GIS-Pro 2026

Merely using tools of the trade does not make a person an effective mechanic, surgeon….or cartographer. An effective, successful map portrays a place, delivers a message, or reveals a pattern with representational accuracy and visual clarity. The test of accuracy and clarity is how well the audience perceives the map and understands its intended purpose. This workshop is designed to help mapmakers achieve that result and to enable anyone involved in the mapmaking process to understand how that happens.
This is a one-day survey of a subject that can take years to master. Even for someone who has been making maps for years, mastery can erode as new data, new techniques, and new technologies bring fresh design challenges and potential. The good news is that full mastery of this broad subject is not required to make good and successful maps. At least some knowledge about, or a better understanding of, the individual topics that we will cover in this workshop can help us all make successful maps and take on new cartographic design challenges.
 
1. Why make a map
2. Essentials of map theory
3. Cartographic Process – Connecting the map client with the map user via the cartographer
4. Map Element Fundamentals
5. Map Data Best Practices
6. Essential Map Design
7. Map Production
8. Reading the Map – Map evaluation

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.

From digital twins to machine learning, census partnerships to urban logistics — this session track showcases the remarkable breadth of what geospatial technology can do. Topics range from digital twin development and asset lifecycle management workflows to predictive modeling.

Keywords: Digital Twin, lidar, Census, machine learning, spatial analysis

Geographic Programs and Applications for the 2030 Census
Michael Arthur, Geographer, U.S. Census Bureau, Dunkirk, MD - USA

Predicting Urban Logistics Hotspots: How Spatial Analytics and Urban Morphology Explain Last-Mile Delivery Patterns
Hailey Irwin, Geospatial and Mobility Analyst, EIT Urban Mobility Master School Alumni, Washington, DC - USA

Integrating Geospatial Technologies, Machine Learning, and Remote Sensing for Urban Climate Resilience, Sustainability, and Equitable Planning
Mahi Patel, Ph.D. Scholar, Silver Oak University, Ahmedabad

Building the Digital Twin: Leveraging LiDAR and GIS for Smarter Asset Management
Steve Mulberry, Geospatial Innovation Strategist, NV5, Meridian, ID - US

These sessions highlight the growing role of geospatial technologies in addressing critical water resource and infrastructure challenges across diverse environments. Through a combination of practical workflows and advanced analytical techniques, presenters demonstrate how GIS, remote sensing, and modeling tools can address challenges such as drought, infrastructure aging, and flood risk.

Keywords: remote sensing, flood modeling, water resource management, lidar, climate resilience

Improving Idaho Water Storage Infrastructure with Site-selection Modeling for High-Elevation Subsurface Water Storage Structures
Mel Campbell, GIS Analyst, Bannock County GIS, Idaho Falls, ID - USA

Geospatial Innovation for Aging Canals: A Path to Water Security
Avantika Ramekar, PhD., GIS Analyst, Prairie Engineers, Cordova, TN - USA

Assessing the Influence of Vegetation Cover Change on Flood Severity: A GIS and Remote Sensing Case Study of Chikwawa District, Malawi
Margaret Chilinda, Graduate Student, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ – USA

From Assets to Insight: Rethinking Stormwater for a Resilient Future
Johnny Harley, GISP, GIS Analyst, TREKK Design Group, Fairway, KS - USA

These presentations highlight how government GIS supports transparency, data-driven decision-making, and cross-agency coordination. From open data hubs that reduce information requests, to parcel-level market modeling that improves tax equity, to integrated right-of-way systems that connect assets and operations, each demonstrates how modern GIS enables more collaborative, efficient, and trusted public sector outcomes.
Keywords: Government GIS, Transparency, Access 
The Modern GIS Hub: Transparency, Trust, and Fewer FOIA Requests
Crystal Williams, GIS Director, McLean County GIS Consortium, Bloomington, IL – USA

Mapping the Market: Using GIS and Augmented Intelligence to Define Market Areas in Philadelphia’s Mass Appraisal
Bindi Shakya, MSc., Mass Appraisal Modeler I, City of Philadelphia, PA – USA

Managing the Right-of-Way as a Shared System: Connecting GIS, Assets, and Activity
Matt Harman, MBA., Sr. Vice President, AtomAI Solutions, Inc., Saratoga Springs, UT - USA

Explore how coding, automation, and open-source solutions are transforming modern GIS operations. This session series highlights practical strategies for improving efficiency, scaling workflows, and expanding access to geospatial tools.

