Keynote Speakers

Bill had a 31-year GIS career in New York State government, culminating with his being named NY’s first Geographic Information Officer (GIO) in 2013.  After retiring from the state in 2016, he spent two years in Washington, DC as GIS Director at the Universal Service Administrative Company, a nonprofit that supports nationwide broadband expansion programs for the Federal Communication Commission.  Bill Joined AppGeo in April, 2016, where he is applying his carpe geo philosophy of building trust through collaboration, of effecting fundamental change through thoughtful investment, and of consistent attention to excellence, as AppGeo’s carpe geo evangelist.

Presentation Title: Carpe Geo – A Field Guide to Enjoying Your Career Journey

Abstract: Most presentations at GIS conferences are about how to do GIS, but few get into why GIS is such a rewarding career.  In this presentation, Bill will introduce his ideas of Carpe Geo and will use examples gleaned from his own GIS career to illustrate how these ideas can help you in your career journey.  The goal is to help you understand that it is the journey that matters, not the destination, and that an attitude of curiosity and exploration, anchored in old-school values, can lead to tremendous satisfaction.  Come with an open mind and be prepared to challenge your current way of thinking, no matter where you are in your journey.

Adam Carnow is the Public Works Industry Marketing Specialist at Esri, the global market leader in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). He is a keynote speaker and thought leader. He collaborates with his colleagues, Esri Partners and customers to lead the successful application of ArcGIS across the public works disciplines. Mr. Carnow has over 25 years of experience as a GIS practitioner in the public and private sectors, as well as academia. He holds a BA in Geography, and a MA in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Florida, and has achieved certification as an Urban Planner (AICP) and GIS Professional (GISP).  

Presentation Title: Alignment of GIS to Your Business: What It Is, Why It’s Important & How To Do It

Abstract: To be considered a successful enterprise GIS, you have got to deliver value to the organization that is recognized by leadership.  In order to do that, you have to align your GIS with your organization’s business.  This is the core of a winning geospatial strategy.  This presentation will show you what this alignment is, why it’s important, and how to do it, while also highlighting a real-world example of a successfully aligned enterprise GIS.