The GIS Management Academy™, in cooperation with ConnectMii Training, is offering nine live online GIS management workshops this February and March to help GIS leaders build practical, industry-aligned management competencies.

Featured workshops include:
• GIS Strategic Planning – Feb 25
• GIS Funding Best Practices (new) – Feb 27
• GIS ROI – Mar 3
• GIS Staffing Best Practices – Mar 5
• GIS for Equity & Social Justice (4 hours) – Mar 11
• Effective GIS Client Services Practices (new) – Mar 13
• GIS Management Boot Camp (8 hours over 2 days) (new) – Mar 18 & 20
• Effective GIS Governance – Mar 25
• GIS Managers Competency Self-Assessment – Mar 26

Led by Greg Babinski — 36 years of GIS management leadership experience.
Each workshop is grounded in recognized industry frameworks, including the GIS&T Body of Knowledge, the Geospatial Technology Competency Model, the GIS Capability Maturity Model, ITIL, and other best practices.

Participants earn CEUs and GISP points while developing immediately applicable management skills.

Seats are limited. View details and register here:
https://www.assetmapping.events/2026-gma-workshops

I hope to see you in these workshops!

Greg Babinski, MA, GISP, EthicalGEO Fellow

We all know the vast array of benefits that GIS provides to the government agencies, companies, and other entities that use it. But can we say objectively what the financial benefits are?

I recently completed a comprehensive GIS ROI Study for the city of Seattle. As an additional work item, I created this short YouTube video to report on the results of the study: City of Seattle 2024 GIS ROI Study Report.

https://youtu.be/weTayATK450?si=uqm4ZajTDxIwaMFD

I hope that you find this video useful as you pursue documenting and sharing the financial value of GIS with your stakeholders.

Feel free to reach out to me at any point to discuss how you could use GIS ROI in your own GIS program.

Are you going to be at GIS-Pro in Denver? Let's talk!

Greg Babinski, MA, GISP, EthicalGEO Fellow, GIS Management Consulting Services LLC

What is the future vision for your GIS? How do you define success as a GIS manager?

We define our lives by the decisions that we make. Decisions can be trivial or life changing. The ability to envision a future that is different than the present, and then to plan and work to achieve that future is a profound part of a successful career - or of life.

This 2-hour GIS Management Academy™ workshop outlines the fundamentals of GIS strategic planning, and much more importantly, how to manage a GIS strategic plan once it has been developed. Putting your strategic plan into action can become a vital part of how you manage your GIS for continual improvement.

The GIS Strategy Management for Successful GIS Managers workshop is built upon a methodology that creates a clear, concise, and actionable strategic plan that becomes an integral part of how you manage your GIS.

This GIS Management Academy workshop aligns with the ‘Strategic Planning and Action’ competency cluster included in the US Department of Labor Geospatial Management Competency Model.

Learn more and register today.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gis-strategy-management-for-successful-gis-managers-registration-1089146860579?aff=oddtdtcreator

-Greg Babinski, MA, GISP, EthicalGEO Fellow

But here’s the deal - our peer managers throughout our agency are also competing for financial resources from the same sources. To compete for and be entrusted with a sizable portion of our agency’s budget, we need to have a reputation as competent managers of our financial resources.

This two-hour online GIS Management Academy™ workshop introduces the fundamentals of GIS funding, budgeting, and financial planning and management. It is intended for GIS managers of public agencies, non-profits, and private companies. Just as the technical aspects of GIS may be mysterious to the uninformed, understanding and navigating financial processes may be a challenge for GIS managers and leaders.

Author and instructor Greg Babinski has more than 25 years’ experience in GIS financial management.

Learn more and register today at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gis-funding-budgeting-financial-management-for-gis-managers-registration-941695074317.

And check out the other related GIS Management Academy™ GIS ROI workshop scheduled the same week.

