional education workshops Support networking with other industry groups – e.g., combine twice-yearly with King County GIS User group for a meeting, present about WAGISA and GIS at events such as Green Drinks and ASPRS.
2025 Conference Workshops
Monday, June 16th
University of Washington Tacoma
1900 Commerce St. Tacoma, WA 98402
Registration: 8:00am
Workshops 8:30am-12:00pm and 1:30pm-5:00pm
Milgard, Cherry Parkes, and Pinkerton
The GIS Code of Ethics for GIS Professionals – An Interactive Workshop
Greg Babinski, MA, GISP, EthicalGEO Fellow, URISA Past-President
$100 Half Day – 8:30am-12:00pm
Cherry Parkes 105
Are you a GIS Professional? GISP? WAGISA member? URISA member? If you answer yes, you are obligated to abide by the GIS Code of Ethics.
The Geospatial Technology Competency Model refers to the business and professional ethics. Professional ethics is a competency to be developed.
This workshop will help GIS professionals understand the GIS Code of Ethics and prepare them to apply it when circumstances warrant. When do circumstances warrant? Always, throughout a GIS career.
During the past few years several high-profile cases related to the GIS Code of Ethics have been publicized. Are you prepared to act if placed in a situation that might require you to violate the Code? Are you able to discuss the Code with employers, colleagues, and customers to frame the ethical limits of applying geographic
We will begin this workshop by discussing the characteristics of a profession and the good and harm that professions can cause. The development and use of codes of ethics through history will be reviewed, leading to their wide use within most professions today.
The GIS Code of Ethics will be reviewed and discussed in detail. We will use case studies to understand the practical application of the various obligations defined in the Code. These include:
I. Obligations to Society
II. Obligations to Employers and Funders
III. Obligations to Colleagues and the Profession
IV. Obligations to Individuals in Society
We will also discuss the Locus Charter – A key tool we can promote for the ethical use of geospatial technology. And we will explore a possible addition to the GIS Code of Ethics.
This workshop is intended to be very interactive. We will go into breakout sessions to discuss our understanding of our obligations and how we might react in potential real-world situations.
Demystifying Esri's Network Information Management System: Business Values and How to Begin
Kelly Auman, Esri
$100 Half Day – 8:30am-12:00pm
Pinkerton 131
This interactive workshop is designed to help utility professionals understand the business value of Esri’s Network Information Management System and the benefits of transitioning to the ArcGIS Utility Network. Attendees will gain insights into how modern network information management supports more efficient asset tracking, operational awareness, and cross-departmental collaboration.
The session will cover the different implementation options available for utilities of varying readiness and technical maturity, allowing organizations to take a phased and scalable approach to adoption. A key part of the workshop will be an introduction to Esri’s newly released migration toolset, which addresses common adoption challenges and simplifies the transition process.
Participants will leave with a clear understanding of how to get started with Utility Network, how to align it with business needs, and how to build a roadmap for long-term success
Real-Time GIS with ArcGIS Velocity
Ryan Richardson, Esri
$100 Half Day – 1:30pm-5:00pm
Pinkerton 131
Join us for a half-day workshop where we delve into the world of ArcGIS real-time data integration and analysis. This workshop is designed to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of how real-time GIS can support decision-making through live geographic data visualization scenarios.
During the session, you will explore the capabilities of ArcGIS Velocity and discover how it can assist in problem-solving by offering immediate insights for addressing spatial challenges effectively. Through hands-on activities and interactive discussions, you will learn how to leverage real-time data to make informed decisions swiftly and accurately.
Whether you are a GIS professional, a decision-maker, or simply interested in the power of real-time geographic data, this workshop will equip you with the knowledge and skills to harness the potential of real-time GIS for your projects and initiatives.
Change Management - You Build it, Will They Come?
Michael Green, Esri
$100 Half Day – 8:30am-12:00pm
Milgard 311
Launching new technology is not like a field of dreams. It takes work and a solid plan to get people to buy in to using the new technology. Michael Green, an Esri adoption strategy expert, will walk you through the change management steps necessary to help build a healthy sponsor network, a strong communications plan and an attainable training plan to get your people on board with the GIS changes going on in your agency.
Indoor GIS Technology Workshop
Brock Saylor, John Young, and Justin Fraser
$100 Half Day – 1:30pm-5:00pm
Milgard 311
State and local governments in the United States are increasingly requiring educational institutions and municipalities to adopt critical incident mapping (CIM) and emergency management planning to support first responders and computer-aided dispatch (CAD) during emergencies. This presentation emphasizes the significance of integrating Esri products for CIM, emergency management, and asset management, particularly focusing on indoor mapping and digital twins.
Key topics covered include data sharing, safety asset mapping, facility mapping, ArcGIS Indoors, routing, 3D GIS, best path analysis, and evacuation planning, all achieved through the latest reality capture methods and ArcGIS technologies.
Introduction to Developing a Drone Program and Uses in a Local Public Agency
Peter Keum and Keisha Chinn
$100 Half Day – 8:30am-12:00pm
Milgard 301
This half-day session is a starting point for any organization looking to implement a drone program. As Part 1 of a two-part workshop (offered separately), it equips you with the fundamental understanding of drone technology and the necessary regulatory landscape. Mastering these basics is crucial for building a compliant and effective drone operation.
Integrating Drone Data into Your GIS Workflow: Planning, Capture, Processing, and Integration for
Mapping and Modeling (Part 2)
Peter Keum and Keisha Chinn
$100 Half Day – 1:30pm-5:00pm
Milgard 301
This is second part of half-day knowledge workshop aims to integrate drone technology into your GIS projects. Gain practical knowledge about various drone hardware, data processing software, and efficient project workflows, from pre-flight planning to mission execution. We will also focus on best practices for mission planning to flight plans for data processing and explore various ways to integrate these data products into GIS workflows. Learn best practices for processing drone data to create accurate maps and 3D models and discover how to effectively integrate these tools into your GIS environment to support your work and enhance your agency's business.
