History

Timeline

Founding – GISMO was founded in 1990 by Jack Eichenbaum of the NYC Department of Finance to provide a place for NYC employees to discuss and learn from each other about Geographic Information Systems.
The Fund for the City of New York hosted GISMO meetings from 1990-2013.
Data Advocacy, in particular, data sharing between City agencies and a common basemap was a need that became critical during the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center.
Special Interest Groups – SIGs
- International GISMO – Zvia Naphtali (NYU Professor) and Jack Eichenbaum (NYC Department of Finance) worked to establish connections with other GIS interest groups internationally, establishing links to groups in Israel, South America and East Asia. Amy Chow, a GISMO member working at the United Nations, also helped to develop international connections in China.
- “Virtual” GISMO – David Peterson and Noreen Whysel, both working at Price Waterhouse at the time, established Virtual GISMO, creating GISMO’s first website and Listserv in 1996. The website replaced a paper newsletter which was accessioned to the Map Division at New York Public Library. Virtual GISMO also explored topics of interest such as Edge Cities and web mapping.
Major Dates:
- Basemap –
- GISMO 10th Anniversary was held at the mezzanine overlooking the World Fairgrounds and the Unisphere at the Queens Museum.

Immediate Response (DEP/OEM)
Emergency Mapping and Data Center
Maps
Major Dates:
- 2001-2011-2021 GeoSymposium – 10th Year Anniversary
- 20th Anniversary Commemoration at Emergency Management Department