#gis #gismanagement #gisfinance #GISfunding #GISbudget #gisroi #returnoninvestement

Greg Babinski (he/him), MA, GISP

URISA Past-President, AGS Ethical GEO Fellow

GIS Management Consulting Services, LLC

GIS Management Academy™

This 2-hour online workshop provides an overview of how thinking ‘out of the GIS box’ can enable us to be more effective managers and help find new applications of geospatial information science and technology for the agencies that we support. We will review how thinking like a geographer can help us understand and communicate the full potential of GIS. And it will help us instill geographic thinking in the staff that we manage and the community of end-users that we support.

This GIS Management Academy workshop aligns with the ‘Geography’ Academic Competency in the US Department of Labor Geospatial Technology Competency Model and many foundational articles in the Geographic Information Science and Technology Body of Knowledge.

Geography matters! Join us on September 16. Learn more and register here today: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/leveraging-geographic-theory-and-thinking-for-gis-managers-registration-941691814567

-Greg Babinski, MA, GISP, EthicalGEO Fellow

#geography #gis #gismanagement

GIS management is a challenging profession. The Geospatial Management Competency Model (GMCM) was developed by URISA and adopted by the US Department of Labor Employment Training Administration as an integral part of the Geospatial Technology Competency Model. The GMCM serves as a guide to understand and master the critical competencies for a successful and highly effective GIS Management career.

Effective GIS management is a critical success factor for an agency to leverage the potential of its investment in geospatial data and technology and to maximize GIS ROI. GIS management is often seen as the culmination of a career in GIS. Through hands-on exercises, workshop attendees will complete an initial assessment of their own geospatial management competencies against the GMCM. Attendees will generate a report based on their input that will allow them to compare their competencies with peers and to plan their future priority competency development.

Learn more and register today at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-geospatial-management-competency-model-for-successful-gis-managers-registration-941690881777

-Greg Babinski, MA, GISP, EthicalGEO Fellow

The GIS Management Academy™

How do you know and report on the overall state of your GIS? It’s complicated. There are so many moving parts! How do I know what to report? Where are we doing well? What are the key risk factors in the sustainability of our GIS?

This two-hour online GIS Management Academy™ workshop focusses on the use of geospatial maturity models that successful GIS managers should understand and use. Monday, August 26 at 10am PT (GMT -7).

We will review a variety of geospatial maturity model options, with a focus on the GIS Capability Maturity Model. The use of the GISCMM for ongoing geospatial program reporting metrics will be discussed. The use of the model can reveal both strengths and deficiencies in a GIS operation. The identification of deficiencies by the model can be used to focus corrective action and as a justification for funding and other resources.

Each attendee will be provided a fillable copy of the model which can be started during the workshop itself.

Learn more and register today at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/using-the-gis-capability-maturity-model-for-effective-gis-managers-registration-940700449367

Greg Babinski (he/him), MA, GISP

URISA Past-President, AGS Ethical GEO Fellow

GIS Management Consulting Services, LLC

This two-hour online GIS Management Academy™ workshop provides a clear foundation and action-based structure for GIS managers to plan, assemble, motivate, and lead an effective GIS team now and into the future.

Your decision to hire, develop, or promote your staff members is the most important decision you will ever make as a GIS manager.

Your personal competency and effectiveness as a GIS manager are judged by the team that you assemble and lead, and the goals and objectives your team accomplishes.

You will be working with the team that you have assembled for many years. Your career success and the success of your team depends on your leadership and management effectiveness in this critical competency area. The people resources that you assemble and develop are the most valuable asset that your GIS has.

Learn more and register today!

Greg Babinski, MA, GISP, EthicalGEO Fellow

#gis #gis_management #gis_staffing #gis_team #gis_development

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gis-staffing-best-practices-for-successful-gis-managers-registration-940581664077

A GIS manager with leadership and vision will likely hope to accomplish more than what available resources allow. An effective GIS governance structure with meaningful and supportive participation is an invaluable tool for a GIS manager.