Building Your GISP Portfolio: A Hands-On Experience
Jordan Carmona, GISP
$100 Half Day – 8:30am-12:00pm
Milgard 110
Does the thought of building a portfolio seem daunting?
Are you a learn-by-doing kind of person?
Do you work better when starting from a template?
Then this hands-on workshop for building your GISP portfolio is for you!
This workshop will briefly cover the GISP process and then dive into example-based work for documenting items in your GISP portfolio submission. We'll work through the major categories, review real-world examples, and set aside time to collaboratively work on attendee-provided examples.
Together, we'll demystify the portfolio building experience!
Young Professionals Initiative
Micah Gelber, Christina Chelf, Dan Miller, Multiple Presenters
$25 (Free for Young Professionals* Signed up for a Morning Workshop) – 1:30pm-5:00pm
Milgard 110 and Camp Colvos
*Open to anyone with less than 5 years professional GIS experience regardless of age!
Includes all events below:
-
Afternoon: WGGL/YPI Networking Activity – Young and Established Professionals (Milgard 110) 1:30pm-3:00pm
-
YPI Social Event: Young Professionals (Camp Colvos) 3:00pm-5:00pm
-
Conference Kickoff Event: WAGISA Welcome Social (Living Taproom) 5:00-7:00pm
Washington Governmental GIS Leaders (WGGL)
Max Mousseau, City of Des Moines; Stephen Beimborn, City of Seattle; Jennifer Radcliffe, City of Tumwater; Jim Jarvis, WA State Dept of Fish and Wildlife; Sergio Velazquez, City of Burien; Daryn Brown, City of Bothell; and Kevin Wyckoff, Lakewood Water District
$50 Half Day – 1:30pm-5:00pm
Milgard 110
A workshop for government GIS Leaders (active and aspiring), GIS Technical Leads, GIS Admins GIS Professionals and Leaders from the region present information to their peers, with opportunities for questions and discussion.
This workshop provides an opportunity to meet peers and learn from their experience and includes a networking event with young professionals.
Workshop Leader Bios
Greg Babinski is a GIS management consultant and founder of GIS Management Consulting Services LLC and the GIS Management Academy™ located in Edmonds, Washington.
Between 1998 and the end of 2021 he served as GIS Manager, GIS Finance Manager, GIS Marketing & Business Development Manager, and GIS consultant for the King County GIS Center in Seattle. Previously he worked for nine years as GIS Mapping Supervisor for the East Bay Municipal Utility District in Oakland.
He holds an MA in geography from Wayne State University. Greg is a GISP – Certified GIS Professional. He is Past-President of URISA and founder and Past-Chair of URISA’s GIS Management Institute. In 2005 he founded The Summit – the Washington State GIS Newsletter.
In addition to GIS consulting, he is a GIS researcher, author, and instructor. He has spoken about GIS management across North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.
He developed the original GIS Capability Maturity Model and co-chaired the committee that developed the USDOL Geospatial Management Competency Model. He has authored four articles in the Geographic Information Science & Technology Body of Knowledge.
Greg has taught GIS for Public Policy as an instructor with the University of Washington Evans Graduate School of Public Administration. In 2019 Greg was awarded one of the first seven EthicalGEO Fellowships by the American Geographical Society. In his spare time Greg likes ‘...hiking steep, narrow and dangerous trails that lead high above the clouds to awesome views’.
Kelly Auman
Ryan Richardson is a GIS professional with a passion for using technology to solve complex problems. He currently works as a Solution Engineer at Esri, supporting the State and Local Government team out of Esri's regional office in Olympia, WA.
Additionally, he is a FAA Part 107 UAV pilot and teaches a drone mapping certificate course at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA. Ryan thrives on leveraging technology to tackle intricate challenges.
Michael Green is a Prosci-certified adoption strategy consultant with Esri, where he champions transformative thinking about the need to address human impacts of technology-driven change. Michael is passionate about helping public and private-sector organizations apply change management best practices to support successful enterprise deployment of GIS technology. Previously, Michael was training sales manager at Esri, where he introduced strategic workforce development plans aligned with executive vision and scaled to meet unique business objectives. He holds an MBA with an emphasis in GIS from the University of Redlands.
Brock Saylor is currently a business development/sales lead and senior consultant at Langan, managing Langan’s Digital Solutions/GIS team in the western United States. Brock’s client focus is centered around resorts, K-12, higher education, energy, and local and state government service sectors. He has 15 years of experience in facilities management, SaaS projects, partner management (Esri, OpenGov, AWS, Azure), client success, and designing, deploying, and managing enterprise scale geospatial solutions for a variety of industries and clients. He also manages the western team to provide a variety of services focused on operations and maintenance tracking, lifecycle management, safety, and security, asset and facility management, and smart utilities.
John Young is a geospatial technology professional with over 25 years’ experience applying Esri GIS technologies and related asset and facility management technologies to solve business challenges in property, facility, and utility asset management. During his career (including 17 years with Esri, Inc), he has worked with numerous types of organizations, including government, Fortune 500 companies, education, and healthcare. John’s experience with municipal governments ranges from small to large cities and counties with dense urban and rural environments managing a broad diversity of asset types. John uses in-depth solution development, program management, consulting skills and business knowledge to provide insight into all functional areas of property, facility, and utility asset management to help organizations become more efficient. John provides strategic insights to clients around operational processes, organization dynamics and technology requirements.
Justin Fraser has six years of experience in Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping, indoor GIS, geoprocessing, spatial analysis, and data conversion. Justin works with the applied technology team to produce facility GIS and mapping deliverables that cover various market sectors. Justin's areas of expertise include data visualization through GIS mapping, 3D modeling, UAS Integration, Indoor Mapping, web-based mapping, and mobile field collection. He has completed a broad range of projects for K-12, higher education, government, and commercial clients.
