AGIC Quarterly Newsletter

The AGIC Council, Committees, and Workgroups continue to work hard to bring the Arizona GIS Community a forum for geospatial information exchange. We welcome you to all AGIC meetings and events as they are open to everyone. We value community engagement and believe we are stronger and better together! Visit the  AGIC website  for more information on how to get involved.

The top Geospatial conference in Arizona is coming up in August 2024 in beautiful Prescott, AZ. The four-day education and training symposium offers a chance to learn from industry experts, including hands-on training, presentations, poster displays and much more. For registration, scholarships and further details, visit the  AGIC Education and Training Symposium  website.

• Take advantage of Early Bird pricing by registering before midnight of July 26th, 2024.

• Entry for the 2024 Maps and Apps Competition is underway. Submit your entries by 5:00 PM on August 23rd, 2024.

• The 2024 Tony Gonzalez Scholarship provides registration and lodging for up to 10 students to attend the Symposium. Currently enrolled students or recent graduates are eligible to apply. Submit applications by 5:00 PM on July 19th 2024.

• The Arizona Chapter of Women in GIS (WiGIS-AZ) is excited to announce the 2024 WiGIS-AZ AGIC Symposium Award! WiGIS-AZ is sponsoring one award to attend the 2024 AGIC Education & Training Symposium in Prescott, AZ this August (registration and lodging). The scholarship applications are due by 5:00 PM on July 19th, 2024.

Jenna Leveille recently left state service. Although she worked in the GIS Program at Arizona State Land Department for 18 years, she became a significant figure in AGIC when she was promoted to Deputy State Cartographer in 2018. Her tenure saw a large expansion of collaborative projects throughout the state and beyond, many of which were started by her. In addition to her accomplishments at AGIC, Jenna made an impact at the national level, even serving as president of the National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC). Jenna plans to continue her involvement in several AGIC committees and workgroups so we will still be able to work with her.

The Arizona State Land Department will be sending out a job announcement soon for a new Deputy State Cartographer. In the meantime, if any AGIC council members or chairs have questions, please do not hesitate to contact ASLD staff at  agic_info@azland.gov .

The  ArcGIS Online Student Competition , which was open to 4th - 12th grade students, had its most active year since Arizona began participating. Four schools entered a total of 12 ArcGIS storymaps created by 16 students.  Seven entries were submitted for the high school prize and 5 entries were submitted for the middle school prize.

We are proud to announce that one of Arizona’s high school entries was selected as the National High School Winner!  Nina Raju’s story map on “Wildfires Threaten Saguaro Cacti in Pima County, AZ” was selected for the top award.

Check out the other entries at the  2024 Arizona ArcGIS Online School Competition Results  website.

The 2025 competition is expected to begin accepting entries in the Fall of 2024. Follow AGIC-L or one of the AGIC social media accounts for news later this year. Learn more about our social media account on the  AGIC Participate  page.

At the May Council meeting, AGIC approved the formation of two new committees:

Natural Resources Committee

The Natural Resources Committee facilitates geospatial data sharing and tool development to support natural resource work across Arizona.

Emerging Technology and Remote Sensing Committee

The Emerging Technologies and Remote Sensing Committee works to help organize studies, educational and training opportunities, and other resources to help the GIS community and businesses understand and potentially incorporate new technologies and remote sensing abilities into their projects.

For upcoming meetings for these committees, visit the  AGIC Calendar webpage. 

The  AGIC Mentorship Program  was developed to provide and support professional development for Arizona geospatial professionals.  Mentorship offers an opportunity to find and explore how we can make the most meaningful impact in our professional capacity. This program is intended to build and support a sustainable geospatial professional community in Arizona and promote life-long learning in all phases of an individual’s career. The Program was developed and is facilitated by AGIC Volunteers.  

This year we have successfully paired 12 individuals with 12 mentors, some of whom have gone on to find internships. Registration for the program is currently closed but will reopen for calendar year 2025 starting this September. Follow AGIC-L or one of the AGIC social media accounts for news later this year. Learn more about our social media account on the  AGIC Participate  page.

Jeanie Webb, a mentee from last year, worked with one of our mentors, Veronica Nixon. After a successful internship at Yavapai County, she has secured her first job as a GIS technician. Congratulations, Jeanie Webb!

Writtimaa Roy, a current mentee, had high regard for working with her mentor, Brandon Barnett.  In addition to helping her with classwork and her capstone project for her ASU Master’s in GIS program, Brandon has been helping her prepare for interviews, which resulted in Writtimaa getting an internship with Maricopa County.  Congratulations, Writtimaa Roy!

At the May Meeting, the AGIC Council approved the new strategic and business direction plan. The three priorities that AGIC will focus on were developed by the AGIC Chairs based on feedback collected from the AGIC Leadership Workshop held in February. Unlike previous plans, the Council agreed the new plan will be in effect for three years, from 2024 to 2027. The  new plan  is available on the  AGIC Publications and Documents  webpage. The 2024-2027 priorities include:

 ^{Investing in Arizona’s Geospatial Community through internal and external Engagement, Education, and Awareness} 

 ^{Maximizing AZGeo’s Impact through authoritative data development, standards and accessibility} 

 ^{Promoting AGIC's Brand within the Arizona Community} 

In July AGIC is celebrating Make a Difference for Children month.  Follow us on social media  for posts related to Arizona GIS education and student competitions.

If you are an employer searching for a GIS professional, please consider posting your job to the  AGIC Jobs Board . If you are searching for a GIS job, please check the website often as new jobs are added.

View additional AGIC-related events, such as committee and workgroup meetings, on the  AGIC Calendar .

For additional nation-wide events, visit the  Geography Realm Geography and GIS Conferences website 

AGIC is powered by community volunteers! Formal membership is NOT required to participate. We encourage anyone interested to attend our meetings and events, volunteer their time and expertise, and give back to the Arizona GIS Community.

Consider joining a committee or workgroup distribution list to receive related announcements and meeting notices.  To join, complete this  short form .  Note that joining a distribution list is a courtesy and not required to attend AGIC meetings. All meetings are open to the public. 

To learn more about how you can get more involved, visit the  AGIC Participate Webpage .