GIS-Pro 2026

This GPN Certified Workshop is aimed at the GIS professional who is currently supporting or may support their emergency communications division in the future. In a fully operational next generation 9-1-1 system, GIS is the core component in determining how a 9-1-1 call is routed to the correct public safety answering point (PSAP).

This technology shift has profound impacts on local data maintenance workflows and data fidelity. There is a sincere lack of education available aimed at the GIS professional who may not be as versed with the 9-1-1 terminology or needs. This workshop is intended to provide an overview of next generation 9-1-1, the role of GIS in these systems, the implications on local workflows and system needs, and to illustrate common pain points and sources of errors in local GIS datasets.

Learning Objectives:

• Become familiar with basic next generation 9-1-1 terminology and concepts
• Recognize GIS’ role in a fully operational next generation 9-1-1 system
• Understand the implications on local GIS workflows to meet the demands of a next generation 9-1-1 system
• Begin to understand immediate steps that can be taken in preparing GIS assets for next generation 9-1-1

Intended Audience: GIS Managers, Emergency Management and Public Safety professionals.

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.

Does the word “statistics” scare you? It doesn't have to. This short course is about how spatial statistics help you see patterns: Are things are clustered, spread out, or related to what’s around them, and if that relationship matters. ArcGIS Pro’s Spatial Statistics toolbox contains tools for analyzing spatial distributions, patterns, processes, and relationships. A classic question spatial statistics can answer is: "Is the pattern I'm seeing on this map a real trend, or is it just happening by chance?" While anyone can look at a map and see "clusters" of points, humans are naturally biased to find patterns even when they aren't there. Spatial statistics can prove if those patterns are statistically significant, that is, are they meaningful or not. This course is about understanding what spatial stats can tell us, not the math behind them. We’ll examine use cases and begin to learn to interpret the results of the spatial statistics. No previous statistics background is required.
 Keywords: Spatial analysis, Spatial statistics

Attendance at technical short courses is included with full conference registration and pre-registration is not required. Note that seats are available on a first-come/first-served basis. 

Accurate synchronization between GIS datasets and legacy 9-1-1 databases is essential for a successful NG9-1-1 environment. Aligning Address Points, Road Centerlines, MSAG, and ALI supports precise call routing and reduces errors that impact emergency response.


Keywords: NG9-1-1 Data Synchronization ArcGIS Pro Geoprocessing Workflows

Attendance at technical short courses is included with full conference registration and pre-registration is not required. Note that seats are available on a first-come/first-served basis. 

What if your team could walk into a room with a list of challenges and walk out with a prioritized set of actionable solutions - all in under an hour? Solution Mapping makes that possible. In this hands-on exercise, participants will experience Solution Mapping firsthand - a facilitated group exercise developed by the Geospatial Professional Network that blends the structured prioritization of Lean Coffee with the collaborative clustering of Affinity Mapping.

Participants will identify real problems facing their organizations, use dot voting to surface the issues that matter most, and collectively brainstorm solutions in an open, low-barrier format. Whether you're a analyst looking for fresh ways to engage stakeholders, a team lead navigating organizational change, or a practitioner who wants to bring more collaborative energy to your workplace, Solution Mapping is a technique you can take home and use immediately.

Keywords: solution, mapping, collaboration, actionable, confidence

Tim Nolan, GISP, CGCIO, LAVM, Senior IT Manager, Collin County, McKinney, TX - USA

This session examines how spatial analysis is used to understand population change, infrastructure access, and transportation safety in urban and regional contexts, with attention to equity. Together, the presentations show how displacement, shifting populations, and uneven access to infrastructure and safe mobility shape conditions across cities and communities. By highlighting patterns of movement, access, and risk, the studies demonstrate how spatial analysis makes these uneven geographies visible and measurable.

Keywords: Spatial analysis, Planning, Infrastructure, Demographics, Municipal GIS

Advancing Equity and Efficiency in Sidewalk and Ramp Requests: A GIS-Driven Approach for the City of Houston
Jessica Lott, Director of Technical Solutions, dymaptic, Paducah, KY – USA

Mapping Safety for Children: Using GIS to Prioritize Traffic Safety Around Schools and Parks
Oghenetega Ogodo, AICP, Transportation Planner, TYLin International City Solutions (Formerly Sam Schwartz), Chicago, IL – USA

Mapping the Impacts of Gentrification: A GIS Framework for Analyzing Displacement
Reginald Archer, PhD, GISP, Associate Professor, Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN – USA

Population Shift-Share Analysis:  Planning in No Growth Scenarios
Lynn Dupont, GISP, Licensed Landscape Architect, GIS Manager, Principal Planner, New Orleans Regional Planning Commission, New Orleans, LA - USA
Malissa Givhan, Title Vi Coordinator, New Orleans Regional Planning Commission, New Orleans, LA - USA

This session explores how to strengthen GIS operations across an organization by connecting efficient field data collection, strategic system management, and accessible geospatial resources. Attendees will learn how an organization leveraged ArcGIS Field Maps for accurate, rules-driven workflows, best practices around planning and executing Esri upgrades and migrations while minimizing risk and downtime, and how an internal centralized geospatial storefront can improve data access, collaboration, and user engagement. Together, these approaches demonstrate how to build scalable, resilient GIS programs that deliver greater organizational value.