Learn more and register today!

Greg Babinski, MA, GISP, EthicalGEO Fellow

#gis #gis_management #gis_governance

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gis-governance-best-practices-for-successful-gis-managers-and-operations-registration-940572185727

What is the future vision for your GIS? How do you define success as a GIS manager?

We define our lives by the decisions that we make. Decisions can be trivial or life changing. The ability to envision a future that is different than the present, and then to plan and work to achieve that future is a profound part of a successful career - or of life.

This 2-hour GIS Management Academy™ workshop outlines the fundamentals of GIS strategic planning, and much more importantly, how to manage a GIS strategic plan once it has been developed. Putting your strategic plan into action can become a vital part of how you manage your GIS for continual improvement.

The GIS Strategy Management for Successful GIS Managers workshop is built upon a methodology that creates a clear, concise, and actionable strategic plan that becomes an integral part of how you manage your GIS.

This GIS Management Academy workshop aligns with the ‘Strategic Planning and Action’ competency cluster included in the US Department of Labor Geospatial Management Competency Model.

Learn more and register today.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gis-strategy-management-for-successful-gis-managers-registration-940568344237?aff=oddtdtcreator

Greg Babinski, MA, GISP, EthicalGEO Fellow

• Mark Bench, Chief Executive Officer at TriSMART Solar and President of The Residential Solar Association
• Logan Graff, Partner at Apple Roofing
• Markus Weidner, Chief Innovation Officer for Pennoni
• Scott Riopelle, CEO of Interstate Roofing
• Nathan Jovanelly, CEO of SunRaise Capital

Guests can be heard speaking about a wide range of topics from the impacts of the Inflation Reduction Act on the solar industry, to what makes a great company and a good team culture.

Prominent Quotes Include:
“I was looking at the IRA saying this fixes I think what's fundamentally off in residential solar finance. Namely I'm talking about transferability of tax credits. And that's a deep dark rabbit hole. But the biggest barrier to solar in general is tax equity. There's a handful of players that control that market and the IRA has really opened up the tax equity to everyone. That's when I knew. I was like it's time. I want to start a leasing company.” - Logan Graff, Partner at Apple Roofing

“I like to be in communication with all the industry leaders that I can. So we take that same approach here at TriSmart. Everyone has a voice. We meet quarterly as a leadership team, not just the executives, but we also get our directors and our managers in the same room and we solve problems together. Then we align on what we call our promises for the quarter and we support each other throughout the quarter to ensure that we have all the right conditions of satisfaction necessary to facilitate that promise." - Mark Bench, Chief Executive Officer at TriSMART Solar and President of The Residential Solar Association

The podcast can be found online here and wherever you listen to your podcasts.

About EagleView
EagleView is a leader in geospatial technology, providing solutions that transform the way our customers work. EagleView is renowned for its geospatial data and extensive imagery library which encompasses 94 percent of the U.S. population. EagleView’s unique technology portfolio comprises more than 300 patents, enabling it to offer highly differentiated software, imagery, and analytics products for multiple industries.

August 13: GIS Strategy Management for Successful GIS Managers

August 15: NEW! GIS Governance Best Practices for Successful GIS Managers and Operations

August 21: NEW! GIS Staffing Best Practices for Successful GIS Managers

August 26: Using the GIS Capability Maturity Model for Effective GIS Managers

September 10: The Geospatial Management Competency Model for Successful GIS Managers

September 16: NEW! Leveraging Geographic Theory and Thinking for GIS Managers

September 18: Promote and Grow Your GIS for Successful Geospatial Managers

September 30: GIS Funding, Budgeting & Financial Management for GIS Managers

October 2: GIS Return on Investment (ROI) Fundamentals

Learn more about each of these workshops and register today!

https://www.eventbrite.com/o/gis-management-academy-39742653723

Greg Babinski, MA, GISP, EthicalGEO Fellow

Educators have been beta-testing MapMaker for several months and have seen students get excited about understanding causality and engaging their core curiosity.

