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URISA seeks FLURISA volunteers to help with GIS-PRO

URISA International would like to ask Florida URISA Chapter members to participate in the conference, volunteering their time and expertise in a few different ways:

1.    Workshop Moderator: There will be six URISA Certified Workshops taking place on Tuesday, September 28. We would like to have one workshop moderator for each course that day. That person will be tasked with assisting the instructors with collecting tickets, troubleshooting any AV difficulties (which rarely occur), letting URISA staff know about any issues that might need attention, etc. There’s usually a $150 fee to attend the 8 hour course, but workshop moderators may attend (and receive credit) at no additional cost, as long as they are registered for the conference.

2.    Session Moderator: GIS-Pro is packed with 60 and 90 minute sessions featuring individual presentations from speakers across the globe. Some sessions already have built-in moderators, but we will need about a dozen more. We typically like for session moderators to have an interest or expertise in the topic being presented, so that they can pose questions to the presenters and/or the audience to try to get a bit of interaction started. Session moderators are provided with a list of announcements to make for their session (which is included in their conference registration materials along with a MODERATOR ribbon for their name badge). Announcements will include such requests as "Please turn your cell phones to vibrate" and "A coffee break will follow this session in the exhibit hall". We also ask session moderators to provide some feedback about the session itself.

3.    Presentation Luncheon Participants: Wednesday, September 29 - 12:00 Noon 2:00PM
A frequent response from conference attendees when asked for suggestions to improve the URISA Annual Conference is 'more time to interact with the speakers and the opportunity to discuss topics further with them'. To answer that request this year, we are introducing small group presentations, over lunch. Presentations will be made a bit more informally at a lunch table instead of at a podium. The format will offer opportunity for in-depth discussion, questions & answers about the topic being presented. We have a long list of presentations already, but I’m certain we could use some more. And I’m also certain that there are some great things being done by Florida URISA members which should be heard by attendees.

4.    Things to See and Do in Orlando: Would love to have a handout for attendees which includes a list of ‘top picks’ from Florida Chapter members of things to see or do while visiting Orlando for the conference. Of course, we’ll have the usual brochures supplied by the Orlando CVB and Walt Disney World, but it’s much more worthwhile to have a list of ‘proven’ winners, tips, tricks, etc.!

If you would like to participate in any of the opportunities above please contact:

William Walter, GISP
FLURISA President
wewalter@pbsj.com
813-281-8372

Florida Region of ASPRS now accepting nominations for the Professional Recognition Award

The Florida Region of ASPRS is now accepting nominations for the Professional Recognition Award. This is a yearly award meant to highlight the accomplishments of professionals whose actions have promoted the mission of the ASPRS. Of those nominated, two (2) will be selected (a current Florida Region ASPRS member and a non-member) for the award.

Winners of the award will receive a one-year paid ASPRS membership.

To submit a nomination form go to:
http://www.flasprs.com/docs/ASPRS_Professional_Award_Recognition_Form_07262010.pdf

Hurry! Nominations end August 31st.

*Only Florida and Puerto Rico residents are eligible for the non-member award, while the member award is limited to current Florida Region members. All eligibility requirements and exclusions apply.

GIS-Pro 2010 speakers

GIS-Pro 2010: URISA's Annual Conference for GIS Professionals will take place September 28-October 1, 2010 in Orlando, Florida. For conference details, visit www.gis-pro.org

Here are a few of the distinguished speakers that will be presenting at GIS-PRO:

URISA is pleased to announce Stan Meiburg as the opening keynote speaker at GIS-Pro 2010 in Orlando. Stan Meiburg is the Acting Regional Administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 4 in Atlanta, Georgia. In his keynote address, "From Environmental Information to Environmental Action: Challenges in Using GIS for Environmental Protection," Mr. Meiburg will discuss the barriers to the use of GIS applications in setting environmental policy and producing environmental improvement. These barriers include integrating technical tools, data quality, laws and regulations, unclear policy objectives, and political will. They can be overcome with patient, persistent, professional leadership and collaborative efforts, but they pose significant challenges which go beyond simply refining GIS applications.