Peter Keum is the Drone Program Lead and GIS Analyst for the King County Wastewater Treatment, integrating extensive geospatial expertise with advanced drone technology applications. With nearly three decades of experience and GISP certification since 2008, he is deploying geospatial solutions to support critical wastewater infrastructure. As an FAA-certified drone pilot, Peter has established and directed the division's drone program, facilitating the adoption of this technology and its integration with GIS. Beyond his professional responsibilities, he actively contributes to the geospatial community through involvement with OpenStreetMap Seattle and facilitating the Washington GIS Association DroneSIG (Special Interest Group) monthly as a chair, demonstrating a commitment to open-source geospatial tools and collaborative knowledge sharing.
Keisha Chinn is the Environmental Information Program Manager for the Washington State Department of Transportation. She graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences and a focus on Environmental Studies and GIS. Keisha has worked for WSDOT since 2015, first within the Maintenance Operations Office as a GIS specialist and then helping to kick off one of the very first drone programs at WSDOT back in 2017. Later, a drone program was started within the Environmental Services Office in 2021. Her current role provides technical support to subject matter experts to track, monitor, and report on WSDOT projects that affect the environment by developing and using databases and web user interfaces, GPS field data collection, drone operations, and GIS analysis. She is one of the lead sUAS (small Unmanned Aircraft System) Coordinators for WSDOT and co-chair of the WAGISA Drone SIG.
Jordan Carmona is a GIS Supervisor, whose team is responsible for GIS application development and infrastructure within the Spatial Services unit at Pierce County, Washington. He began working professionally in 2014 and has worked in a variety of sectors: private consulting, municipal government, and retail. Jordan is a self-taught Python developer, certified Part 107 sUAS remote pilot, and received his GISP in the winter of 2018. He has experience in the entire vertical of geospatial systems, from data digitization and GNSS field collection to analytics, automations, administration, and managing a geospatial department.
His professional involvement with the industry includes a term on the URISA Vanguard Cabinet, former board member and officer for URISA Texas, and perennial lurker on the GIS Discord group. Jordan has a dual BA in History and Political Science from the University of North Texas. He enjoys an array of [gardening, programming, photography, coffee, cats]. His alignment is Chaotic Good.
Micah Gelber is an Emergency Management GIS Specialist/ 911 GIS Administrator for Navy Region Northwest. Micah is currently a WAGISA board member where he serves as committee co-chair of the community engagement committee, co-coordinator of the Dick Thomas Award, and co-lead of WAGISA's new Young professional Initiative.
Christina Chelf is a GIS professional with over 12 years experience. Currently she serves as the GIS Manager for City of Tacoma where she leads a team of 8 that is responsible for providing maps, spatial analysis, and data management for city staff. She is also the President of the Washington GIS Association and a part time instructor in the University of Washington GIS Certificate Program.
Stephen Beimborn is the Manager of GIS Analysts for the City of Seattle. In his forty years working in the GIS field, he has done a little bit of everything, including cartography, analysis, programming, business systems integration, project and portfolio management, and people management. He has enjoyed it all, but none more than the cartography. Prior to joining city government nearly twenty-eight years ago, he worked in the environmental consulting field. He greatly enjoys his current role in local government because of the endless opportunities for using GIS in practical ways to solve real problems and help communities thrive.
2025 Conference Workshops
Monday, June 16th
University of Washington Tacoma
1900 Commerce St. Tacoma, WA 98402
Registration: 8:00am
Workshops 8:30am-12:00pm and 1:30pm-5:00pm
Milgard, Cherry Parkes, and Pinkerton
The GIS Code of Ethics for GIS Professionals – An Interactive Workshop
Greg Babinski, MA, GISP, EthicalGEO Fellow, URISA Past-President
$100 Half Day – 8:30am-12:00pm
Cherry Parkes 105
Are you a GIS Professional? GISP? WAGISA member? URISA member? If you answer yes, you are obligated to abide by the GIS Code of Ethics.
The Geospatial Technology Competency Model refers to the business and professional ethics. Professional ethics is a competency to be developed.
This workshop will help GIS professionals understand the GIS Code of Ethics and prepare them to apply it when circumstances warrant. When do circumstances warrant? Always, throughout a GIS career.
During the past few years several high-profile cases related to the GIS Code of Ethics have been publicized. Are you prepared to act if placed in a situation that might require you to violate the Code? Are you able to discuss the Code with employers, colleagues, and customers to frame the ethical limits of applying geographic
We will begin this workshop by discussing the characteristics of a profession and the good and harm that professions can cause. The development and use of codes of ethics through history will be reviewed, leading to their wide use within most professions today.
The GIS Code of Ethics will be reviewed and discussed in detail. We will use case studies to understand the practical application of the various obligations defined in the Code. These include:
I. Obligations to Society
II. Obligations to Employers and Funders
III. Obligations to Colleagues and the Profession
IV. Obligations to Individuals in Society
We will also discuss the Locus Charter – A key tool we can promote for the ethical use of geospatial technology. And we will explore a possible addition to the GIS Code of Ethics.
This workshop is intended to be very interactive. We will go into breakout sessions to discuss our understanding of our obligations and how we might react in potential real-world situations.
Demystifying Esri's Network Information Management System: Business Values and How to Begin
Kelly Auman, Esri
$100 Half Day – 8:30am-12:00pm
Pinkerton 131
This interactive workshop is designed to help utility professionals understand the business value of Esri’s Network Information Management System and the benefits of transitioning to the ArcGIS Utility Network. Attendees will gain insights into how modern network information management supports more efficient asset tracking, operational awareness, and cross-departmental collaboration.