Keywords: Data collection, administration, best practices, administration, collaboration, ROI

Inside the Rock County Employee Geospatial Storefront
Jennifer Borlick, Geospatial Services Administrator, Rock County, Janesville, WI – USA

Preparing for Esri Upgrades and Migrations
Julian Guess, Business Development Manager, Avineon, Inc., McLean, VA - USA

Building Smarter Field Workflows with ArcGIS Field Maps
Jessica Lott, Director of Technical Solutions, dymaptic, Paducah, KY - USA

Discover how organizations are leveraging geospatial technology to transform data into meaningful insights, stronger community engagement, and more informed decision-making. This session brings together four diverse presentations that showcase innovative applications of GIS from collaborative planning and public storytelling to high-resolution land cover mapping, economic impact analysis, and statewide imagery production. Presenters will demonstrate how modern geospatial tools are helping practitioners communicate project outcomes, support infrastructure investments, improve environmental management, and deliver authoritative datasets that serve communities across multiple scales. Whether you're interested in web GIS, remote sensing, spatial analysis, or public engagement, you'll leave with practical ideas, transferable workflows, and fresh inspiration for using GIS to create measurable impact in your own work.
Keywords: land use land over, conservation, geospatial data support, GIS platforms, resource management, orthoimagery

From Data to Dollars: Accessing and Applying the Nation’s First Public Trail Economic Impact Model
Steve Bert, MA, AICP, Program Manager, Economic & Policy Assessment, Institute for Transportation Research and Education (ITRE), Raleigh, NC – USA

NOAA’s New High-Resolution Coastal Land Cover
Lara O'Brien, Great Lakes Regional Geospatial Analyst, NOAA Office for Coastal Management, Chaska, MN – USA

Leveraging ArcGIS Hub Sites for Collaborative Conservation Work on National Forests
Christina Sabochick, Geospatial Analyst, National Forest Foundation, Arlington, VA - USA

Wisconsin in High Definition: A Visual Tour Through the New WROC Statewide Orthoimagery Dataset
Zach Nienow, Aerial Mapping Manager, Ayres Associates, Madison, WI - USA

This session explores how GIS can be transformed into a powerful tool for local decision-making and emergency response. By examining real-world examples such as conservation suitability tools, municipal data portals, and mobile-compatible flood mapping applications the session demonstrates how complex spatial data can be simplified into intuitive tools that improve transparency, sustainability, and situational awareness. Attendees will learn how these user-friendly applications not only support day-to-day operations but also build long-term community resilience and enhance coordination during critical events.

Keywords: Local government, stakeholder engagement, conservation, interactive applications, decision-making, community resilience, emergency management

Informed Decision Making: Tree Canopy and Dashboards
Kassandra Hernandez-Galvan, Asset Management Analyst, City of Warrenville, Warrenville, IL – USA
Tripp Corbin, MCP, GISP, Senior GIS Professional, Consultant, and Instructor, Cultivate Geospatial Solutions LLC, Dacula, GA - USA

Creating an Interactive Conservation Scorecard Application
Madeline Tripp, GIS & Public Engagement Specialist, VIEWSHED, Portland, ME - USA

Rapid GIS Deployment for Flood Situational Awareness: A Saint John Case Study
Yves Leger, M.Sc., GISP, GIS Manager, City of Saint John, Saint John, NB - Canada

This session offers a well-rounded look at various GISP certifications through updates to the GISCI certification program, industry perspective, and firsthand experience. Attendees will hear the latest from the GIS Certification Institute (GISCI), including new programs, initiatives, and opportunities to engage with the GISP® and GISP-E® pathways, as well as how GISCI continues to advance professional standards in the geospatial field.

The session also explores the broader question of certification value in today’s GIS industry, using survey results to examine trends in adoption, perceived benefits, and how certifications are viewed by employers and professionals over time. Finally, a personal account of earning the GISP certification provides practical insight into the requirements, preparation strategies, and challenges of the process, helping attendees better understand whether certification is the right step for their own career path.

Keywords: GIS, leadership, GISP, certification, professional development, education

Certification: Is it worth the effort?
Tripp Corbin, GISP, MCP, Senior GIS Professional, Consultant /Instructor, Cultivate Geospatial Solutions LLC, Dacula, GA - USA
 
 A Personal Experience With Obtaining GISP Certification
Ryan Norton, GISP, GIS Specialist, Town of Foxborough, Foxboro, MA - USA

An Update on the GISCI: What’s Happening and What’s New
Tony Spicci, CGMP GISP, Executive Director, GIS Certification Institute, Columbia, MO - USA