I am pleased to announce the results of GISMO’s bi-annual nominations and elections process that has just concluded. All eight Board of Directors seats and the GISMO Presidency were up for grabs. However, in the end, the number of candidates equaled the number of open positions. Consequently, we will dispense with sending out ballots and declare all nominees elected. Each will serve a two year term as provided by GISMO’s by laws. Short bios will soon be posted to the GISMO website. New terms for the Board and the President commence at COB Monday, November 15th.
Let me congratulate our next GISMO President Jiin Wen. Jiin directs GIS operations in the NYC Office of Economic Development. She has served on the GISMO Board for several terms, and currently serves on the Board of the NYS GIS Association.
The new GISMO Board of Directors includes returning members Amy Jeu, Dara Mendeloff, Noreen Whysel, Wendy Dorf, and Doug Williamson. Thank you for your past and future service. New Board members are Camille Stewart, Elia Machado, and Alan Leidner who stepped down from the Presidency. I’d like to thank Juliana Maantay and Jack Eichenbaum who moved on from their Board positions. Juliana, Director of the Lehman College GIS Program, brought her extensive experience in the geography field to the Board, and encouraged her Lehman students and faculty to play an active role in GISMO. Jack, the founder of GISMO in 1990, served as President and Board Member for the past thirty-one years. He brought to GISMO his incomparable organizing skills; his advocacy for accurate, field verified data; and his vision for data sharing and collaboration across jurisdictional and national borders. No one will forget the role Jack played in marshaling GIS practitioners from across the NYC region, to work at the Emergency Mapping and Data Center following the attack on the World Trade Center. We know that Juliana and Jack will remain close to GISMO and will continue to make contributions to our community.
As GISMO President for the past terms, it has been my privilege to serve the NYC GIS community. I believe we have come a long way as a professional organization, and have made a significant impact on City GIS policy and programs. I know Jiin will write the next great chapter in our history, and will lead us into the expanding world of geospatial science, technology, and applications. I look forward to supporting her, and to working with my fellow Board members, and with the GISMO community as a whole.
During my terms as President I was particularly supported by the work of Amy Jeu and I’d like to thank her for all her efforts on behalf of GISMO, and for making my Presidency that much more informed and productive.
Sincerely,
Alan Alan Leidner,
GISMO Board of Directors