Georgia URISA
The 2010 election for the open Board of Directors positions has concluded. Please join the Board in welcoming Diana Estrada to the position of Treasurer, Melanie Tabb to the position of Secretary and Sherri Schreiner to the position of North Georgia Sub-Chapter Chair.
The 2010 Board of Directors includes:
President: Rosemary Harman (president@gaurisa.org)
Immediate Past President: Tripp Corbin (ipp@gaurisa.org)
Vice President: Jason Kandrick (vp@gaurisa.org)
Secretary: Melanie Tabb (secretary@gaurisa.org)
Treasurer: Diana Estrada (treasurer@gaurisa.org)
Membership Chair: Keith Hogsed (membership@gaurisa.org)
Events & Conference Chair: Ron Mulberry (events@gaurisa.org)
Corporate Sponsor Chair: Lynn Hale (corporatesponsor@gaurisa.org)
Education & Outreach Chair: Randal Hale (education@gaurisa.org)
North Georgia Sub-Chapter Chair: Sherri Schreiner (northga@gaurisa.org)
South Georgia Sub-Chapter Chair: Ed Hawkins (southga@gaurisa.org)
What is 
?
The Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA) is a non-profit professional and educational association that promotes the effective and ethical use of spatial information and information technologies for the understanding and management of urban and regional systems. It is a multidisciplinary association where professionals from all parts of the spatial data community can come together and share concerns and ideas.
International News and Events
Event: January 20, 2010 (Des Plaines, IL) - Since 1963, URISA members and friends have convened annually to learn about, share and discuss all things geospatial. And now the name of URISA’s annual conference has been updated to better reflect that focus. URISA is pleased to announce GIS-Pro 2010: URISA’s 48th Annual Conference for GIS Professionals. The first conference under the new banner will take place September 28-October 1, 2010 in Orlando, Florida.
Along with the new conference name, GIS-Pro will reflect what GIS Professionals are looking for in a modern conference. Gone are restrictive conference tracks - what's in are coordinated themes, designed to move the conversation forward and interactively share information among conference participants. The Conference Committee invites your participation. Proposals for presentations, interactive discussions, roundtables, and other content is invited and should fit in to one or more of these conference themes:
- Value of GIS – The value of GIS can theoretically be quantified in terms of Return on Investment (ROI), but the methodology for determining ROI for GIS has not been standardized. Proposals on this topic could include information on measured return on investment (as opposed to estimated cost/benefit analysis performed prior to implementation); various methods for funding and justifying funding for GIS implementation; and ways to articulate the financial/liability, economic, social or environmental impact of GIS for a jurisdiction, region or organization.
- One Government – This concept is about multiple jurisdictions and overlapping levels of government (federal, state/provincial, regional, local) acting collaboratively. Proposals could include data sharing challenges and approaches; standardization and integration of data, applications and services; collaboration and communication that leads to a "one government" approach, and activities that promote government transparency and accountability.
- Stewardship – The notion of stewardship is one of service and support to a community of data users. Often, the steward has a vested interest in maintaining particular data set(s) for his/her organization, but no mandate (or funding) to maintain it for the rest of the community. Proposals could include data management, maintenance and integration topics, metadata issues and processes, data governance approaches, and methods for treating data as an infrastructure, or other, asset.
- Data-based Decisions – This is a hot topic in 2010 at every level. U.S. Congressional Hearings are even focusing on ways to drive decisions based on data and "place". At last year’s Annual Conference, Dr. Wellar’s keynote focused on the need to manage various interrelated information infrastructures to make well-informed, accurate decisions, and the categorical need for GIS technology and geospatial sciences in that endeavor. Proposals could include Web 2.0 and social networking tools as a means of bringing information together and presenting it appropriately to everyone; promoting GIS use to decision makers; better ways to visualize change spatially and temporally; and managing interdependent information infrastructures with geospatial tools and techniques.
- Training & Education – With geospatial technology changing more and more rapidly, the need for high quality training and education continues to grow. And with the economic downturn, training budgets have taken a significant hit. Proposals could include ideas and tactics for promoting K-12 geographic/geospatial education; use of social networking tools for training; and information on technology updates and issues.