The session will cover the different implementation options available for utilities of varying readiness and technical maturity, allowing organizations to take a phased and scalable approach to adoption. A key part of the workshop will be an introduction to Esri’s newly released migration toolset, which addresses common adoption challenges and simplifies the transition process.
Participants will leave with a clear understanding of how to get started with Utility Network, how to align it with business needs, and how to build a roadmap for long-term success
Real-Time GIS with ArcGIS Velocity
Ryan Richardson, Esri
$100 Half Day – 1:30pm-5:00pm
Pinkerton 131
Join us for a half-day workshop where we delve into the world of ArcGIS real-time data integration and analysis. This workshop is designed to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of how real-time GIS can support decision-making through live geographic data visualization scenarios.
During the session, you will explore the capabilities of ArcGIS Velocity and discover how it can assist in problem-solving by offering immediate insights for addressing spatial challenges effectively. Through hands-on activities and interactive discussions, you will learn how to leverage real-time data to make informed decisions swiftly and accurately.
Whether you are a GIS professional, a decision-maker, or simply interested in the power of real-time geographic data, this workshop will equip you with the knowledge and skills to harness the potential of real-time GIS for your projects and initiatives.
Change Management - You Build it, Will They Come?
Michael Green, Esri
$100 Half Day – 8:30am-12:00pm
Milgard 311
Launching new technology is not like a field of dreams. It takes work and a solid plan to get people to buy in to using the new technology. Michael Green, an Esri adoption strategy expert, will walk you through the change management steps necessary to help build a healthy sponsor network, a strong communications plan and an attainable training plan to get your people on board with the GIS changes going on in your agency.
Indoor GIS Technology Workshop
Brock Saylor, John Young, and Justin Fraser
$100 Half Day – 1:30pm-5:00pm
Milgard 311
State and local governments in the United States are increasingly requiring educational institutions and municipalities to adopt critical incident mapping (CIM) and emergency management planning to support first responders and computer-aided dispatch (CAD) during emergencies. This presentation emphasizes the significance of integrating Esri products for CIM, emergency management, and asset management, particularly focusing on indoor mapping and digital twins.
Key topics covered include data sharing, safety asset mapping, facility mapping, ArcGIS Indoors, routing, 3D GIS, best path analysis, and evacuation planning, all achieved through the latest reality capture methods and ArcGIS technologies.
Introduction to Developing a Drone Program and Uses in a Local Public Agency
Peter Keum and Keisha Chinn
$100 Half Day – 8:30am-12:00pm
Milgard 301
This half-day session is a starting point for any organization looking to implement a drone program. As Part 1 of a two-part workshop (offered separately), it equips you with the fundamental understanding of drone technology and the necessary regulatory landscape. Mastering these basics is crucial for building a compliant and effective drone operation.
Integrating Drone Data into Your GIS Workflow: Planning, Capture, Processing, and Integration for
Mapping and Modeling (Part 2)
Peter Keum and Keisha Chinn
$100 Half Day – 1:30pm-5:00pm
Milgard 301
This is second part of half-day knowledge workshop aims to integrate drone technology into your GIS projects. Gain practical knowledge about various drone hardware, data processing software, and efficient project workflows, from pre-flight planning to mission execution. We will also focus on best practices for mission planning to flight plans for data processing and explore various ways to integrate these data products into GIS workflows. Learn best practices for processing drone data to create accurate maps and 3D models and discover how to effectively integrate these tools into your GIS environment to support your work and enhance your agency's business.
Building Your GISP Portfolio: A Hands-On Experience
Jordan Carmona, GISP
$100 Half Day – 8:30am-12:00pm
Milgard 110
Does the thought of building a portfolio seem daunting?
Are you a learn-by-doing kind of person?
Do you work better when starting from a template?
Then this hands-on workshop for building your GISP portfolio is for you!
This workshop will briefly cover the GISP process and then dive into example-based work for documenting items in your GISP portfolio submission. We'll work through the major categories, review real-world examples, and set aside time to collaboratively work on attendee-provided examples.
Together, we'll demystify the portfolio building experience!
Young Professionals Initiative
Micah Gelber, Christina Chelf, Dan Miller, Multiple Presenters
$25 (Free for Young Professionals* Signed up for a Morning Workshop) – 1:30pm-5:00pm
Milgard 110 and Camp Colvos
*Open to anyone with less than 5 years professional GIS experience regardless of age!
Includes all events below:
-
Afternoon: WGGL/YPI Networking Activity – Young and Established Professionals (Milgard 110) 1:30pm-3:00pm
-
YPI Social Event: Young Professionals (Camp Colvos) 3:00pm-5:00pm
-
Conference Kickoff Event: WAGISA Welcome Social (Living Taproom) 5:00-7:00pm
Washington Governmental GIS Leaders (WGGL)
Max Mousseau, City of Des Moines; Stephen Beimborn, City of Seattle; Jennifer Radcliffe, City of Tumwater; Jim Jarvis, WA State Dept of Fish and Wildlife; Sergio Velazquez, City of Burien; Daryn Brown, City of Bothell; and Kevin Wyckoff, Lakewood Water District
$50 Half Day – 1:30pm-5:00pm
Milgard 110
A workshop for government GIS Leaders (active and aspiring), GIS Technical Leads, GIS Admins GIS Professionals and Leaders from the region present information to their peers, with opportunities for questions and discussion.
This workshop provides an opportunity to meet peers and learn from their experience and includes a networking event with young professionals.
Workshop Leader Bios
Greg Babinski is a GIS management consultant and founder of GIS Management Consulting Services LLC and the GIS Management Academy™ located in Edmonds, Washington.
Between 1998 and the end of 2021 he served as GIS Manager, GIS Finance Manager, GIS Marketing & Business Development Manager, and GIS consultant for the King County GIS Center in Seattle. Previously he worked for nine years as GIS Mapping Supervisor for the East Bay Municipal Utility District in Oakland.
