GIS-Pro 2026

A joint working lunch meeting for GPN Board members and Vanguard Cabinet participants.

An opportunity for volunteers to connect, share experiences, and discuss ideas to support and strengthen GPN initiatives.

“Visual Management is the application of Lean and Agile practices to build new ways of working for individuals and teams on-the-fly” (Modus Institute).

We take a system thinking approach to the complexities of new/unexplored work, (mis)understanding, decision-less meetings, interruptions, prioritization, communicating decisions and difficulty of collaboration. Through this highly interactive workshop, we will introduce the system of communications, system of meetings and the system of doing the right work at the right time. We will conduct practical exercises that focus on visualizing our work and limiting our work in progress. We will look at value stream mapping as an effective visualization and how to put those visualizations into action. There will be exercises to harvest ideas and tackle sticky problems. Ultimately, we will turn learning into action items.

Learning Outcomes:
Visualize your work
Limit your work in progress
Understand your work
Filter complexity
Turn your visualization into action

Improving workflows are foundational applications of GIS. This session shows how organizations are using GIS to improve operations for stormwater, fieldwork, inspections, and utility network migrations.

Keywords: ArcGIS Utility Network, Electric, Communications, Sanitary, Stormwater, Water, Wisconsin, Inspections, Maintenance, Asset Management, Utility Fee Calculation, Impervious Surface Analysis, Process Improvement, Process Documentation, Centralized, Prioritize, Efficiency, Repair, Real-time, Verification, Monitor

Ditch the Clipboard: Streamline Inspections and Maintenance with GIS
Cassidy Killian, Senior Project Manager, Cloudpoint Geospatial, Metamora, IL – USA

“Sealing the Leaks”: A Collaborative Overhaul of the Stormwater Utility Fee Workflow
Timothy Dolan, MGIS, GISP, GIS Manager, City of Falls Church, Virginia, Falls Church, VA – USA

Streamlining Fieldwork with Tasks in ArcGIS Field Maps
Jay Riester, Sr GPS/GIS Application Specialist, Seiler Geospatial, Franklin, WI - USA

From Tiles to Insight: Building a County Imagery Downloader and What You Can Do With the Data
Sig Gomez, GIS Developer, Cook County Government, Chicago, Illinois

Getting GIS adopted isn’t just about building great maps - it’s about navigating people, culture, and communication. This GeoSID session brings together three complementary perspectives on what it really takes to make GIS stick within an organization.

First, learn practical, field-tested strategies for gaining organizational buy-in, breaking through resistance, and demonstrating the real value of GIS in everyday workflows. Next, dive into the often-overlooked world of organizational dynamics: understanding the motivations, relationships, and politics that shape how (and whether) GIS initiatives succeed. Finally, discover how to translate your technical work into compelling, human-centered stories that resonate with non-technical audiences and decision-makers.

Together, these talks highlight a critical truth: successful GIS implementation requires more than technical expertise - it demands empathy, strategy, and strong communication.

Keywords: GIS Management, Organizational Change, Buy-In

How to get your organization to buy into GIS: tips and tricks
Ethan McGhee, Systems Application Specialist GIS, City of San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo, CA - USA

GIS vs. the Organization
Carmi Neiger, Ph.D., M.Arch., Lecturer, DePaul University, Glenview, IL – USA

​Maps Don't Speak for Themselves: Storytelling for GIS Professionals
Holly Kluever, COO, dymaptic, Norwalk, IA - USA

Organizations are seeking to move from reactive to proactive operations by implementing technology to power data-driven decisions. This session will demonstrate how organizations use GIS to improve decision making in permitting, fleet management, and utilities.
Keywords: County, Permit, Mobile, Fleet, Spatial Asset Management, Gas, Water, Utility Network, Tracing, Geoprocessing Services, Field Collection 

A GIS-Based Approach to Permit Management
Jeff DuMez, GIS Coordinator/LIO, Brown County Planning & Land Services Department, Green Bay, WI - USA
Mike Nordquist, Solutions Engineer, Pro-West & Associates, Walker, MN – USA
Driving Innovation: How St. Johns County Transformed Fleet Management
Summer Manestar, MSc., GIS Analyst, St. Johns County Public Works Department, Saint Augustine, FL - USA
Olivia Testasecca, MSc., GIS Analyst, St. Johns County Public Works Department, Saint Augustine, FL – USA
Powering Modern Utilities: Real-World GIS Solutions for Efficiency, Compliance, and Field Operations
Sarah Brenneman, GIS Specialist, Cultivate Geospatial Solutions, Noblesville, IN - USA

As utilities continue transitioning from ArcFM and ArcMap models to the ArcGIS Utility Network (UN), organizations are navigating different paths depending on resources, infrastructure, and operational needs. This session brings together three perspectives from municipal and utility organizations that are actively implementing or operating within the UN. Representatives from Wisconsin's City of De Pere, Kaukauna Utilities, and WPPI Energy will present their respective journeys - from vendor-led migrations to internally managed implementations. The City of De Pere will share their experience working with Avineon to migrate sanitary, stormwater, and water data to the UN. WPPI Energy will discuss their work supporting smaller electric utilities by transitioning using migration software. Kaukauna Utilities will provide the perspective of a mature UN implementation, highlighting five years of operational use for electric, along with internal migrations for water and communications.

Kristen Vincent, GISP, GIS Manager, City of De Pere, De Pere, WI
Kayla Coonen, Operational Technology Specialist, Kaukauna Utilities, WI
Tyler Caulum, GIS Manager, WPPI Energy, Sun Prairie, WI

From backyard burials to digitally mapped legacies, this session explores how GIS is reshaping the way we document, manage, and honor the spaces of the dead. Through three distinct but interconnected projects, presenters will share how modern tools like Survey123, Experience Builder, and municipal GIS systems are bringing new visibility and structure to cemeteries, private burial sites, and veterans’ graves.

But this work isn’t just technical - it’s deeply human. Attendees will hear how unexpected challenges, community partnerships, and evolving policies shaped each project, revealing the sometimes messy, emotional, and surprising realities behind the data. Whether it’s navigating the complexities of private land burials, mobilizing volunteers to honor veterans, or helping towns bring order to aging cemetery records, this session highlights how GIS professionals act as stewards of both data and memory.

Expect practical lessons, candid reflections, and a reminder that even in the most grounded datasets… there are stories waiting to surface.

Keywords: Cemetery Management, Commemoration, Community Engagement, Digital Stewardship, GIS Applications or GIS Databases

Modernization and Mishaps in Private Burials
Monique Hassman, MS, PhD., GIS Coordinator/Land Information Officer, Vernon County Land Information Office, Viroqua, WI – USA

Using Community Engagement and GIS to Honor Washington County Veterans
Michael Vander Sanden, GISP, GIS Coordinator, Washington County, West Bend, WI – USA

Cemeteries: Helping towns manage and provide access
Rosemary Mosher, GIS Specialist, VIEWSHED, Yarmouth, ME – USA
Judy Colby-George, GISP, Principal, VIEWSHED, Yarmouth, ME - USA

GIS pros can explain topology, linear referencing, and geoprocessing models for hours. Decision-makers usually want the two-minute version and preferably without a map algebra detour. This session explores how AI can act as a translator between technical GIS staff and leadership by turning dense, highly technical analysis into clear, concise, decision-ready documentation. Think of it as giving your GIS workflow a public information officer with infinite patience and fewer acronyms.

Keywords: GIS, Leadership, Communication, AI, Professional