AGIC Quarterly Newsletter

A grand collaboration of AGIC's generous volunteers brought tremendous value to the Arizona geospatial community through their efforts.

The AGIC Education and Training Symposium celebrated 31 years. The symposium was well attended and brought together geospatial professionals from across Arizona, with over a third attending for the first time.

The AGIC Council, Committees, and Workgroups continue to work hard to bring the Arizona GIS Community a forum for geospatial information exchange. We welcome you to all AGIC meetings and events as they are open to everyone. We value community engagement and believe we are stronger and better together! Visit the  AGIC website  for more information on how to get involved.

Shea Lemar was recently hired as the new Deputy State Cartographer! Shea was recently the Director of the Geospatial Research and Solutions team within the Arizona State University School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning. From there, she provided geospatial consultation services to students, faculty, ASU staff, and private organizations. She also taught graduate and master's level classes in applied GIS, particularly in the MAS-GIS program, where she is a Faculty Associate.

Shea brings with her extensive experience in development of GIS for business, data collection, GPS, process optimization, and project management (both research based and applied). She also excels in spatial analysis, map creation, technical documentation, and training.

Shea has been actively involved in AGIC for over a decade. She is a current Council Member, served as Council Chair in 2021, and has been one of the most active members in various AGIC Committees and Workgroups as well as National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC). Some of her more notable accomplishments include receiving the AGIC President's Volunteer Award in 2010 and, prior to Steve Whitney and Jami Dennis, Shea worked with Seth Franzman to coordinate the annual AGIC Symposiums.

Shea has accomplished a lot for the Arizona GIS Community and for AGIC and we look forward to seeing what she does next. Congratulations, Shea!

Several AGIC Workgroups are seeking assistance. If you are interested in helping, please contact the workgroup chairs listed below.

The Workgroup will be working to organize the 2024 Annual Report, summarizing the accomplishments the Council, Committees, and Workgroups have completed over the last year. The group could use help from anyone with, or interested in developing, writing or ArcGIS Storymap skills. If interested, contact  Shea Lemar  and  Lucas Murray 

The Social Media Workgroup, based out of the Outreach Committee, is seeking anyone interested in assisting with creating and posting content for AGIC's social media accounts. You do not need prior experience using Canva to create posts. If interested, contact  Aparna Thatte ,  Sage Donaldson , or  Cheryl Therman 

The Education Workgroup, based out of the Outreach Committee, was recently formed to identify ways that AGIC can better support GIS education in K-12 and higher education. Any assistance would be appreciated. If interested, contact  Emily LaSala  or  Lucas Murray 

The 2025 AGIC Mentorship Program is starting this month. This will be the fourth year of the program, which has seen many successes in the past.

The  AGIC Mentorship Program  was developed to provide and support professional development for Arizona geospatial professionals. Mentorship offers an opportunity to find and explore how we can make the most meaningful impact in our professional capacity. This program is intended to build and support a sustainable geospatial professional community in Arizona and promote life-long learning in all phases of an individual’s career. The Program was developed and is facilitated by AGIC Volunteers.

AGIC Committee and Workgroups will look a little different in 2025. The Public Safety Committee has decided to recommend they be sunset since their Next Generation 9-1-1 goals have been accomplished. They will request a formal sunset from the AGIC Council at the February 2025 Council meeting. Members of AGIC have felt additional work in public safety, likely focused more on natural disaster response, would be valuable to the GIS Community. Those activities will be recommended to other committees.

The 4D Geospatial Data Workgroup, formally under the Data Committee, was recently sunset. The Workgroup activities and goals have been transferred to the recently formed Emerging Technologies and Remote Sensing Committee.

While the AGIC Council makes the decisions, it the AGIC Committees and Workgroups that get the work done. Anyone, regardless if they are an AGIC Council Member or not, can join a Committee or Workgroup. There are three ways to get involved:

• Join as a Voting Member
  • As a voting member, you would have a say in any votes or decisions the group makes. However, as a voting member, it would be important to attend most, if not all meetings. Talk with the chairs of the respective Committee or Workgroup about becoming a voting member. Refer to the  AGIC Organizational Chart  for current chairs by group.
• Join as a Public Member
  • Public members may not get a vote but are important all the same. Their insights and opinions may still influence how voting members may decide an issue. In addition, Public Members do not have to attend meetings if they prefer. Joining as a Public Member does not require any formal process. Simply attend a meeting that interests you. Learn more about each Committee and Workgroup from the  AGIC Organizational Chart  or view upcoming meetings on the  AGIC Calendar .
• Join an Email Distribution List
  • Want to follow a Committee or Workgroup but don't have the time to attend their meetings. Ask to be added to their email distribution list to receive any correspondence from the group, including information about upcoming meetings. If interested, complete this  short form  to be added to a group's list.

There are many ways to get involved with AGIC. Learn more at the  AGIC Participate webpage. 

Tired of searching for a GIS job and getting posts for a Gardener? Use the  AGIC Jobs Board  to find employers specifically hiring Geographic Information Systems positions.

For employers looking for qualified GIS professionals, post your opportunities to the  AGIC Jobs Board .

View additional AGIC-related events, such as committee and workgroup meetings, on the AGIC Calendar.

AGIC is powered by community volunteers! Formal membership is NOT required to participate. We encourage anyone interested to attend our meetings and events, volunteer their time and expertise, and give back to the Arizona GIS Community.

Consider joining a committee or workgroup distribution list to receive related announcements and meeting notices. To join, complete this  short form . Note that joining a distribution list is a courtesy and not required to attend AGIC meetings. All meetings are open to the public. 

To learn more about how you can get more involved, visit the  AGIC Participate Webpage .