“Getting students to work with data, interpret it, and make claims backed by evidence and reasoning is a life skill, not just a school activity or confined to one school subject. After formal education ends, there are no worksheets. But there are plenty of questions to grapple with in all types of fields,” said Jim Bentley, National Geographic Explorer and 6^th grade teacher at Foulks Ranch Elementary in Elk Grove, California. “The slider function is one of our favorites. We love sliding a data set aside to see what’s beneath it. When looking at tectonic plates, volcanic eruptions, and tectonic plate boundaries, we can toggle between layers, use the slider, and see volcanic mountain chains coinciding with volcanoes and plate boundaries. It’s not a lifeless paper map or photographic, it’s an interactive experience that invites wonder, questions, discussion, and excitement! One of the best parts is I hear my students talking to each other or sharing with the class, ‘I want to do this when I grow up!’”

MapMaker, which is free for anyone to use, includes curated maps and datasets to facilitate exploration across a range of topics and subjects. National Geographic and Esri have also teamed up to provide educators with additional learning resources and curriculum ideas around MapMaker.

You can learn more today’s announcement here:

https://www.esri.com/about/newsroom/announcements/esri-and-national-geographic-society-launch-national-geographic-mapmaker/.

You can watch a video of students from Foulks Ranch Elementary using MapMaker here: https://mediaspace.esri.com/media/t/1_ycm98s6f

With the Commitment to Provide High-Resolution Imagery and Property Analytics to Top 50 Markets Annually, Company Raises Bar for Industry Competition

October 31, 2023 – Rochester, NY – EagleView, a leader in aerial insights and corresponding analytics, announces a new standard in the aerial insights market. EagleView will now provide imagery and enhanced property analytics for the top 50 United States metro areas one or more times per year, on top of their current, customer-driven, aerial capture. With more frequent image capture available across these top metros, EagleView will continue to be the leading choice for customers seeking the highest resolution, unrivaled quality, the largest historical library of aerial imagery, and property analytics based on the most comprehensive coverage offered–a combination of features unmatched in the aerial imagery and insights industry today. This enhancement to EagleView’s imagery portfolio and analytics is driven by customer demand across multiple industries.

“Our goal is to make it as easy as possible for customers to get the information they need–when they need it–to make the decisions that matter most,” shared Piers Dormeyer, CEO of EagleView. “We want to make sure our customers have the best and most current aerial imagery on the market, and we can deliver that to them.”

EagleView’s imagery, which includes ultra-high resolution up to 0.75” and derivative analytics solutions, continues to expand and improve due to its investment in advanced capture technologies. Specifically, this announcement benefits insurance carriers, governments, large-scale construction companies, as well as mortgage providers and REITs, who–with imagery and property analytics of the top 50 markets by population available and updated one or more times per year–will now have the broadest range of imagery and derived property intelligence on the market. 

“We have listened to customer and partner feedback. This expansion in our capture strategy means that we now have the best combination of urban, suburban, and rural coverage on the market.” said David Bairstow, SVP & General Manager, Insurance for EagleView. 

“EagleView is excited to further build upon our more than one billion image database which provides coverage of property of 94% of the U.S. population, with new areas and more frequent captures. This advancement continues to deliver the high-resolution imagery, data, and analytics our customers need to drive greater success in their operations,” said Patrick Gill, SVP & General Manager, Imagery, Infrastructure & Emerging Markets.

About EagleView

EagleView is a leader in geospatial technology, providing solutions that transform the way our customers work. EagleView has the largest geospatial data and imagery library ever assembled, encompassing 94 percent of the U.S. population. EagleView’s unique technology portfolio comprises more than 300 patents, enabling it to offer highly differentiated software, imagery, and analytics products for multiple industries.

We are very thankful for the support!

Learn more here.