He holds an MA in geography from Wayne State University. Greg is a GISP – Certified GIS Professional. He is Past-President of URISA and founder and Past-Chair of URISA’s GIS Management Institute. In 2005 he founded The Summit – the Washington State GIS Newsletter.
In addition to GIS consulting, he is a GIS researcher, author, and instructor. He has spoken about GIS management across North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.
He developed the original GIS Capability Maturity Model and co-chaired the committee that developed the USDOL Geospatial Management Competency Model. He has authored four articles in the Geographic Information Science & Technology Body of Knowledge.
Greg has taught GIS for Public Policy as an instructor with the University of Washington Evans Graduate School of Public Administration. In 2019 Greg was awarded one of the first seven EthicalGEO Fellowships by the American Geographical Society. In his spare time Greg likes ‘...hiking steep, narrow and dangerous trails that lead high above the clouds to awesome views’.
Kelly Auman
Ryan Richardson is a GIS professional with a passion for using technology to solve complex problems. He currently works as a Solution Engineer at Esri, supporting the State and Local Government team out of Esri's regional office in Olympia, WA.
Additionally, he is a FAA Part 107 UAV pilot and teaches a drone mapping certificate course at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA. Ryan thrives on leveraging technology to tackle intricate challenges.
Michael Green is a Prosci-certified adoption strategy consultant with Esri, where he champions transformative thinking about the need to address human impacts of technology-driven change. Michael is passionate about helping public and private-sector organizations apply change management best practices to support successful enterprise deployment of GIS technology. Previously, Michael was training sales manager at Esri, where he introduced strategic workforce development plans aligned with executive vision and scaled to meet unique business objectives. He holds an MBA with an emphasis in GIS from the University of Redlands.
Brock Saylor is currently a business development/sales lead and senior consultant at Langan, managing Langan’s Digital Solutions/GIS team in the western United States. Brock’s client focus is centered around resorts, K-12, higher education, energy, and local and state government service sectors. He has 15 years of experience in facilities management, SaaS projects, partner management (Esri, OpenGov, AWS, Azure), client success, and designing, deploying, and managing enterprise scale geospatial solutions for a variety of industries and clients. He also manages the western team to provide a variety of services focused on operations and maintenance tracking, lifecycle management, safety, and security, asset and facility management, and smart utilities.
John Young is a geospatial technology professional with over 25 years’ experience applying Esri GIS technologies and related asset and facility management technologies to solve business challenges in property, facility, and utility asset management. During his career (including 17 years with Esri, Inc), he has worked with numerous types of organizations, including government, Fortune 500 companies, education, and healthcare. John’s experience with municipal governments ranges from small to large cities and counties with dense urban and rural environments managing a broad diversity of asset types. John uses in-depth solution development, program management, consulting skills and business knowledge to provide insight into all functional areas of property, facility, and utility asset management to help organizations become more efficient. John provides strategic insights to clients around operational processes, organization dynamics and technology requirements.
Justin Fraser has six years of experience in Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping, indoor GIS, geoprocessing, spatial analysis, and data conversion. Justin works with the applied technology team to produce facility GIS and mapping deliverables that cover various market sectors. Justin's areas of expertise include data visualization through GIS mapping, 3D modeling, UAS Integration, Indoor Mapping, web-based mapping, and mobile field collection. He has completed a broad range of projects for K-12, higher education, government, and commercial clients.
Peter Keum is the Drone Program Lead and GIS Analyst for the King County Wastewater Treatment, integrating extensive geospatial expertise with advanced drone technology applications. With nearly three decades of experience and GISP certification since 2008, he is deploying geospatial solutions to support critical wastewater infrastructure. As an FAA-certified drone pilot, Peter has established and directed the division's drone program, facilitating the adoption of this technology and its integration with GIS. Beyond his professional responsibilities, he actively contributes to the geospatial community through involvement with OpenStreetMap Seattle and facilitating the Washington GIS Association DroneSIG (Special Interest Group) monthly as a chair, demonstrating a commitment to open-source geospatial tools and collaborative knowledge sharing.
Keisha Chinn is the Environmental Information Program Manager for the Washington State Department of Transportation. She graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences and a focus on Environmental Studies and GIS. Keisha has worked for WSDOT since 2015, first within the Maintenance Operations Office as a GIS specialist and then helping to kick off one of the very first drone programs at WSDOT back in 2017. Later, a drone program was started within the Environmental Services Office in 2021. Her current role provides technical support to subject matter experts to track, monitor, and report on WSDOT projects that affect the environment by developing and using databases and web user interfaces, GPS field data collection, drone operations, and GIS analysis. She is one of the lead sUAS (small Unmanned Aircraft System) Coordinators for WSDOT and co-chair of the WAGISA Drone SIG.
Jordan Carmona is a GIS Supervisor, whose team is responsible for GIS application development and infrastructure within the Spatial Services unit at Pierce County, Washington. He began working professionally in 2014 and has worked in a variety of sectors: private consulting, municipal government, and retail. Jordan is a self-taught Python developer, certified Part 107 sUAS remote pilot, and received his GISP in the winter of 2018. He has experience in the entire vertical of geospatial systems, from data digitization and GNSS field collection to analytics, automations, administration, and managing a geospatial department.
His professional involvement with the industry includes a term on the URISA Vanguard Cabinet, former board member and officer for URISA Texas, and perennial lurker on the GIS Discord group. Jordan has a dual BA in History and Political Science from the University of North Texas. He enjoys an array of [gardening, programming, photography, coffee, cats]. His alignment is Chaotic Good.
