GITA’s Focus on Infrastructure

As an organization that recently refocused their efforts as a professional society on the advancement of geospatial technology to support infrastructure development, GITA could not have chosen a better time in which to do so. By a combination of good strategic forethought as well as the downturn in the global economy, which had a somewhat serendipitous effect for the organization, "infrastructure" is not just a geospatial buzz word; it’s a political buzz word too. The gold mine of new investments from the stimulus bill for aging roads, bridges, and buildings makes this focus "dead on." And it was particularly prescient to have Blaine Leonard, the president-elect of the American Society of Civil Engineers, as the keynote speaker who’s review of the ASCE "report card" on the U.S. infrastructure was not just informative but entertaining as well.

However, these same elements had a deleterious impact on the attendance of the annual conference just recently completed in Tampa. Traffic in the exhibit hall was modest at best and the keynote presentation was attended only by several hundred but not the 1000+ as in past years. The economy is what it is and GITA has not been the only geospatial conference impacted by the economy. So, putting these factors aside, the key topics at the conference this year were addressed in serious tones with an understanding that, with respect to the economy, "this too shall pass."

As mentioned, aging infrastructure and what the stimulus money will mean for geospatial technology was a key component of the conference theme. Emergency management and critical infrastructure protection continues to dominate many sessions and hallway discussions. And on the technical front, key issues like asset management, "smart grid," and even interoperability are hot topics. A visit from Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio put an exclamation point on the discussion of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act as each local government strives to find out how difficult it will be to get money from the stimulus bill. To that end, many local governments and utilities are crippled by the fact that some projects won’t receive money because a major project may already be "funded" and thus ineligible for stimulus money. In addition, because the economy has soured, many local governments are forced to layoff or not replace retiring workers because of budget shortfalls. Meanwhile, each knows they might have to ramp up hiring to fill project needs should stimulus money come their way. It is the proverbial rock and a hard place.

In summary, GITA has the right focus and programming for next year’s conference should already be boosted by a better understanding of how the stimulus money will be distributed and which projects that are ‘shovel ready’ will be underway. GITA 2010 (April 25-29) is in Phoenix in conjunction with the Amercian Congress on Survey and Mapping (ACSM).

Debate in Geospatial Education: How to train for the next generation

At GITA in Tampa this week, I moderated a session on "Education for the Geospatial Infrastructure Industry." Panel members included Phil Davis from the National Geospatial Training Center at Del Mar College; Kerry Wright, GIS Supervisor at the City of Tampa; Dan Shannon, Engineering Manager for TELUS Communications; Dr. Barnali Dixon, Asst. Profession, Univ. of South Florida; and David James, Deputy Director, Pinellas County, Florida.

Here’s the raging debate: Do we educate subject matter experts (SME) in geology, forestry, urban planning, etc. with BA’s in those disciplines and teach them GIS, OR, do we train specifically in "geospatial thinking" and GIS software to get them ready for the job market?

Kerry Wright of the City of Tampa said that she has so much demand for GIS project work that she needs well-rounded IT specialists who "ideally" know a little programming, maybe Oracle DBA’s, or have some GIS training. SMEs are not that much in demand. She can tell them how to work with urban planners and give that department the geospatial support they need.

Dan Shannon echoed these sentiments and very much agreed that DBA’s who can turn around project work quickly would be most in need.

Phil Davis at Del Mar College represents a two-year program that is turning out GIS experts who are trained and ready for the workforce.

There were very few in the audience who, at this time, could speak for the SMEs. Most professionals who have spent 20+ years in the geospatial profession came from some discipline-specific industry. But we have lost a generation of trained geospatial professionals and this will be a continuing problem. Since 2006, I’ve covered this issue as it has come up many times before especially with respect to the demand being placed on intelligence agencies like the NGA. The demand for more geospatial professionals came up at the 2006 GEOINT conference, (1, 2) in an interview with NGA Director Admiral Murrett, and the importance of geospatial technology has been city by the Department of Labor in 2004. This problem is not going away any time soon.

Video: GITA Keynoter: Blaine Leondard, ASCE president-elect, Tells Why U.S. Infrastructure Rates a “D” in Report Card

Blaine Leonard, the American Society of Civil Engineers president-elect, gave the keynote address at this year’s Geospatial Infrastructure Solutions Conference, GITA’s annual event. Leonard is the Research Program Manager with the Utah Department of Transportation in Salt Lake City, where he is responsible for balancing research needs and resources within the Department, and for managing a wide variety of research projects. Prior to joining the Department, Blaine spent 20 years as a consulting civil engineer in Utah. He holds Bachelors and Masters degrees from the University of Utah. Mr. Leonard currently serves as the 2009 President-elect of the American Society of Civil Engineers. He has served ASCE in numerous capacities at the national and local level, and is currently the Chair of the Task.

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GITA ITAG Meeting Focuses on American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Funding

GITA’s Industry Trends and Analysis Group (ITAG) [click for larger image at right] put a focus on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) aka the stimulus package. During the meeting, I presented some of the resources about where stimulus money will be headed. The PowerPoint presentation used by the group can now be download. A brief summary is below.

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Smart Grid: Just a Buzz Word or Transformative Opportunity?

I moderated GITA’s Industry Trends and Analysis Group (ITAG) today in which the group of approximately 75 attendees discussed not only their industry’s key technologies and applications but also the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and how each will attempt to secure funds from the stimulus bill.

But common to each group was a discussion of smart grid technology. Does it apply to just the electric utility industry or do all other sectors have their own "smart grid." As importantly is that each industry must rely on another if they want to conserve funds.

Cyndi Salas (pictured at easel at right) of CenterPoint Energy, the ITAG leader for electric utilities commented that Smart Grid technology is a collection of many technology improvements. Smart Grid is not just one thing; it is really the integration of multiple technologies. Salas also said that it encompasses a broader industry movement that should be treated as a transformative opportunity.

But there were two other concerns: The first is that the ultimate smart technology solution may be a few years down the road. Second, the consumer just wants to lower their energy bill without understanding that a change to their energy consumption behavior would have to be altered even if it is as simple as buying a programmable thermostat.