GIS-Pro 2026

Whether you are just getting started with Python or looking to expand your skills in the Esri ecosystem, this workshop offers something for everyone. Through a mix of live demonstrations and hands-on coding exercises, participants will explore Python from the ground up and discover how it can be applied to real-world GIS workflows.

The session will guide attendees through core programming concepts before diving into ArcPy and ArcGIS Notebooks, two powerful tools for automating and enhancing geospatial processes. Along the way, participants will also get a taste of the ArcGIS API for Python and explore how libraries like pandas can be used to manipulate tabular data outside of the Esri environment.

No matter where you are on your Python journey, you will leave with practical experience, new techniques, and a broader perspective on the many pathways Python opens up for GIS professionals.

Keywords: Python basics, ArcPy, ArcGIS API for Python, ArcGIS Notebooks, Markdown Language

Participants must have ArcGIS Pro and access to ArcGIS Online or Enterprise Portal

Cost: One full-day or one half-day workshop is included with full conference registration. The cost to add a second half-day workshop is $100 member/$125 nonmember.

A successful GIS professional must navigate a wide range of environments and communities throughout th eir career. Achieving long-term success requires ongoing self-assessment—recognizing your strengths, identifying areas for growth, and leveraging both to enhance your impact. In this interactive workshop, participants will engage in hands-on activities to assess and strengthen their individual skill sets. We’ll explore how personal strengths contribute to group dynamics and how to align individual goals with collective success. You’ll learn practical strategies for identifying your core competencies and applying them in professional settings.

We will also dive into the evolving definition of success in the GIS field and discuss how to build meaningful connections across professional networks, including workplaces, societies, and cross-disciplinary teams. Finally, we’ll examine mentorship as a two-way street, emphasizing how both giving and receiving guidance can accelerate professional growth.

Whether you're just starting out or looking to refine your trajectory, this workshop will provide actionable tools to help you grow as a GIS professional—and as a valued member of the broader geospatial community.

Cost: One full-day or one half-day workshop is included with full conference registration. The cost to add a second half-day workshop is $100 member/$125 nonmember.

As the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) nears the full implementation of the modernized National Spatial Reference System (NSRS), the transition from legacy datums like NAD 83 and NAVD 88 to time-dependent, geopotential-based frames, like NATRF2022 and NAPGD2022, presents a significant shift for the GIS community. While the theoretical foundations are established, the practical success of this transition depends on the readiness of the hardware, software and workflows used by the community.

This panel session brings together leading geospatial hardware and software vendors alongside representatives from the open-source community to discuss the technical roadmap for NSRS integration. Panelists will move beyond theory to address how they are updating commercial-off-the-shelf platforms, field collection hardware, and open-source libraries to support State Plane Coordinate System of 2022, time-dependent coordinates, coordinate transformations and the elimination of the U.S. Survey Foot.

Keywords: datum, NSRS, NGS, data, government, agency

Panelists
Galen Scott, NGS Constituent Manager, NOAA's National Geodetic Survey, Silver Spring, MD - USA
Michael Dennis, NOAA's National Geodetic Survey, Silver Spring, MD - USA

Why should a student pursue a GIS internship? And why should an organization invest the resources to host one? This session explores the compelling "why" behind GIS internships from three distinct viewpoints: a current intern, a former intern turned GIS technician, and a manager who champions emerging talent.

For emerging professionals, internships are crucial opportunities to bridge the gap between academic theory and real-world spatial problem-solving, offering hands-on experience that classrooms simply can't replicate. For organizations, an internship program is a strategic investment. It provides a chance to inject fresh perspectives into workflows, tackle backlogged projects, and cultivate a reliable pipeline of tested GIS professionals.

Join us as we unpack the mutual benefits of these programs. Whether you are looking to launch your career or build your team's capacity, you will leave with actionable strategies to maximize the experience.
 Keywords: Intern, Internship, Manage, Leadership, Career, Experience

Why Intern? Why Hire? Unlocking the Mutual Value of GIS Internships
Adam Ratliff, GIS Tech II, City of Las Cruces, Las Cruces, NM - USA
Liz Parrish, MBA, GISP, Sr. Manager of Geospatial Analytics & Insights, H-E-B, Dallas, TX - USA
Ron Burns, GISP-E, GIS Data Steward Intern, Aurora Water, CO - USA

This session explores the GIS career journey from early professional uncertainty through mid-career transitions and career advancement, highlighting both expected and unexpected paths along the way. Attendees will learn how to move from academic GIS work into real-world practice, navigate ambiguity, and build confidence beyond foundational technical GIS skills. The discussion also covers diverse career paths beyond traditional analyst roles, including opportunities in leadership, project management, operations, and product-focused work, emphasizing the importance of communication, curiosity, and relationship-building. Finally, the session addresses the “missing middle” of mid-career professionals which is often a key point defining the choice to pursue deeper technical or business centric focuses. This session offers strategies for finding direction, mentorship, and growth opportunities while deciding between technical specialization and leadership pathways.