Micah Gelber is an Emergency Management GIS Specialist/ 911 GIS Administrator for Navy Region Northwest. Micah is currently a WAGISA board member where he serves as committee co-chair of the community engagement committee, co-coordinator of the Dick Thomas Award, and co-lead of WAGISA's new Young professional Initiative.
Christina Chelf is a GIS professional with over 12 years experience. Currently she serves as the GIS Manager for City of Tacoma where she leads a team of 8 that is responsible for providing maps, spatial analysis, and data management for city staff. She is also the President of the Washington GIS Association and a part time instructor in the University of Washington GIS Certificate Program.
Stephen Beimborn is the Manager of GIS Analysts for the City of Seattle. In his forty years working in the GIS field, he has done a little bit of everything, including cartography, analysis, programming, business systems integration, project and portfolio management, and people management. He has enjoyed it all, but none more than the cartography. Prior to joining city government nearly twenty-eight years ago, he worked in the environmental consulting field. He greatly enjoys his current role in local government because of the endless opportunities for using GIS in practical ways to solve real problems and help communities thrive.
PREVIOUS Activities
UTILITY NETWORK SUMMIT
November 5th, 2024 - 9 AM to 3 pm
Hosted at Bellevue City Hall - Sponsored by WAGISA and City of Bellevue Utilities
Bellevue City Hall - 450 110th Avenue NE Bellevue, WA 98004
General Admission - $125
WAGISA Members - $100
Important!
Deadline to register is Saturday, November 2nd at midnight.
We cannot process any day-of registrations.
The Washington GIS Association (WAGISA) and the City of Bellevue Utilities invite you to attend a one-day event to learn about and discuss ESRI's next-generation framework for Utility GIS Data Management. Implementing a Utility Network can be a rewarding, but also challenging effort for a team, shop, or individual. WAGISA's goal is to provide a forum that facilitates knowledge transfer and collaboration among Washington GIS Professionals.
The event will include workshops led by ESRI Utility Network product expert, David Crawford, a panel of community experts who have experience implementing a Utility Network, and potentially a few vendors who offer Utility Network development as a service.
Included in the cost of registration:
Breakfast, Lunch, and WAGISA membership (if you don't already have it)!
Who should attend?
If you:
- Have never heard of Utility Network
- Are considering implementing a Utility Network
- Are currently implementing a Utility Network
- Have successfully implemented a Utility Network
- Decided against implementing a Utility Network
you all are welcome!
We invite all Washington GIS and/or Utility professionals to attend, participate, learn, and/or share anything there is to know about Utility Network.
We are looking for experienced users to potentially contribute as speakers or panelists for this event. If you are interested in contributing in this capacity, please fill out this form: Panelists and Speakers
Hope to see you on November 5th!
More Information and Registration
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2024 Conference Workshops
Tuesday, June 11th. UW Tacoma Campus
Registration: 8:00am, Cherry Parkes Lobby
Workshops 8:30am-12:00pm and 1:30pm-5:00pm Cherry Parkes and Pinkerton
Maximize Imagery Workflows with ArcGIS
Ryan Richardson, Esri and TJ Abbenhaus, Esri
$100 Half Day – 1:30pm-5:00pm
Pinkerton 131 (no food or drink allowed)
Join Esri for a workshop using the latest in advanced tools for imagery management, visualization, analysis and sharing. In this workshop you will learn about the ArcGIS solutions including ArcGIS Reality, Oriented Imagery, ArcGIS Image for ArcGIS Online, and ArcGIS Enterprise. We will discuss how to use ArcGIS Pro to create Mosaic datasets and publish collections of data using ArcGIS Image for ArcGIS Online (SaaS) and ArcGIS Image Server. Participants in this workshop will also get hands on experience configuring various web applications that leverage these imagery services. We will also explore how to take imagery from various sensors, from smartphones, to UAV’s, to fixed wing aerial imagery, to satellites and use it in ArcGIS.
ArcGIS Experience Builder
Ryan Richardson, Esri and TJ Abbenhaus, Esri
$100 Half Day – 8:30am-12:00pm
Pinkerton 131 (no food or drink allowed)
ArcGIS Experience Builder is a highly configurable and customizable solution that allows users to share their web apps online without writing any code. In this workshop you will gain insights on how to create an immersive web experience using Experience Builder’s interactive widgets, dynamic themes, media, and map integration. Learn what is new in ArcGIS Experience Builder and how to modernize and optimize your WebApp Builder apps to be viewed on any device. Leveraging pre-built templates and drag and drop functionality Experience Builder will bring your maps and apps together into one unified destination.
Washington Government GIS Leaders Workshop
Stephen Beimborn, City of Seattle; Christina Chelf, City of Tacoma; Matt Collins, City of Wenatchee
$100 Full Day – 8:30am-5:00pm
Cherry Parkes 105
Gathering of GIS Leaders from around Washington State to learn from each other, share ideas and develop skills related to leading GIS groups. Past sessions have included such topics as strategies for developing staff, forming relationships with customers and peer agencies, putting together training programs, securing funding, assigning roles, prioritizing work, conducting projects, working collaboratively with the IT Department (or working from within the IT Department), deciding when to hire consultants, and other common management topics. For the 2023 session, we will look at common integrations between GIS and business systems.
This workshop is sponsored by WAGISA's Washington Local Government GIS Leaders special interest group.
Young Professional Workshop
Christina Chelf, City of Tacoma and Micah Gelber, Navy Region Northwest
$25 Full Day – 8:30am-5:00pm
Cherry Parkes 106
Come connect with other young professionals in this INTERACTIVE day long event. This workshop is designed to help those with less than 5 years experience advance their careers, find jobs and meet others in their field. Expect speed networking, group discussions, panel talks, and an optional happy hour!
