GIS-Pro 2026: Full Schedule

Welcome to GIS-Pro 2026 in Milwaukee! The Geospatial Professional Network is thrilled to partner with the Wisconsin Land Information Association for this event. This is where you will find the comprehensive program agenda, speaker profiles, and sponsor directory. Registration and additional conference information are located here.

We’re excited to debut a brand-new session experience at GIS-Pro: GeoSID Talks.

8:30am CDT

Welcome and Opening Keynote Address: Unlocking the Evidence: How GIS Mapping Drives Modern Law Enforcement

Tuesday October 13, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am CDT

Crystal Ballroom, 5th Floor

Welcome & Land Acknowledgement
Take a moment to honor the traditional, ancestral, and contemporary homeland of the Potawatomi, Ho-Chunk, and Menominee nations as we gather in Milwaukee.

Celebrate communities and hear from GPN and WLIA leadership as we prepare to share, learn, and connect.

Keynote Address: Unlocking the Evidence: How GIS Mapping Drives Modern Law Enforcement
Chris is a 34 year veteran law enforcement officer specializing in cell phone record analysis. He will share how GIS mapping turns complex data into compelling visual stories. Drawing on real cases and courtroom experiences, he will highlight the evolution of mapping tools and techniques in modern investigations.

Speakers

Christopher Corbitt

Investigator & Chief of Technical Operations, State Attorney's Office, 2nd Judicial Circuit of Florida

Christopher Corbitt is a 34-year law enforcement veteran who retired from the Tallahassee (FL) Police Department at the rank of Sergeant after more than 30 years of service. After serving in various uniform and investigative positions, his last 21 years at TPD focused on law enforcement... Read More →

Tuesday October 13, 2026 8:30am - 10:00am CDT
Crystal Ballroom, 5th Floor

Keynote Address

3:30pm CDT

Wisconsin's WLIP: A Blueprint for the NSDI?

Wednesday October 14, 2026 3:30pm - 4:30pm CDT

Crystal Ballroom, 5th Floor

Wisconsin has had great success with their Wisconsin Land Information Program (WLIP). This program incentivizes, standardizes, and rolls up several foundational thematic data sets, from all 72 counties into products available for in-state and broader audiences.

The featured panelists in this session will discuss if this might be a model that is adaptable for national use - examining what makes it work, and what could be scalability and administrative challenges

Keywords: Local Data; State Data, National Themes, WLIP, NSDI

Panelists:
Curtis Pulford, Enterprise GIS Manager, City of Phoenix
Megan Compton, Senior NSDI Advisor, FGDC
Mike Friis, Director, Resource Policy Bureau, WI Department of Administration
Howard Veregin, State Cartographer, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Eric Damkot, Director of GIS/Land Information Officer, Washington County

Moderators

Matt Gerike, PhD, GISP

Geospatial Program Manager, Virginia 9-1-1 & Geospatial Services

Matt Gerike is Geospatial Program Manager for 9-1-1 GIS at the Virginia Geographic Information Network where he supports localities across the commonwealth. He has managed GIS offices and projects in local government, worked with state level GIS clearinghouses and data development... Read More →

Speakers

Curtis Pulford

Enterprise GIS Manager, City of Phoenix

Curtis is the Enterprise GIS Manager for City of Phoenix, the fifth-most populous city in the United States. It is also the state capital and largest city in the state at 517.9 square miles. Our metropolitan area is the 11th largest by population in the United States, with approximately... Read More →

Megan Compton

Senior NSDI Advisor, Federal Geographic Data Committee

As a leader in geospatial and tech, I’m driving the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI)—basically, I’m mapping the future (literally). I manage the National Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC), guiding our brilliant members to tackle complex geospatial challenges, while... Read More →

Michael Friis

Director, Resource Policy Bureau, Wisconsin Department of Administration

Howard Veregin

Wisconsin State Cartographer, University of Wisconsin, Madison

Forty years of experience in digital cartography and GIS (Geographic Information Systems). PhD in Geography from UC Santa Barbara. Nearly 10 years of experience as a university professor, with teaching and research interests in cartography and GIS. Nearly 10 years of experience directing... Read More →

Eric Damkot, GISP

Director of GIS/Land Information Officer, Washington County, WI

Eric is a UWGB alum where he majored in biology and environmental sciences. After graduation he joined a GIS program at Washington County that was in its infancy and for the past 25+ years has been involved in nearly all aspects of the county’s growing GIS program. Eric is a WLIA... Read More →

Wednesday October 14, 2026 3:30pm - 4:30pm CDT
Crystal Ballroom, 5th Floor

Keynote Address

10:30am CDT

Closing Keynote: Spreading the Word About GIS: Lessons for a Successful GIS Career

Thursday October 15, 2026 10:30am - 11:30am CDT

Crystal Ballroom, 5th Floor

Some advice on being a successful GIS professional drawn from Bill Huxhold’s experience of introducing GIS technology at the City of Milwaukee – one of the first urban GIS implementations back in the 1970’s and 80’s. Bill will describe how he brought a vision to the City; his experience with different department personalities who showed reluctance accepting new technology; and how important is it to share knowledge among other GIS professionals. It includes a brief history of the unusual experience that he encountered when the Wisconsin Land Information Program was created soon after he was president of the Urban Regional Information Systems Association (now GPN).

Speakers

William E Huxhold

Professor, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee

Professor Huxhold has been teaching courses on geographic information systems at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee since 1988. Prior to his full-time appointment at the University in 1990, he was MIS Project Director at the City of Milwaukee, having responsibility for the development... Read More →

Thursday October 15, 2026 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
Crystal Ballroom, 5th Floor

Keynote Address

8:30am CDT

3:30pm CDT

10:30am CDT

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