Abstracts are due on or before February 23, 2010. For further details, visit www.urisa.org
News: January 14, 2010 (Des Plaines, IL) - The Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA) has recently posted the 2010 application materials for its prestigious Exemplary Systems in Government (ESIG) Awards. The awards recognize exceptional achievements in the application of geospatial information technology that have improved the delivery and quality of government services.
Previous ESIG Winners encourage GIS Professionals to participate:
- "I believe the award has done two things for me professionally. The first relates to leadership. The award was a source of pride for my team and reinforced the team's belief in my ability to pull all the pieces together to develop a product worthy of national recognition and their ability to be successful in their roles. The second relates to credibility. Many of the District's senior leaders have little experience in GIS. However, many of these leaders are familiar with URISA. Receiving this award has reinforced their decision to entrust me with this large, complex project and has demonstrated that I can deliver despite the statistics related to failed and overly expensive IT projects." - Don Nehmer, Capital Program Business Manager, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, WI: SewerView, 2009 ESIG Enterprise Systems Category - Distinguished System
- "It was an honor to receive the ESIG award from URISA this past year. By participating in the ESIG award process we were able to exercise another reason to evaluate our system, by doing so we were able to find ways to improve our current system. We also received local media exposure because of the ESIG award, this helped us inform the Forsyth County public of how we were applying GIS for public safety in their county. This award also validated all of the hard work and development that went into this system, this helped the GIS department fortify a trust with the Forsyth County Administration." - John Kilgore, GISP, GIS Director, Forsyth County, GA: GIS Mobile Emergency Response System (ERS), 2009 ESIG Single Process System Winner
- "By participating in the ESIG process we are able to demonstrate how GIS technology benefits the whole organization in a very broad scope. Winning the award also greatly increased "GIS awareness" in the organization. The project eventually received an internal "City Manager Award", boosting the importance of GIS in the organization's technology environment." - Nianwei Liu, GISP, Senior System Analyst, City of Charlotte, NC: Virtual Charlotte, 2009 ESIG Enterprise Systems Category Winner
- "One of the most rewarding aspects of participating in the ESIG Awards process was the rare opportunity to formally acknowledge the outstanding efforts of our staff and regional partner agencies for their collaborative work. Recognition of their achievements by URISA's respected community of GIS professionals and peers has provided quite a charge." - Eric Brandt, GISP, GIS Program Manager, Lane Council of Governments, OR: Regional Land Information Database (RLID), 2009 ESIG Enterprise Systems Category - Distinguished System
Applications may be submitted in two categories, Single Process and Enterprise Systems:
- SINGLE PROCESS SYSTEMS - Systems in this category are outstanding and working examples of applying information system technology to automate a specific SINGLE process or operation involving one department or sub-unit of an agency. The system application results in extended and/or improved government services that are more efficient and/or save money.
- ENTERPRISE SYSTEMS - Systems in this category are outstanding and working examples of using information systems technology in a multi-department environment as part of an integrated process. These systems exemplify effective use of technology yielding widespread improvements in the process(es) and/or service(s) involved and/or cost savings to the organization.
Applications must be submitted by May 3, 2010. Winners in each category will be recognized at URISA's 48th Annual Conference, September 28-October 1, 2010 in Orlando, Florida.
For more information or to review past submissions from winning systems, visit http://www.urisa.org/esig or call (847) 824-6300.
Event: January 12, 2010 (Des Plaines, IL) - URISA and the National Emergency Number Association are accepting abstract submissions for the 2010 URISA/NENA Addressing Conference. The conference—for GIS professionals, addressing coordinators, 9-1-1 and emergency response specialists —will take place in Charlotte, North Carolina, August 16-18, 2010.
The conference is developed through abstracts submitted through a Call for Presentations. The Conference Committee, comprised of URISA and NENA members, reviews all of the abstracts received by the deadline date, and organizes the educational sessions according to those abstracts. The Committee has specified three program tracks for the conference, and they are each described below.