SQL Spatial: An introduction to using the views and spatial functions in SQL Server
to automate and simplify your services and reports
Grant Herbert - GISP, Principal GIS Analyst with FLO Analytics
$100 Half Day – 1:30pm-5:00pm
Cherry Parkes 325
This workshop focuses on introducing you to the possibilities of using spatial SQL and views to expand your options working with GIS data. Although this workshop will use SQL Server hosted geodatabases as the example, the techniques are generally applicable to non geodatabases, PostgreSQL/PostGIS, etc. Views and spatial functions can be used to increase efficiency, reduce data duplication and provide custom data sources for map services, dashboards and reports. A well crafted query can even replace a modelbuilder or Python process! If you are familiar with ArcGIS Pro Query Layers then you already know some of the possibilities. The workshop is aimed for those with some experience and knowledge of SQL, but will briefly cover some of the basics for beginners.
The following topics will be covered:
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An introduction to SQL queries and views
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A discussion on some of the benefits and pitfalls, especially in a geodatabase
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An introduction to some common spatial functions
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Tips and tricks specifically for Esri compatibility
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Pragmatic approaches and real world examples
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If we have time – advanced components like user defined functions
Workshop Leader Bios
Ryan Richardson is a GIS professional who thrives on leveraging technology to tackle intricate challenges. With a strong commitment to problem-solving, Ryan currently serves as a Solution Engineer at Esri, a leading provider of geospatial software solutions. Based out of Esri's regional office in Olympia, WA, Ryan provides support to the State and Local Government team. In addition to his role as a solution engineer, Ryan is an Esri Certified UAV Pilot and holds a FAA Part 107 UAV pilot certificate. His expertise in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) allows him to harness the power of drone technology for mapping and analysis purposes. Furthermore, Ryan's passion for sharing knowledge extends to his role as an instructor for a drone mapping certificate course at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA
TJ Abbenhaus is a Solution Engineer on the sales team for the Esri Olympia regional office. TJ has specialized in Imagery and LiDAR solutions. Currently working for the State and Local government sales team and has extensive experience with workflow and outcomes desired for State and local GIS.
Stephen Beimborn is the Manager of GIS Analysts for the City of Seattle. In his forty years working in the GIS field, he has done a little bit of everything, including cartography, analysis, programming, business systems integration, project and portfolio management, and people management. He has enjoyed it all, but none more than the cartography. Prior to joining city government nearly twenty-eight years ago, he worked in the environmental consulting field. He greatly enjoys his current role in local government because of the endless opportunities for using GIS in practical ways to solve real problems and help communities thrive.
Matt Collins GISP and GeoMentor, is GIS and Asset Management Manager for City of Wenatchee and on the WGGL board. He’s spent 25 years playing in all corners of GIS for infrastructure and Enterprise Administration; freelancer, US Air Force contractor, or the last five at City of Wenatchee Public Works; where he’s led Asset Management and Record Drawing integration of software, policies and best practices to the City’s divisions. The City was an early adopter of the Utility Network as a method of database normalization and quality control. A true GIS Nerd, he’s an avid model railroader and uses GIS to plan and map his newest train layouts.
Christina Chelf is a GIS professional with over 12 years experience. Currently she serves as the GIS Manager for City of Tacoma where she leads a team of 8 that is responsible for providing maps, spatial analysis, and data management for city staff. She is also the President of the Washington GIS Association and a part time instructor in the University of Washington GIS Certificate Program.
Micah Gelber is an Emergency Management GIS Specialist/ 911 GIS Administrator for Navy Region Northwest. Micah is currently a WAGISA board member where he serves as committee co-chair of the community engagement committee, co-coordinator of the Dick Thomas Award, and co-lead of WAGISA's new Young professional Initiative.
Grant Herbert has 20 years of experience in the geospatial field working in both government and the private sector. Grant has been working with SQL Server and GIS for years and has expertise in data management, spatial database and geodatabase design, Python scripting, and managing Esri Enterprise environments and Microsoft SQL Server.
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2023 Conference Workshops
Aerial Mapping Adventures:
A Workshop on Drone Mapping and GIS to Unlock Potential and Elevate Insights
Peter Keum, GISP and Greg Lang, GISP
$200 Full Day (2023 workshop)
This workshop focuses on acquiring the right tools for the right jobs. We will introduce the basics of drone technology, including the different types of drones, components, and accessories. We will also discuss the various regulations and requirements for drone usage, including registration, FAA licensing, and flying restrictions.
The following topics will be covered:
- Drone Hardware, selecting the right tools for the right job.
- Drone data processing software, what they are, and how they are used. Explore different software that is on the market. (DroneDeploy, Pix4D, Metashape, Sitescan, WebODM, MapsMadeEasy, ODMLightning).
- Data Capture: Best practices mission planning for flying 2D aerial mapping & 3D model generation, including using GCP (ground control points) and RTK.(Real Time Kinematics)
- Drone data product integration with GIS, including Esri ArcPro, Esri ArcGIS Online, QGIS, and open-source web mapping tools.
There will be a hands-on drone flying session, where you can practice flying a drone and collect data. Our instructors will be available to guide you through the process and answer any questions.
ArcGIS Imagery Workflows - Manage, Analyze, and Visualize Your Imagery and Raster Data in ArcGIS
TJ Abbenhaus, Esri and Ryan Richardson, Esri
$200 Full Day (2023 workshop)
Come join Esri for a workshop using the latest in advanced tools for imagery management, visualization, analysis and sharing. In this workshop you will learn about the ArcGIS solutions including ArcGIS Reality, Oriented Imagery, ArcGIS Image for ArcGIS Online, and ArcGIS Enterprise. We will use ArcGIS Pro to create Mosaic datasets and publish collections of data using ArcGIS Image for ArcGIS Online (SaaS) and ArcGIS Image Server. Participants in this workshop will also get hands on experience configuring various web applications that leverage these imagery services. We will also explore how to take imagery from various sensors, from smartphones, to UAVs, to fixed wing aerial imagery, to satellites and use it in ArcGIS.