Keywords:  career, growth, learning, leadership, management, mentorship
Stuck in the Middle: Navigating the Mid-Career GIS Identity Crisis
Christina Brunsvold, MS, GISP, Lead GIS Administrator/Project Manager, CAL FIRE, Sacramento, CA - USA

Beyond the Map: Career Paths GIS Doesn’t Talk About
Johnny Harley, GISP, GIS Analyst, TREKK Design Group, Fairway KS - USA
Brianna Zumhof, Partner Strategy Manager for Government, Eagleview, San Diego, CA – USA

Mapping the Transition from Student to Geospatial Professional
Allison Bednar, GIS Analyst, Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, Tampa, FL - USA

This panel discussion will explore practical approaches to building a compelling web-based portfolio that reflects both technical and non-technical GIS roles. Panelists will share real examples of portfolios they have developed in preparation for this session, highlighting how content and storytelling can vary depending on experience and career goals.

Keywords: Professional development, GIS Portfolio, Young professionals

Panelists
Brianna Zumhof, MA., Partner Strategy Manager, Eagleview, San Diego, CA - USA
Tito Ramirez, Manager of Geospatial Analytics & Insights, H-E-B, Austin, TX - USA
Olga Tambazidis, Demographer, Los Angeles Unified School District
Madeline Tripp, GIS & Public Engagement Specialist, VIEWSHED

High-performing GIS programs aren’t just built on technology, they’re built on people, strategy, and the ability to scale impact beyond the core team. This session brings together three perspectives on what it takes to create and sustain successful GIS teams in today’s evolving landscape.

We’ll start at the individual level, exploring how participation in professional communities like the Esri Young Professionals Network and the Geospatial Professional Network helps emerging professionals build skills, expand networks, and accelerate career growth. From there, we shift to the manager’s perspective, introducing a “Moneyball”-inspired approach to assembling and developing a high-performing GIS team by recognizing talent, maximizing strengths, and making strategic people decisions. Finally, we’ll see how these principles come together in practice, with a real-world example of scaling GIS impact across hundreds of events by empowering non-GIS staff with self-service mapping tools.

Together, these presentations tell a cohesive story: when individuals grow, teams strengthen and when teams are designed well, their impact can scale far beyond their size.

Keywords: Professional Development, Networking, Mentoring, Team, Growth, Building to Scale

Turning Community Participation into Career Momentum
Logan Stevens, ArcGIS Enterprise Release Engineer/Esri YPN Advisory Board Member, Esri, Charlotte, NC - USA
Marcus Seepersad, Brand Marketing Specialist, Esri, Redlands, CA - USA

A GIS Manager's Team Development - the Moneyball Approach
Greg Babinski, MA, GISP, EthicalGEO Fellow, GIS Management Consultant, GIS Management Consulting Services LLC, Edmonds, WA – USA

Scaling Event Maps Without Scaling the GIS Team
Nathan Holman, Geospatial Solutions Administrator, American Cancer Society, Decatur, GA - USA

This session shows how organizations are building business systems by configuring commercial-off-the-shelf software to meet their needs for work order management, road closures, asset management, and stakeholder engagement.

Keywords: Work Order, Water, Sanitary, Stormwater, Management, Assets, GeoAI, Operations, Awareness, Road Closure, Waze, Collaboration, Map Projections, LDP

Work It! Using GIS to Create Your Own Custom Work Order System
Tyler DeBruin, GISP, GIS Utility Project Coordinator, Town of Grand Chute, Appleton, WI – USA

Build a Modern Work Management Solution with ArcGIS—Without the Enterprise Price Tag
Steve Mulberry, Geospatial Innovation Strategist, NV5, Meridian, ID - USA

 A Road Closure Solution Recipe by the City of Grand Island
Jennifer Parmeley, GISP, Public Works GIS Coordinator, City of Grand Island, Grand Island, NE – USA

Less Distortion, More Collaboration: Washington's Stakeholder-Driven LDP Network
Jami Dennis, GISP, Geospatial Analytics and Visualization Consultant, Geodetic Analysis LLC, Silver City, NM - USA