- Adventures in Addressing
The development and maintenance of an understandable and consistent addressing system is a complex process. Addresses are used for locating a home, mail delivery, utilities, voting, allocation of local, state, and federal funds, and emergency response. It is one thing if the pizza delivery has difficulty locating an address, but with emergency response a life may be on the line. Disparate addressing practices, poor address quality, funding, and lack of understanding all lead to poor addressing. This track will outline key issues, solutions, and best practices related to good addressing, while sharing insights, tips, and lessons learned.
- E-911: It's All About Location
Accurate locations are paramount to getting the right emergency responders to the correct location in a quick and efficient manner. Errors and discrepancies exist in all data and must be minimized for public safety and emergency response. The same data used by 9-1-1 and emergency response can be used by many others throughout the enterprise. This track will showcase lessons learned and best practices for addressing for public safety and is usable by everyone.
- Addressing Strategies for Success
Many public and private entities can benefit from a well-conceived addressing system that involves cooperation, sharing of resources, and forming alliances. The addressing system must be easily understood, accepted and used by everyone. Any successful addressing system must include the cooperation of all stakeholders and the United States Postal Service (USPS). A strong maintenance program is also essential for maintaining the integrity of the addressing system. This track will cover case studies, best practice solutions, and training for the establishment and maintenance of a successful addressing strategy.
A review committee of NENA and URISA members will organize an educational program based on the abstracts submitted through the Call for Presentations. Abstract submissions will be accepted until February 18, 2010.
The link directly to the Call for Presentations is: http://www.urisa.org/addressing/2010charlotte
About NENA – The National Emergency Number Association (NENA) is The Voice of 9-1-1 ™. Now celebrating its 25th Year, NENA was established to promote implementation and awareness of 9-1-1 as North America’s universal emergency number. NENA has grown to become the leading professional non-profit organization dedicated solely to 9-1-1 emergency communications issues. For more information, visit www.nena.org
News: December 17, 2009 (Des Plaines, IL) - Ten years after announcing that electronic copies of the URISA Journal would be made freely available to teachers and learners everywhere via the World Wide Web, the Journal’s electronic archives have become one of the richest collections of open educational resources in the geospatial field.
As of December 2009 there are 196 peer-reviewed articles in 40 issues of the URISA Journal freely available at http://www.urisa.org/journal_archives.
The Journal is one of only three journals listed by the Directory of Open Access Journals (http://www.doaj.org) under the keyword “gis,” and it is the only one to be ranked among 46 leading geographic information science (GIScience) journals by Caron and colleagues in 2008.
Caron and colleagues’ combined a Delphi study of 40 international experts and a quantitative comparison of journal citation rates to identify and rank leading periodicals in the GIScience field.
They ranked the URISA Journal 14th in relative importance among 46 periodicals. According to president Kathrine Cargo, “the sustained quality of the URISA Journal confirms the quality of our authors’ research, the dedication and skill of our editorial team, and the viability of open access publishing. URISA is proud to contribute these valuable resources to the benefit of the geospatial enterprise worldwide.”
In 1998-99 Harlan Onsrud offered to serve as editor on the condition that the URISA Board of Directors agreed to publish open-access version the journal. Onsrud was concerned about escalating costs of academic journal subscriptions, and about scholars’ responsibility to “maximize dissemination of our works and our readership.” At the time, URISA President Joseph Ferreira stated that “while commercial publishers best make progress through exclusivity and control, the URISA Journal editors believe that science and new knowledge is best advanced through an intellectual environment of openness and freedom” (URISA 1999).
References: Caron, Claude, Stéphane Roche, Daniel Goyer and Annick Jaton (2008) GIScience Journals Ranking and Evaluation: An International Delphi Study. Transactions in GIS 12:3, 293-321.
Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (1999). URISA Journal Breaks New Ground. Press Release.
News: See URISA International's 2009 Membership distribution
(created by our own Georgia URISA member, Azar T. Khani, GISP of Fulton County Department of IT, GIS)
News: URISA International joins 15 other organizations to form the Coalition of Geospatial Organizations (COGO).
COGO was developed to provide a forum for organizations concerned with national geospatial issues that will 1) improve communications among the member organizations (and others), 2) provide educational information on relevant issues for their respective memberships, 3) align and strengthen their respective policy agendas, and 4) facilitate development of strategies to address national issues.