Danielle Ayan, GISP, GIS-Pro 2010 Conference Chair offers that "U.S. EPA Region 4 has experienced tremendous activity over the past several years, including the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and other pollution challenges, mountaintop mining, climate change and green living, to name a few. While these activities are not necessarily unique to EPA Region 4, it is impressive how EPA Region 4, under Mr. Meiburg's direction, is leveraging the geospatial approach for managing and addressing them."

Mr. Meiburg will deliver his keynote address on Wednesday, September 29, 2010 at GIS-Pro 2010: URISA's 48th Annual Conference for GIS Professionals in Orlando. For more information, visit www.gis-pro.org.

Zsolt Nagy, GISP, will draw on his current and previous experiences to speak on the directions and opportunities to identify, collaborate, and advance geospatial priorities during the Closing Plenary Session at GIS-Pro 2010: URISA's 48th Annual Conference for GIS Professionals in Orlando.

Zsolt Nagy is a Senior Project Manager with AECOM focused on advancing and marketing the company's GIS specialty practice. Prior to joining AECOM in 2009, Mr. Nagy was the State GIS Coordination Manager for the State of North Carolina. Zsolt conducted his first GIS project over 30 years ago utilizing a classic 'overlay' approach in the evaluation and positioning of a recreational hiking trail in the Duke Forest. A graduate of North Carolina State University College of Natural Resources and Paul Smith's College of Forestry, Zsolt began his professional career at the NC Center for Geographic Information & Analysis as a Technician taking career steps with positions as Project Leader, GIS Analyst, Project Manager, Production Manager, and Database Administrator, before serving as the State GIS Coordinator. Zsolt has made numerous contributions to national organizations and on collaborative initiatives. He was appointed by the US Secretary of Interior as a charter member of the National Geospatial Advisory Committee and is a former President of the National States Geographic Information Council. Earlier this year, Zsolt received The Old North State Award from Governor Bev Perdue in recognition of his service to North Carolina.

BP's Standard of Care to be Hot Topic at GIS-Pro 2010 Conference
Did BP Fail Standard of Care Tests? Dr. Barry Wellar, Professor Emeritus, Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Ottawa, Canada, questions whether a possible failure to properly apply standard of care tests contributed to BP's massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Dr. Wellar, a distinguished research scientist and President of the Information Research Board, will discuss the BP case at two featured conference sessions during URISA's 2010 GIS-Pro Conference in Orlando, Florida.

"Every individual and corporation has duty of care and standard of care responsibilities, and those responsibilities can be moral, ethical, and legal in nature." says Wellar. "In the BP-Gulf of Mexico incident the actionable responsibilities of consequence are those involving legal liability, and the liability can be civil as well as criminal."

"To get a handle on the degree of liability, we will outline how proper regard for standard of care principles could have precluded or significantly mitigated the BP oil incident. And, we will explore how geographic information systems (GIS) can assist in establishing the damage zone, and the geographic extent of BP's legal liability."

However, says Dr. Wellar, this is not just a discussion for experts.

"I believe that these sessions on standard of care will assist the media, and ordinary citizens, to more critically assess what BP, the fossil fuel industry, and governments are actually doing to fix this oil spill mess, and to prevent future messes."

Dr. Wellar is also concerned that too many people may erroneously regard the Gulf of Mexico disaster as someone else's problem.

"There are current and proposed drilling sites around the world that are in or near bodies of water, and we are long overdue for comprehensive and critical analyses of standard of care practices by the oil and gas industry. The BP-Gulf disaster is a brutal wake-up call that should have been anticipated and heeded decades ago."

URISA President Kathrine Cargo, from the Orleans Parish Communication District, New Orleans, LA, welcomes this discussion about the BP-Gulf of Mexico situation.

"Dr. Wellar's presentations provide a totally different look at the oil spill situation by someone who for decades has done outstanding work on public policy matters, and he has expert witness experience involving standard of care issues. We think that this discussion at the URISA's 2010 GIS-Pro Conference will be very valuable locally, nationally, and internationally."

Information about Dr. Barry Wellar is posted at http://www.wellarconsulting.com.