Keywords: GIS workflows, UAS, Web Tools, Python, ArcGIS Online

Stop Downloading CSVs: Building Automated GIS Data Workflows
Fiona Fox, GIS Analyst, Lightshift Energy, Arlington, VA – USA

Custom Web Tools for LiDAR Processing
Enoch Jones, P.E., Water Resource Engineer, Hansen, Allen & Luce, Willard, UT – USA

From Bottleneck to Breakthrough: Automating GIS Operations
Paul Petersen, GISP, Technology & Data Services Director, EDM International, Inc., Fort Collins, CO – USA

Open Your Stack: Building Flexible GIS Workflows with Open Source Tools
Chris Brannin, GIS Analyst/Programmer, Shoreland, Inc., Milwaukee, WI - USA

In order to drive effective data governance, policy must balance breadth and specificity, move quickly to prevent impending critical operations, and ensure that organization is protected from both a security and trust perspective. Attend this session to learn how to build data governance and cybersecurity frameworks that start small and can effectively navigate legacy systems and existing policies.

Keywords: Leadership, Data, Governance, Enterprise, Cybersecurity

​Mapping Power and Responsibility: Governance and Ethical Risk in GIS-Based
Abdulkader Murad, Ph.D., Professor, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Khuloud Ali, Dr., Assistant Professor, IMAGINE Studios

Enterprise and Data Governance
Wendy Peloquin, GISP, LAVM, Director of Commercial Sales Operations, Avineon, Jacksonville, FL - USA

Securing the Map: A Director's Framework for GIS Cybersecurity in Government
John Nolte, GISP, Director of Enterprise IT, Denver Water, Denver, CO - USA

Formal programs can only teach so much, and curriculum often lags behind the fast-paced technological evolution, resulting in Geospatial graduates and early career professionals struggling to “catch up” with industry knowledge and skills that weren’t perhaps explicitly part of a degree program. This session explores some of the knowledge gaps in foundational IT and Data architecture knowledge, as well as what modern GeoAI means for how data is analyzed, workflows are designed, and results interpreted and integrated back into GIS for visual insights.

This session examines the skills GIS professionals which span beyond those GIS taught in traditional programs. Some key foundation concepts which are crucial but may be underdeveloped include IT infrastructure fundamentals, Networking fundamentals, Database Design, and, if an Esri ArcGIS shop, the ArcGIS architecture foundations. Also, as AI continues to evolve, it is imperative that GIS students and professionals are aware of and implementing GeoAI tools, analyses, and capabilities.

Keywords: Leadership, Professional, career, development, IT skills, GeoAI

Oregon State Geomatics: A Novel Approach for Building Soft & Hard Skills for the Classroom and Workplace
Brett Murphy, Professional Land Surveyor (PLS), Instructor of Geoamtics, Oregon State University, Albany, OR – USA

GeoAI Is Here. Are We Teaching It Right?
David Cook, GISP, Teaching Faculty/Professor of Practice/Chief Innovation Office/Co-Founder, Univ of MD/Wake Forest University/Cornerstone Defense/The Training Data Project, Washington, DC - USA

The Hidden Skills Gap in GIS. Foundational IT Knowledge Everyone Should Know
Christina Brunsvold, MS, GISP, Lead GIS Administrator/Project Manager, CAL FIRE, Sacramento, CA – USA
Liz Parrish, MBA, GISP, Sr. Manager of Geospatial Analytics & Insights, H-E-B, Dallas, TX - USA