Send questions or comments about this web site to our webmaster.
President: Rosemary Harman (president@gaurisa.org)
Immediate Past President: Tripp Corbin (ipp@gaurisa.org)
Vice President: Jason Kandrick (vp@gaurisa.org)
Secretary: Melanie Tabb (secretary@gaurisa.org)
Treasurer: Diana Estrada (treasurer@gaurisa.org)
Membership Chair: Keith Hogsed (membership@gaurisa.org)
Events & Conference Chair: Ron Mulberry (events@gaurisa.org)
Corporate Sponsor Chair: Lynn Hale (corporatesponsor@gaurisa.org)
Education & Outreach Chair: Randal Hale (education@gaurisa.org)
North Georgia Sub-Chapter Chair: Sherri Schreiner (northga@gaurisa.org)
South Georgia Sub-Chapter Chair: Ed Hawkins (southga@gaurisa.org)
What is ?
The Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA) is a non-profit professional and educational association that promotes the effective and ethical use of spatial information and information technologies for the understanding and management of urban and regional systems. It is a multidisciplinary association where professionals from all parts of the spatial data community can come together and share concerns and ideas.
International News and Events
Event: January 20, 2010 (Des Plaines, IL) - Since 1963, URISA members and friends have convened annually to learn about, share and discuss all things geospatial. And now the name of URISA’s annual conference has been updated to better reflect that focus. URISA is pleased to announce GIS-Pro 2010: URISA’s 48th Annual Conference for GIS Professionals. The first conference under the new banner will take place September 28-October 1, 2010 in Orlando, Florida.
Along with the new conference name, GIS-Pro will reflect what GIS Professionals are looking for in a modern conference. Gone are restrictive conference tracks - what's in are coordinated themes, designed to move the conversation forward and interactively share information among conference participants. The Conference Committee invites your participation. Proposals for presentations, interactive discussions, roundtables, and other content is invited and should fit in to one or more of these conference themes:
- Value of GIS – The value of GIS can theoretically be quantified in terms of Return on Investment (ROI), but the methodology for determining ROI for GIS has not been standardized. Proposals on this topic could include information on measured return on investment (as opposed to estimated cost/benefit analysis performed prior to implementation); various methods for funding and justifying funding for GIS implementation; and ways to articulate the financial/liability, economic, social or environmental impact of GIS for a jurisdiction, region or organization.
- One Government – This concept is about multiple jurisdictions and overlapping levels of government (federal, state/provincial, regional, local) acting collaboratively. Proposals could include data sharing challenges and approaches; standardization and integration of data, applications and services; collaboration and communication that leads to a "one government" approach, and activities that promote government transparency and accountability.
- Stewardship – The notion of stewardship is one of service and support to a community of data users. Often, the steward has a vested interest in maintaining particular data set(s) for his/her organization, but no mandate (or funding) to maintain it for the rest of the community. Proposals could include data management, maintenance and integration topics, metadata issues and processes, data governance approaches, and methods for treating data as an infrastructure, or other, asset.
- Data-based Decisions – This is a hot topic in 2010 at every level. U.S. Congressional Hearings are even focusing on ways to drive decisions based on data and "place". At last year’s Annual Conference, Dr. Wellar’s keynote focused on the need to manage various interrelated information infrastructures to make well-informed, accurate decisions, and the categorical need for GIS technology and geospatial sciences in that endeavor. Proposals could include Web 2.0 and social networking tools as a means of bringing information together and presenting it appropriately to everyone; promoting GIS use to decision makers; better ways to visualize change spatially and temporally; and managing interdependent information infrastructures with geospatial tools and techniques.
- Training & Education – With geospatial technology changing more and more rapidly, the need for high quality training and education continues to grow. And with the economic downturn, training budgets have taken a significant hit. Proposals could include ideas and tactics for promoting K-12 geographic/geospatial education; use of social networking tools for training; and information on technology updates and issues.
