Your Monthly News & Updates
If pandemic health and safety concerns have been substantially minimized (or eliminated), we all hope to meet in Baltimore in October for URISA's 59th Annual Conference, GIS-Pro 2021. We will certainly pivot if necessary.

The GIS-Pro 2021 Planning Committee is now inviting Presentation Proposals. Consider sharing your ideas in one or more of these suggested topic areas:

  • GIS Leadership & Management
  • Community Resiliency & Sustainability
  • Equity & Social Justice Implications of GIS
  • GIS Supporting Health & Human Services
  • Data Management & Analysis
  • Geospatial Technology Innovations
  • Students and Young Professionals - Shaping the Future of GIS
  • Addressing & Next Generation 9-1-1
  • GIS Role in the Census and Redistricting
GIS/Valuation Technologies Conference: March 22-26, 2021, Virtual
Don't miss the 24th Annual GIS/Valuation Technologies Conference (previously known as GIS/CAMA) – featuring 21 breakout sessions, 5 general sessions, pre- and post-conference workshops (Virtual, March 22-26, 2021).

Hear from Zillow, King County, New York City, and jurisdictions of all sizes and budgets.

The workshop line-up is sensational. Topics like "Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Assessment" and "Benefits of ArcGIS Pro and the Parcel Fabric" are already popular along with "Mass Appraisal Valuation Modeling in R or SPSS" and "Using GIS to Achieve Racial Equity and Social Justice."

Thanks in advance to Platinum Sponsors - Esri and Vision Government Solutions; Gold Sponsors - Cyclomedia, Data Cloud Solutions, Nearmap, and Tyler Technologies; Silver Sponsors - Woolpert, PivotPoint and Sanborn; and Bronze Sponsor - The Sidwell Company.

URISA members (particularly young professionals and students) receive significant registration discounts.

For complete program and workshop details, sponsorship opportunities, and registration info, click here.
Preparing for GISP Certification Virtual Workshop: April 1
Do your professional development plans include earning your GISP certification?

Grab a seat at URISA's virtual Preparing for GISP Certification Workshop on April 1. Don’t miss this full day of information to prepare yourself in advance of the next GISP Exam offering in June.

Significant discounts for URISA members. For workshop content details, schedule, and registration, click here.
URISA GIS Leadership Academy
We hope to host our in-person events this year (fingers crossed) and registration is open for the URISA GIS Leadership Academy in:

  • Minneapolis, Minnesota - June 7-11, 2021
  • Portland, Oregon - August 16-20, 2021
  • St. Petersburg, Florida - November 8-12, 2021 

To keep up with demand, we will again host a Virtual URISA GIS Leadership Academy. We have just announced that the virtual GLA will be held the week of April 12-16, 2021. As with the two previous virtual GLAs, capacity is limited.

For details, click here.
Excellence in GIS Webinar Series


Celebrate and learn from the systems that were awarded 2020 URISA Exemplary Systems in Government Awards. URISA is pleased to present four opportunities to showcase these systems, once per month through June:



  • March 1, 2021 (4 PM Eastern/3 PM Central/2 PM Mountain/1 PM Pacific): Town of Flower Mound, Texas – Citizen Camera Program 

  • April 5, 2021 (4 PM Eastern/3 PM Central/2 PM Mountain/1 PM Pacific): City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department – Interactive Pavement Maintenance Dashboard 

  • May 10, 2021 (4 PM Eastern/3 PM Central/2 PM Mountain/1 PM Pacific): Maryland National Capital Park & Planning Commission – PGAtlas

  • June 14, 2021 (4 PM Eastern/3 PM Central/2 PM Mountain/1 PM Pacific): Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department – Enterprise GIS Portal Implementation

Register for one or all four of these free opportunities here.
Get Involved with the URISA Mentoring Network

  • Are you passionate about your field and interested in helping others identify their passions?
  • Are you willing to share your skills, knowledge, and expertise?
  • Do you value continued education and growth?
  • Are you a good listener?
  • Can you spend two to five hours a month cultivating a meaningful and rewarding relationship?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you would make a great mentor in The URISA Mentoring Network! The application deadline for Cohort #2 will close on May 15th.

Learn more
More News & Opportunities
Has your agency improved the delivery and quality of government services through the use of GIS?

Major recognition for URISA members in Geospatial World's 50 Rising Stars Booklet
  • Congratulations Xan, Sid & Katie!

HELP WANTED! The Coalition of Geospatial Organizations (COGO) is seeking a volunteer Project Manager to help organize the effort to update the U.S. National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) Report Card.

This position is primarily to coordinate and manage the project, not to create content. Our hope is to publish the final Report Card in June 2022. The Project Manager would need to commit to staying on board through Report Card completion. We expect this position to require no more than 8 hours per month to keep this project moving forward. The Report Card Steering Committee will continue working on various tasks, with each organization playing their role. For all interested volunteers please contact URISA Past President Cy Smith 


Nominations Now Being Accepted for URISA's GIS Hall of Fame - nominations invited through May 31

Many of URISA's partners, chapters, and allied organizations are hosting virtual programs. Be sure to check out the online calendar and review all of the opportunities.
Podcasts
Are you caught up with the podcasts co-hosted by URISA's Vanguard Cabinet and Directions Magazine? The latest is a conversation focused on Deforestation and Satellite Imagery. Check them out here.

Be sure to also check out the URISA Texas Chapter's "More than Just Maps" podcasts for some great content. 
The GIS Professional
Have you had a chance to read the latest issue of The GIS Professional?

Thanks to all of the URISA members who volunteered articles and shared their good work. (Be sure to take note of a new feature, the Partner Project Profile, the first of which was written by GeoDecisions.)

Content is always appreciated. If you would like to write an article, please send a note. Remember that writing articles counts as GISP Contributions Points too!
Stay Connected
It's so important to have a professional network during this stressful time. Be sure to reach out to your fellow members to ask for help or recommendations, share ideas and lessons learned via our online community, URISA Connect.
Renew your 2021 Membership - Due by March 15
The window is closing to renew your 2021 membership. Take care of it online by March 15! Click here.
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