Minnesota GIS/LIS Consortium Annual Report 2014 Mission Statement: "To develop and support the GIS professional in Minnesota for the benefit of our state and its citizens." The Minnesota GIS/LIS Consortium is a forum for communicating information to, and improving cooperation among, those interested in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Land Information Systems (LIS) in the State of Minnesota. Members include GIS users in local, state, federal and tribal government agencies; business and industry; educational institutions and nonprofits. Membership is FREE just by being on our mailing list. The Consortium hosts annual statewide conferences, and establishes committees that deal with specific GIS/LIS-related issues in Minnesota. Opportunities to participate in Consortium activities are available through volunteer work with committees, conferences and workshops. The Minnesota GIS/LIS Consortium is an official 501c3 non-profit organization. 1
Message from the Board Chair From Adam Snegosky, 2014 Board Chair When did you first hear about GIS? Many of us were probably in college and first heard of GIS in a geography class that we were most likely required to take. Some were first exposed and ultimately attracted to GIS while already in the workforce. Can anyone say they even knew what GIS was, much less considered it as a career possibility while coming out of high school? Well now, thanks to a nationally growing trend to bring Geography back to schools kids may soon be heading off to college with a full knowledge of the power of GIS and the desire to make it a career! Locally the MN GIS/LIS Education Committee has been very involved this past year with helping to bring GIS to K-12 education. In 2014 the Education Committee helped organize 35 Teacher Workshops across the state. These workshops gave over 200 MN teachers the tools they need to bring GIS into their geography curriculum. I would personally like to thank the Education Committee Chairs Scott Freburg and Greta Bernatz, as well as the entire committee, for this great effort! Providing education and training is a major component of the Consortium s mission. Another example of this is the addition of remote training sites that were offered as part of the Annual Spring Workshops. Thanks to the hard work of longtime Spring Workshop Committee Chair Michelle Trager, and her committee, participants in Mankato and Duluth were able to view and interact in multiple half day workshop offerings. It was very successful and will likely be expanded on in the future. The 2014 Annual Conference was once again a tremendous success due to the efforts of Conference Chair Kitty Hurley, Geoff Maas and the entire Conference Committee. Nearly 500 attendees saw the addition of a conference theme Without Boundaries, an expanded GeoLounge with the ability to watch recorded sessions, a new web map gallery and a successful Thursday night networking event which benefited our scholarship fund. There are of course too many individuals to possibly thank in this space who help to keep this volunteer organization going. I would like to extend my gratitude to all of the current Board of Directors, committee members, workshop instructors, sponsors and all who have given their time and energy to accomplish so much in 2014. As we move into 2015 and begin to plan for our 25 th Annual Fall Conference, I encourage you to consider getting involved by joining one of the many hardworking Committees. I think you will find that working with such an outstanding group of dedicated individuals will be both fun and rewarding. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact myself or any other Board Member. 2
Conference Exhibitors Advanced Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc. Aerial Services, Inc. Ayres Associates CAD Technology Center Canon Solutions America, Inc. Compass Tools, Inc. dbspatial LLC Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI) Frontier Precision, Inc. Geographic Software Specialist, Inc. Hexagon Geospatial Houston Engineering, Inc. Latitude Geographics Group, Ltd. MN Department of Natural Resources Moore Engineering, Inc. North Point Geographic Solutions Pictometry International Pro-West and Associates, Inc. QCoherent Software Quantum Spatial Rowekamp Associates, Inc. St. Mary s University of Minnesota ScanWide.com SharedGeo Surdex WSB & Associates, Inc. Conference Sponsors Distinct Sponsorships Ddms, Inc. provides Project Portal at no cost to the Consortium for our online document management. This tool is an exceptional benefit to our everyday business. Municipal, County, and State Government A large percentage of the attendees and active participants at our annual conference, spring and fall workshops and other Consortium sponsored events are employees of local government throughout the state. Equally as many are state government employees. These groups of GIS professionals are important drivers of our mission and their involvement