Abstracts are due on or before February 23, 2010. For further details, visit www.urisa.org
News: January 14, 2010 (Des Plaines, IL) - The Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA) has recently posted the 2010 application materials for its prestigious Exemplary Systems in Government (ESIG) Awards. The awards recognize exceptional achievements in the application of geospatial information technology that have improved the delivery and quality of government services.
Previous ESIG Winners encourage GIS Professionals to participate:
- "I believe the award has done two things for me professionally. The first relates to leadership. The award was a source of pride for my team and reinforced the team's belief in my ability to pull all the pieces together to develop a product worthy of national recognition and their ability to be successful in their roles. The second relates to credibility. Many of the District's senior leaders have little experience in GIS. However, many of these leaders are familiar with URISA. Receiving this award has reinforced their decision to entrust me with this large, complex project and has demonstrated that I can deliver despite the statistics related to failed and overly expensive IT projects." - Don Nehmer, Capital Program Business Manager, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, WI: SewerView, 2009 ESIG Enterprise Systems Category - Distinguished System
- "It was an honor to receive the ESIG award from URISA this past year. By participating in the ESIG award process we were able to exercise another reason to evaluate our system, by doing so we were able to find ways to improve our current system. We also received local media exposure because of the ESIG award, this helped us inform the Forsyth County public of how we were applying GIS for public safety in their county. This award also validated all of the hard work and development that went into this system, this helped the GIS department fortify a trust with the Forsyth County Administration." - John Kilgore, GISP, GIS Director, Forsyth County, GA: GIS Mobile Emergency Response System (ERS), 2009 ESIG Single Process System Winner
- "By participating in the ESIG process we are able to demonstrate how GIS technology benefits the whole organization in a very broad scope. Winning the award also greatly increased "GIS awareness" in the organization. The project eventually received an internal "City Manager Award", boosting the importance of GIS in the organization's technology environment." - Nianwei Liu, GISP, Senior System Analyst, City of Charlotte, NC: Virtual Charlotte, 2009 ESIG Enterprise Systems Category Winner
- "One of the most rewarding aspects of participating in the ESIG Awards process was the rare opportunity to formally acknowledge the outstanding efforts of our staff and regional partner agencies for their collaborative work. Recognition of their achievements by URISA's respected community of GIS professionals and peers has provided quite a charge." - Eric Brandt, GISP, GIS Program Manager, Lane Council of Governments, OR: Regional Land Information Database (RLID), 2009 ESIG Enterprise Systems Category - Distinguished System
Applications may be submitted in two categories, Single Process and Enterprise Systems:
- SINGLE PROCESS SYSTEMS - Systems in this category are outstanding and working examples of applying information system technology to automate a specific SINGLE process or operation involving one department or sub-unit of an agency. The system application results in extended and/or improved government services that are more efficient and/or save money.
- ENTERPRISE SYSTEMS - Systems in this category are outstanding and working examples of using information systems technology in a multi-department environment as part of an integrated process. These systems exemplify effective use of technology yielding widespread improvements in the process(es) and/or service(s) involved and/or cost savings to the organization.
Applications must be submitted by May 3, 2010. Winners in each category will be recognized at URISA's 48th Annual Conference, September 28-October 1, 2010 in Orlando, Florida.
For more information or to review past submissions from winning systems, visit http://www.urisa.org/esig or call (847) 824-6300.
Event: January 12, 2010 (Des Plaines, IL) - URISA and the National Emergency Number Association are accepting abstract submissions for the 2010 URISA/NENA Addressing Conference. The conference—for GIS professionals, addressing coordinators, 9-1-1 and emergency response specialists —will take place in Charlotte, North Carolina, August 16-18, 2010.
The conference is developed through abstracts submitted through a Call for Presentations. The Conference Committee, comprised of URISA and NENA members, reviews all of the abstracts received by the deadline date, and organizes the educational sessions according to those abstracts. The Committee has specified three program tracks for the conference, and they are each described below.