Washington Government GIS Leaders Forum
Christina Chelf, City of Tacoma; Matt Collins, City of Wenatchee; and Stephen Beimborn, City of Seattle
$100 Full Day (2023 workshop)
A gathering of GIS Leaders from around Washington State to learn from each other, share ideas and develop skills related to leading GIS groups. Past sessions have included such topics as strategies for developing staff, forming relationships with customers and peer agencies, putting together training programs, securing funding, assigning roles, prioritizing work, conducting projects, working collaboratively with the IT Department (or working from within the IT Department), deciding when to hire consultants, and other common management topics.
For the 2023 session, we plan to compare and contrast the organizations represented at the session, deep dive into the various ways that GIS groups tend to be organized (and the advantages and disadvantages of various approaches), hear about integrations between CADD, GIS and Asset Management systems from a panel of our peers, and leave some time at the end to discuss the most pressing or compelling issues identified by the group.
This workshop is sponsored by WAGISA's Washington Local Government GIS Leaders special interest group.
How to Fund, Start, and Enhance GIS/CAD/SCADA Based Asset Management in your Organization
Arnab Bhowmick, Aktivov Asset Management
$200 Full Day (2023 workshop)
Local governments struggle with maintenance and operations of their assets, while trying to set appropriate rates for the upkeep of the infrastructure to the required state of good repair, and comply with various regulations, condition assessments, and reporting requirements. Organizations confront challenges with tactical maintenance management, strategic asset management, strategic planning, capital and comprehensive planning, rate setting, project management, forecasts, and budgets etc. While good asset management enables you to get the most from your assets, proper rate setting helps you fully pay for the system fairly. They work in tandem, are easier to achieve than you might think, and your citizens will appreciate the results you provide them on both fronts. This is an immersive session that will discuss the basics and go beyond to equip you with the knowledge and a real time data driven approach to implement or enhance asset management programs while setting appropriate rates for your utilities.
Workshop Leader Bios
Peter Keum, GISP - Senior GIS Specialist with the King County Wastewater Treatment Division. Peter has over 20 plus years of GIS work in the Wastewater Treatment Division. He is a drone enthusiast, flying since 2014, and has been a certified FAA Certified Drone Pilot since 2018. Peter developed the Wastewater Treatment Division drone policy/guideline for King County and is managing the drone program for the WTD to support its operation. He also co-organizes the WA GISA Drone Special Interest Group (DroneSIG) with Greg Lang, which meets monthly. Open-source enthusiast, he is an active member of CUGOS (Cascadia Users of Geospatial Open Source), Co-Organizer of Puget Sound QGIS User Group.
Greg Lang, GISP - GIS/IT Lead Systems Engineer with Pierce County. Greg has over 18 years of local government GIS and Asset Management enterprise-level implementation, training, and coordination experience, plus over a decade of non-profit leadership experience, including extensive flight operations training and mission experience in a rescue role. His current role includes IT technical leadership and coordination of GIS, GNSS, Drone, and Asset Management services for Pierce County, Washington, and he is an FAA Certified Drone Pilot. Greg also co-organizes the WA GISA Drone Special Interest Group (DroneSIG) with Peter Keum, which meets monthly.
TJ Abbenhaus is a Senior Solution Engineer in the Esri Olympia Regional Office and has previously worked for Kitsap County, the State of Montana, University of Montana, Missoula County and Yakima County using GIS. TJ supports local government customers in the Pacific Northwest region. TJ studied at the University of Montana where he obtained a Master of Arts in Geography creating internet information products.
Ryan Richardson is a GIS professional with a passion for using technology to solve complex problems. He currently works as a Solution Engineer at Esri. Ryan supports the State and Local Government team out of Esri's regional office in Olympia, WA. He is pursuing a Master's degree in GIS and holds a GIS Graduate Certificate from the University of Denver.
Christina Chelf is a GIS professional with over 10 years experience. Currently she serves as the GIS Manager for City of Tacoma where she leads a team of 8 that is responsible for providing maps, spatial analysis, and data management for city staff. She is also the Vice President of the Washington GIS Association and a part time instructor in the University of Washington GIS Certificate Program.
Matt Collins, GISP and GeoMentor, is GIS and Asset Management Manager for City of Wenatchee and on the WGGL board. He’s spent 25 years playing in all corners of GIS for infrastructure and Enterprise Administration; freelancer, US Air Force contractor, or the last five at City of Wenatchee Public Works; where he’s led Asset Management and Record Drawing integration of software, policies and best practices to the City’s divisions. The City was an early adopter of the Utility Network as a method of database normalization and quality control. A true GIS Nerd, he’s an avid model railroader and uses GIS to plan and map his newest train layouts.
Stephen Beimborn is the Manager of GIS Analysts for the City of Seattle. In his forty years working in the GIS field, he has done a little bit of everything, including cartography, analysis, programming, business systems integration, project and portfolio management, and people management. He has enjoyed it all, but none more than the cartography. Prior to joining city government nearly twenty-eight years ago, he worked in the environmental consulting field. He greatly enjoys his current role in local government because of the endless opportunities for using GIS in practical ways to solve real problems and help communities thrive.
Arnab Bhowmick has more than 23+ years of technical & managerial experience in business & operations, asset management, GIS, emergency management, IT security, strategic planning etc. He is the Chair of American Public Works Association APWA, WA Asset Management Committee, and has been advising the both private & public sector executives, managers, department heads for a couple decades on asset management, GIS/IT, business continuity, technology trends, and e-governance. He has worked for many multinational firms including Weston, ESRI, Autodesk, Tata Group, and founded Aktivov Asset Management. He has a bachelor’s in civil engineering and multiple masters in GIS, business, & sustainable engineering.
Professional Development Committee Members
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