Herndon, Virginia —The United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) CEO Keith J. Masback has been appointed Vice Chair of the National Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC). The NGAC provides recommendations to the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC), the interagency executive group responsible for providing leadership and direction in federal geospatial programs. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell appointed Masback Vice Chair along with new NGAC Chair Julie Sweetkind-Singer and 14 new and continuing members to the committee.
“I sincerely appreciate Secretary Jewell’s confidence in me to work in support of Julie Sweetkind-Singer and provide leadership for the committee,” Masback said. “The NGAC has historically played an important role in providing advice and counsel to help shape and guide our nation’s geospatial policy and practice, and we have a challenging set of issues at hand for the effort over the next year.”
Before becoming CEO of USGIF, Masback spent more than 20 years as an officer in the U.S. Army and in the government civilian service, culminating as a member of the Defense Intelligence Senior Executive Service at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Sweetkind-Singer is a leader in the geospatial library and information management community, serving as the assistant director of Geospatial, Cartographic and Scientific Data; and head librarian of the Branner Earth Sciences Library and Map Collections at Stanford University. She served as NGAC Vice-Chair for the past year.
“We are honored to have these accomplished geospatial professionals as leaders and members of the National Geospatial Advisory Committee,” said Jennifer Gimbel, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Water and Science, who serves as Chair of the FGDC Steering Committee. “The NGAC has been a valuable resource and an excellent partner for the federal geospatial community, and has provided thoughtful advice and recommendations on a wide range of geospatial policy and management issues. Geospatial data and technology are essential for federal agencies and we look forward to continuing our collaboration with this distinguished set of leaders.”
About USGIF
USGIF is a nonprofit educational foundation dedicated to promoting the geospatial intelligence tradecraft and developing a stronger GEOINT Community with government, industry, academia, professional organizations, and individuals who develop and apply geospatial intelligence to address national security challenges. USGIF achieves its mission via its strategic pillars: Build the Community | Advance the Tradecraft | Accelerate innovation.
For more information, please visit www.USGIF.org and follow USGIF on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
About NGAC
The NGAC was created under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, enacted by Congress in 1972 to ensure that advice rendered to the executive branch by advisory committees, task forces, boards, and commissions formed by Congress and the President, be both objective and accessible to the public. The NGAC includes up to 30 members, selected to achieve a balanced representation of the varied interests associated with geospatial programs and technology. The U.S. Geological Survey, a bureau of the Department of the Interior, provides support services for the NGAC, which functions solely as an advisory body.