- Adventures in Addressing
The development and maintenance of an understandable and consistent addressing system is a complex process. Addresses are used for locating a home, mail delivery, utilities, voting, allocation of local, state, and federal funds, and emergency response. It is one thing if the pizza delivery has difficulty locating an address, but with emergency response a life may be on the line. Disparate addressing practices, poor address quality, funding, and lack of understanding all lead to poor addressing. This track will outline key issues, solutions, and best practices related to good addressing, while sharing insights, tips, and lessons learned. - E-911: It's All About Location
Accurate locations are paramount to getting the right emergency responders to the correct location in a quick and efficient manner. Errors and discrepancies exist in all data and must be minimized for public safety and emergency response. The same data used by 9-1-1 and emergency response can be used by many others throughout the enterprise. This track will showcase lessons learned and best practices for addressing for public safety and is usable by everyone. - Addressing Strategies for Success
Many public and private entities can benefit from a well-conceived addressing system that involves cooperation, sharing of resources, and forming alliances. The addressing system must be easily understood, accepted and used by everyone. Any successful addressing system must include the cooperation of all stakeholders and the United States Postal Service (USPS). A strong maintenance program is also essential for maintaining the integrity of the addressing system. This track will cover case studies, best practice solutions, and training for the establishment and maintenance of a successful addressing strategy.
A review committee of NENA and URISA members will organize an educational program based on the abstracts submitted through the Call for Presentations. Abstract submissions will be accepted until February 18, 2010.
The link directly to the Call for Presentations is: http://www.urisa.org/addressing/2010charlotte
About NENA – The National Emergency Number Association (NENA) is The Voice of 9-1-1 ™. Now celebrating its 25th Year, NENA was established to promote implementation and awareness of 9-1-1 as North America’s universal emergency number. NENA has grown to become the leading professional non-profit organization dedicated solely to 9-1-1 emergency communications issues. For more information, visit www.nena.org
News: December 17, 2009 (Des Plaines, IL) - Ten years after announcing that electronic copies of the URISA Journal would be made freely available to teachers and learners everywhere via the World Wide Web, the Journal’s electronic archives have become one of the richest collections of open educational resources in the geospatial field.
As of December 2009 there are 196 peer-reviewed articles in 40 issues of the URISA Journal freely available at http://www.urisa.org/journal_archives.
The Journal is one of only three journals listed by the Directory of Open Access Journals (http://www.doaj.org) under the keyword “gis,” and it is the only one to be ranked among 46 leading geographic information science (GIScience) journals by Caron and colleagues in 2008.
Caron and colleagues’ combined a Delphi study of 40 international experts and a quantitative comparison of journal citation rates to identify and rank leading periodicals in the GIScience field.
They ranked the URISA Journal 14th in relative importance among 46 periodicals. According to president Kathrine Cargo, “the sustained quality of the URISA Journal confirms the quality of our authors’ research, the dedication and skill of our editorial team, and the viability of open access publishing. URISA is proud to contribute these valuable resources to the benefit of the geospatial enterprise worldwide.”
In 1998-99 Harlan Onsrud offered to serve as editor on the condition that the URISA Board of Directors agreed to publish open-access version the journal. Onsrud was concerned about escalating costs of academic journal subscriptions, and about scholars’ responsibility to “maximize dissemination of our works and our readership.” At the time, URISA President Joseph Ferreira stated that “while commercial publishers best make progress through exclusivity and control, the URISA Journal editors believe that science and new knowledge is best advanced through an intellectual environment of openness and freedom” (URISA 1999).
References: Caron, Claude, Stéphane Roche, Daniel Goyer and Annick Jaton (2008) GIScience Journals Ranking and Evaluation: An International Delphi Study. Transactions in GIS 12:3, 293-321.
Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (1999). URISA Journal Breaks New Ground. Press Release.
News: See URISA International's 2009 Membership distribution
(created by our own Georgia URISA member, Azar T. Khani, GISP of Fulton County Department of IT, GIS)
News: URISA International joins 15 other organizations to form the Coalition of Geospatial Organizations (COGO).
COGO was developed to provide a forum for organizations concerned with national geospatial issues that will 1) improve communications among the member organizations (and others), 2) provide educational information on relevant issues for their respective memberships, 3) align and strengthen their respective policy agendas, and 4) facilitate development of strategies to address national issues.
Send questions or comments about this web site to our webmaster.