Liz Parrish

I attended Kennesaw State University from 2007 - 2009 where I earned the BS in Geographic Information Science (Business concentration) and Certificate in Information Technology.

In addition to my GIS degree from KSU, I have also obtained an MBA in Global Business, and a certified GIS Professional (GISP), and have taught GIS as an adjunct instructor at the university level.

After graduating from KSU, I spent three years building the GIS capabilities for the (newly incorporated at the time) City of Johns Creek, GA; this work earned a SAG (Special Achievement in GIS) Award from Esri.  That was followed by 8 years at Esri working in a variety of roles that further developed the depth and breadth of my technical knowledge of ArcGIS and honed my consulting and project management skills.  Currently, I lead the Enterprise GIS practice for H-E-B, a major grocery retailer and the 5th largest private company in the US.  

During my time at KSU, I was also introduced to URISA (Urban and Regional Information Systems Association) an organization for professionals in GIS and related fields.  From joining as a student to my role as a member of the URISA Texas executive board of directors and chapter VP today, I have gained a vast network of peers and opportunities to both mentor and be mentored.  

Absolutely! The rigor and variety of courses in the KSU GIS degree program established a foundational knowledge of not only geospatial concepts but also IT, database, and data management skills.  I was fortunate to have opportunities for upper level 'special topics' courses, one of which was a partnership with a small county government.  Through this applied research and consulting, I learned how to complete a needs assessment, inventory data and information products, and work with a variety of stakeholders to understand future goals to create recommendations and plans for improvements.  Additionally, working as a student research assistant allowed me to gain skills in performing in-depth analysis and made my writing stronger through extensive literature reviews and research reports.