is critical to the success of the MN GIS/LIS Consortium. Federal Agencies Federal agencies step up every year to involve their staffs in Consortium events and help keep GIS professionals in our state informed of important national events and initiatives. Higher Education University of Minnesota University of St. Thomas St. Cloud State University St. Mary s University of Minnesota Donated Honoraria Every year many of our speakers and instructors generously decline honoraria, requesting instead that these funds be directed to our scholarship endowment fund. Other participation All organizations that have graciously allowed their employees to donate time to present, moderate, plan, and attend our annual conference and other events. Bolton & Menk, Inc. Pro-West & Associates, Inc. U-Spatial, University of MN WSB & Associates, Inc. 3
Consortium Events 2014 The Consortium conducted two major events in 2014 holding to our mission of education and communication among GIS professionals. In addition, three Networking events where held to offer less formal educational opportunities and to raise funds for our scholarship endowment. Spring Workshops 91 Attendees 8 Workshops Remote Locations Duluth & Mankato 24 th Annual Conference Without Boundaries 491 Attendees 100 Total Presentations 26 Exhibitors 13 Workshops 251 Workshop Attendees 19 Posters 15 Mentor/Mentee pairs participated in the Young Professionals Mentorship Program during and following the Annual Conference. 3 rd Annual Summit Networking Event 75 attendees Spring Workshop Networking Event 50 attendees Curling Event 40 attendees Funds raised for our Scholarship Endowment: Donated Honoraria - $3,300 (spring and fall workshops) Networking events and other activities - $1,581 The Mayo Civic Center in Rochester. Home of the 2014 MN GIS/LIS Annual Conference 4
Award Recipients Lifetime Achievement Awards Victoria Reinhardt accepted a Lifetime Achievement Award from presenter Geoff Maas Polaris Awards Chad Martini Stearns County, with presenter Jane Mueller Hal Watson MN.IT, Department of Natural Resources, with presenter David Bitner Student Scholarship Participants The following students were selected by their school for recognition as MN GIS/LIS Student Scholars. Also noted are those who participated in the scholarship competition and their award. Andrew Brown Minnesota State University Mankato, Graduate Competition, 1 st Place - $1000 M. Taylor Long University of Minnesota, Graduate Competition, 2 nd Place - $500 Andrew Eckerson Saint Mary s University of Minnesota, Graduate Competition - $200 William Heikkila St. Cloud State University Courtney Kietzer Minnesota State University Mankato, Undergraduate Competition, 1 st Place - $800 Mitchell Schaps University of St. Thomas, Undergraduate Competition, 2 nd Place - $400 Rebecca Barney University of Minnesota, Undergraduate Competition - $200 Chris Dahlman University of Minnesota - Duluth, Undergraduate Competition - $200 Will Metcalf Gustavus Adolphus College, Undergraduate Competition - $200 Jordan Ped Macalester College, Undergraduate Competition - $200 Rachael Schulte Bemidji State University Alex Rust St. Cloud State University Jesse Pruette Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College, Community College Competition, 1 st Place - $500 Michael Brandon Hudec Itasca Community College, Community College Competition - $200 2014 Student Scholarship Winners: Andrew Eckerson, M. Taylor Long, Andrew Brown, Jesse Pruette, Chris Dahlman, Alex Rust, Rebecca Barney, Mitchell Schaps 5
Consortium Highlights 2014 New Board Position -The board voted to add Past Conference Chair as an Ex-Officio board position to be a valuable resource for the incoming Conference Chair and Committee. K-12 Teacher Workshops -The education Committee helped to organize 35 workshops around the state to help over 200 teachers get the support they need to add GIS to their curriculum. Remote Workshop Locations -Remote workshops were held in Mankato and Duluth to allow members in greater Minnesota to participate in the Spring Workshops without having to drive to Minneapolis. The workshops were very successful and the Committee is looking to expand to additional locations in 2015. GITA Donation -When the MN Chapter of Geospatial Information & Technology (GITA) decided to dissolve they made a generous donation of their remaining funds to the Consortiums Scholarship Fund. The Board is committed to using these funds in ways to engage the GIS/Utility sector that GITA represented. GISP Affidavit -In order to support members who are pursuing their GISP Certificate we have created an Affidavit form that can be filled out by a member, signed by the Board Chair and submitted as verification for Consortium involvement. Curling Night -Always looking to add new GIS networking events, the Networking Committee organized a fun, entertaining evening of curling with fellow GIS professionals. Look for this to become an annual event! New Conference Location -The Annual Fall Conference will be held in Bemidji for the first time in October of 2017. 6
