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:
👤Nat Henry | Director | Henry Spatial Analysis, LLC
Nat Henry is a professional geographer and the director of Henry Spatial Analysis, LLC. With a decade of experience in applied spatial statistics and geospatial software development, Nat has collaborated with academic institutions, NGOs, city governments, and advocacy organizations. His work has been featured in Nature, The Lancet, Bloomberg CityLab, and on the front pages of The New York Times and The Seattle Times.

👤Ben Silver | Senior GIS Engineer | King County
Ben Silver is a GIS Professional with a background in spatial analysis, cartography, and planning. He enjoys using mapping and GIS tools to lend understanding to complex data and systems that may otherwise be inaccessible to community members, elected officials, and clients. Ben’s experience ranges from answering key questions around climate vulnerability, housing policy, land use, and environmental planning, to print and web cartographic design.

👤Lisa Enns | Data Analyst | Enns Analytics
Lisa Enns has over 15 years of experience that makes her qualified to provide spatial data analysis and visualization services. Lisa is proficient in ArcGIS Pro and Online, QGIS, Tableau, Tableau Server, SQL, Excel, Adobe Illustrator and InDesign. Her extensive GIS experience includes network analysis, complex heatmaps, and bicycle ridership forecasts. After completing the analysis, she produces maps, infographics, and reports for key stakeholders, subject matter experts, leaders, and the public. She uses data storytelling best practices to communicate results in a clear and effective manner.

👤Nastassia Barber | Geospatial Programmer | RedCastle Resources, Inc.
Nastassia is a remote sensing nerd who works in interdisciplinary roles that could be described as software/data engineering specializing in remote sensing and forest ecology. They have worked in academic, government, and startup environments. Some of their projects have included data pipelines to support reforestation planning efforts, research in using UAV imagery for fire prediction, and developing GIS tools for post-fire restoration. They got their Masters in Environmental Science at UW.

👤Catherine Crook | Program Manager/Adjunct Professor | Quanta Services/Seattle University
Catherine Crook is a Senior Program Manager at Quanta Services, where she leads geospatial initiatives that optimize fiber network planning and drive strategic ROI. With over 18 years of experience in enterprise GIS management across government and private sectors, she brings deep expertise in spatial analytics, infrastructure planning, and program development. Her past roles include Enterprise GIS Manager for the City of Kent and positions with the Port of Tacoma and City of Maple Valley, where she advanced municipal operations through innovative GIS solutions. Catherine also teaches Intro and Intermediate GIS courses as an adjunct faculty member at Seattle University, mentoring the next generation of geospatial professionals. She is passionate about using technology and education to create meaningful change and is always open to collaboration. Proficient in tools like ArcGIS Pro, QGIS, and web mapping technologies, she bridges technical know-how with strategic leadership.

👤Allison Bailey | Geospatial Analyst and Programmer | Washington State Department of Natural Resources
Allison is a marine biologist who discovered she is actually a geographer. She enjoys using her science-nerd perspective and geospatial tools to explore scientific questions and support environmental management. Allison has worked in state and federal government, consulting, academia, and as a business owner for her company, Sound GIS. She loves learning new things and working with multidisciplinary project teams. Allison's latest career evolution has brought her onto land (just like the tetrapods) -- she is currently a geospatial analyst and programmer in the Forest Informatics Section at the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.

👤Jeffrey Linn | Cartographer | King County
By day, Jeffrey is a cartographer for King County, where he recently redesigned the Area maps and Downtown maps for Metro.

By night, he is the Conspiracy of Cartographers, an ongoing art project that examines nostalgia, greenwashing, and climate change.

Jeffrey's work has been featured in Forbes, the Washington Post, Foreign Policy, Grist, and the Huffington Post. It has been praised by Ursula K. Le Guin, and verified by Snopes. It’s also plastered on every bus stop in Seattle.