November 6th, 2017
URISA Leaders Recognized at GIS-Pro 2017

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More than 400 GIS professionals – from 38 states, 4 Canadian provinces, and 10 countries – recently convened in Jacksonville, Florida for GIS-Pro 2017. One of the highlights of the conference was the Awards Breakfast, during which a number of URISA leaders were recognized for their volunteer service to the organization. We congratulate and thank them for their amazing contributions!

Leadership Award: Presented to members who have demonstrated exemplary leadership to URISA, creativity, innovation, and dedicated support of URISA programs. The recipient should be a member of URISA for enough years to show a pattern of leadership. Typically the recipient will have been responsible for new programs or activities, or significantly enhanced an existing activity or program, so that it takes URISA in a new direction and/or enhances our standing in the professional community.

2017 Recipients: 

• Kathrine Cargo, GISP, ENP – Orleans Parish Communications District, New Orleans, Louisiana
• Ashley Hitt, GISP – Connected Nation, Louisville, Kentucky
• Martin Roche, GISP – Avineon, Orlando, Florida

Service Award: Presented to members who have demonstrated faithful service to URISA and participation in its program over a period of several years. This award is for specific service to URISA. It should require a significant number of years of (not necessarily consecutive) service in a number of programs or committees, and a willingness to take on challenges without regard to the potential for recognition.

• 2017 Recipient: Doug Adams, GISP, Baltimore County Department of Public Works, Baltimore, Maryland

Barbara Hirsch Special Service Award: Presented to members or staff who have made special contributions to URISA. This award was created (in 2004) to honor URISA’s former Chief Financial Officer, Barbara Hirsch. Barb made her mark at URISA by being an exceptional professional who would always step forward when a point needed to be made, but never stepped to the front for recognition. It is in the spirit of this dedication that the Board of Directors has created an award for special service to URISA. This award will be given to individuals or committees who have shown a similar consummate level of service to URISA through an ongoing commitment to our success as an organization.

2017 Recipients: Core OneURISA Committee

• Amy Esnard, GISP – Elevon Solutions, Hood River, Oregon
• Thomas Fisher, GISP – Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District, New Philadelphia, OH
• Cindy Post, GISP – City of Leduc, Alberta, Canada
• Cy Smith, GISP – State of Oregon, Salem, Oregon

Outstanding Chapter Award: Each year, URISA recognizes a Chapter that has sponsored particularly effective activities or has otherwise excelled in serving its membership. Each year, chapters may apply for consideration as the Outstanding URISA Chapter. Nominations are coordinated by the URISA Chapter Advisory Board.Outstanding Chapter Award criteria include:

• Innovation
• Outreach
• Education
• Community Impact

2017 Recipient: URISA Texas Chapter

URISA’s GISCorps recognized three long-serving members of its Core Committee with Volunteer Appreciation Awards:

• David Litke, GISP – Lakewood, Colorado
• Heather Milton, GISP – My Orleans Photo Project, New Orleans, Louisiana
• Mark Salling, PhD, GISP – Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio

Young Professional of the Year: URISA was also pleased to recognize Daniel Behnke, GISP (Data Transfer Solutions, Orlando, Florida) as URISA’s Young Professional of the Year in recognition of his outstanding contributions as part of URISA’s Vanguard Cabinet.

Review the distinguished history of URISA Award winners here: http://www.urisa.org/about-us/awards/.