Financials 2014 Profit / Loss 2013 2014 Conference Income $125,708 $147,405 Spring Workshops Income $17,541 $10,094 Scholarship Income Networking Events Income General Operating Income $34 $3,380 $83 $0 $1,581 $10,530 Total Income $146,746 $169,610 Conference Expenses $104,979 $115,248 Spring Workshop Expenses Scholarship Expenses Networking Events Expenses $7,076 $750 $2,816 $5,258 $0 $1,094 General Operations Expenses $27,342 $31,859 Total Expenses $145,965 $153,460 Balance Sheet Net Amount General Fund $31,345 $53,630 Reserve Fund $35,116 $35,151 Scholarship Fund $41,273 $44,085 DESCRIPTIONS: Conference Income Workshop and Fall Conference registration fees, exhibitor fees, and interest from General Operations account. Spring Workshop Income Workshop registration fees. 2013 included an organizational partnership with FOSS4G. Scholarship Income Donations, fundraising and interest. Networking Events Income A separate fund for Networking Events and scholarship fund donations. Annual Conference Expenses Including but not limited to event space rental, food & beverages, audio/visual fees, printing and honorariums for workshop instructors. Spring Workshop Expenses Including but not limited to event space rental, food & beverages, printing and honorariums for workshop instructors. General Operating Expenses Expenses for the general operations of the Consortium including but not limited to professional management fees, website maintenance fees, student scholarships, printing and event grants. Net Amount General Fund Operational account balance as of December 31 st, 2014. Reserve Fund A fund to protect the solvency of the Consortium in the event that Annual Conference revenue cannot offset expenses. Scholarship Endowment Fund Separate account to hold monies that will only be used for student scholarships. Detailed accounting documentation is available upon request. Contact any Board Member for more information. 7
Volunteer Opportunities 2014 The MN GIS/LIS Consortium is run solely by volunteers. All consortium members are invited to participate on any of the following committees: Awards Coordinates Polaris and Lifetime Achievement Awards. You must be a past award recipient to sit on this committee. Conference Plans and executes a fun, educational and successful fall conference. Database/Web Helps manage the Consortium database and website. Education Works to foster relationships between the consortium and educational institutions and to support GIS in K-12 and higher education. This committee also coordinates our annual mentoring program. Communication and Outreach Works to promote the GIS/LIS Consortium, its mission and events through coordinated events, our blog and social media sites. Networking Event Planning Organizes networking events as educational and/or fundraising activities for GIS professionals. Spring Workshops Organizes spring workshops for GIS professionals. Scholarship Manages the Consortium s student scholarship program. About the MN GIS/LIS Board of Directors and Consortium Committees Board positions are elected by the membership. We encourage you to run for a seat that matches your experience and current association. In addition, there are many opportunities for you to contribute your skills, time, and enthusiasm to make a difference, without having to run for office. Several committees need your help. We re sure you will enjoy working with such an interesting group of people who are committed to providing the best possible educational and networking opportunities to our membership of GIS professionals. Please feel free to contact us at any time at webmaster@mngislis.org. 8
Board of Directors 2014 Chair Adam Snegosky Washington County Chair-Elect Heather Albrecht City of Maple Grove Treasurer Kyle Chester Xcel Energy Secretary Catherine Hansen University of St Thomas Conference Chair Kitty Hurley Minnesota Department of Health Private Sector Jennifer Ward Pro-West & Associates, Inc Conference Chair- Elect Geoff Mass MetroGIS State Government Bart Richardson Minnesota Department of Natural Resources At-Large Scott Freburg Minnesota Department of Education Higher Education Greta Bernatz Saint Mary s University Local Government Michelle Trager Rice County Past Chair (Ex-Officio) Ben Verbick Local Government Information Systems (LOGIS) MnGeo (Ex-Officio) Dan Ross Minnesota Geospatial Information Office (MnGeo) MnGeo Statewide Geospatial Advisory Council (Ex-Officio) Gerry Sjerven Allete Inc. 9
Association Management and Event Management Ewald Consulting Eric Ewald, Vice President of Association Management Kathie Pugaczewski, Vice President of Communications & Technology Amanda Ewald, Vice President of Finance & Client Accounting Ashley Crunstedt, Account Executive Janey Duntley, Communications Specialist Michele Wolfel, Account Executive Assistant Bridget Fox, Meeting & Event Coordinator 10