GIS Career Lightning Talks

This event offers a unique opportunity for those curious about the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) across a range of professional settings. Whether you're a student, an emerging professional, or simply intrigued by spatial data, you'll find value in engaging with seasoned GIS experts from various sectors, including academia, government, and industry. It's an ideal setting to discover the various spatial tools used across different fields and to get a glimpse of what daily life as a spatial professional entails.

Agenda:

• Introduction to MaptimeSEA/ Code of Conduct: We'll let you know about MaptimeSEA and upcoming GIS events
• Presentations: 5-7 minute presentations from professionals who use spatial technology to solve problems
• Wrap-up

What to Bring:

• Anything you need to be comfortable sitting in a chair for 2 hours!

How to Prepare:
Check back here for details on our presenters. Dig into their topics, and come with questions!

Where to Go:

• Meet at Bale Breaker and look for signs pointing you to MaptimeSEA. If you get turned around, please ask a beertender to point you in the right direction!

Presenters:
👤Matt Stevenson | Principal | CORE GIS
Matt Stevenson is an expert in cartography, spatial analysis, web mapping, and GIS project management. With twenty-five years of experience, Matt works primarily with government agencies and non-profits focused on conservation and restoration.

👤Peter Keum | GIS Specialist | 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.

👤Brook Durant | Senior Product Designer | Esri
Brook is a Senior Product Designer at Esri working on the ArcGIS Pro desktop user experience. He has made his location-based career in the Pacific Northwest, working in GIS, web development, AI, and product design.

👤Christy Heaton | Geospatial Developer | Woven by Toyota
Christy Heaton is a geospatial developer with over 10 years of experience working in the public and private sectors and education. As an organizer of Maptime Seattle and PyLadies Seattle, she promotes public open source adoption of spatial analysis and Python.

👤Keenan Ganz | Graduate Research Fellow | University of Washington
Keenan is a graduate student in the Remote Sensing and Geospatial Analysis Laboratory at the University of Washington. Here, Keenan uses satellites and laser scanners to study the temperature of forest canopies. Keenan writes lots of code, especially in R and Google Earth Engine. Prior to coming to UW, Keenan worked in the Global Water Lab and at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Keenan also wrote (and won!) an NSF GRFP.

👤Andrew Wiseman | Government, Academia, Tech
Andrew Wiseman is a geographer and GIS enthusiast originally from the East Coast. He has worked in the GIS and mapping field since 2002 in government, the private sector and academia.

👤Lauren Benz | GIS Analyst | Puget Sound Energy
Lauren Benz has been working in geographic information systems (GIS) since 2012, but her love of maps started as a child with each monthly edition of National Geographic Magazine. Lauren worked as an archaeologist for 8 years until she realized she liked the stability of what her parents referred to as a “real” job. After earning her Masters of Science in Geographic Information Systems Technology, she began her career in GIS in earnest. Lauren enjoys working with both the aesthetic and technical aspects involved with creating spatial data products. In her current role at Puget Sound Energy, Lauren is focused on customer experience, supporting clean energy initiatives, and increasing awareness of how GIS can transform work flows.