2018 NACIS Ballot
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[ballot_section name=”VP-Elect” desc=”(1 will be elected)” options=”1″]
[ballot_option sectionname=”VP-Elect” name=”Mamata Akella” id=”1″]
I am Head of Cartography at CARTO and decade-long NACIS member! I started my professional career as a web cartographer in 2008 after earning my MS in Geography from Penn State University and my BA in Geography from UC Santa Barbara. I started my career out at Esri where I primarily researched and implemented multi-scale basemap designs. After a few years, I moved on to the National Park Service where I had the opportunity to push forward cartography standards for the agency using all open source tools with the goal of translating the print mapping aesthetics and brand to the web. In 2015, I joined CARTO taking the dive from basemap to thematic cartography.
At CARTO, I am working to define the future of thematic cartography on the web and have a strong focus on making the process easier and more accessible to all. Through these experiences, I have had the fortune of working with a variety of tools in the ever-changing landscape of digital mapping and in true cartographer spirit, have made many maps along the way.
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[ballot_section name=”Treasurer” desc=”(1 will be elected)” options=”1″]
[ballot_option sectionname=”Treasurer” name=”Mary Beth Cunha” id=”2″]
My cartographic epiphany occurred as a UC Davis undergraduate, when I realized that making great maps involved my childhood passion for mathematics, constrained by geography and empowered through good design. An internship with the California Natural Diversity Data Base and a position at Stuart Allan’s new cartography firm in Medford closed the deal. My 30 years as a cartographer and geospatial lab manager include working for USGS-EROS, UC Davis, the Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project, the National Park Service, private consulting, and my present position as a lecturer in geospatial science at Humboldt State University. My NACIS roles include coordinating university students to accompany me to 12 Annual Meetings, serving on the Board, and handling local arrangements for NACIS 2009 in Sacramento. Our organization is vitally important to our profession. It brings together specialists from private, academic, and government organizations, along with people whose common interest lies in facilitating communication in the map information community. If elected, I look forward to serving as treasurer.
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[ballot_section name=”Directors-at-Large” desc=”(3 will be elected)” options=”3″]
[ballot_option sectionname=”Directors-at-Large” name=”Sarah Bell” id=”3″]
After receiving my B.A. in anthropology with a secondary focus on geology, I became a park ranger at the North Cascades National Park. Since the Park scientists were using GIS to understand this part of the world I call home, I enrolled in the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s GIS program after my first ranger season, and was immediately captivated by cartography.
Following UW–Madison, I was hired as a cartographer in Bellingham, Washington, and mapped for clients like the U.S. Forest Service, Green Trails, and the National Park Service. I then completed my M.S. in Geography at Western Washington University, where I was a researcher for the Resilience Institute, using geo-datavisualization to help communities recover from disasters.
I have been a cartographer and dataviz designer at Esri since 2013. My job includes directing and creating geo-visual products and maps for customers, and working on a team with software developers creating new mapping tools. I serve on AAG’s Cartography Specialty Group. I also run a geo-viz collaboration with the purpose of sharing maps and mapping tips in a collaborative atmosphere.
Cartography has been my career for over ten years, and I am incredibly fortunate to be part of the carto-community that NACIS provides.
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[ballot_option sectionname=”Directors-at-Large” name=”Donna G. Genzmer” id=”4″]
I am the Director of the Cartography & GIS Center and the Chair of the GIS Council at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.
I’m a campus leader in GIS implementation in academic research and instruction, outreach, and collaboration, with more than 20 years of progressively responsible administration and managerial experience in cartography and GIS in an institution of higher education with a broad and deep portfolio of achievements. I am a recognized leader in facilitating collaboration with campus and community partners to achieve positive outcomes.
A long-time Nacite, I have strong interests in Cartography, GIS applications, Cartography and GIS in education, and higher education. I have served on standing committees and panels in the University and professional organizations and previously served on the NACIS Board and its committees.
I value the diverse cartographic backgrounds, professional camaraderie, and creative energies found in the membership, and will work to further those qualities in the organization. I believe in a NACIS that is a dynamic organization that recognizes the strengths of its past while wholeheartedly embracing its evolution. I can contribute both experience and innovative ideas to advance NACIS.
I offer myself for service to the profession as a NACIS Board member.
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[ballot_option sectionname=”Directors-at-Large” name=”John Nelson” id=”5″]
I make maps. I’m shy and awkward in unfamiliar, and familiar, social situations, am left-handed, work in a woodshed, stand at my desk, enjoy bursting into song, have a constant inner narration, and tend to ramble.
I earned a degree from Central Michigan University, studying Geography and Art. I returned for a master’s degree, focusing on geographic software user experience design and usability testing. I embarked on an ultimately incomplete, though exhilarating, PhD program at Michigan State University, where I researched the emotional aspects of map design and interpretation.
I’ve held a variety of positions over the years. They are: Lifeguard, Garbage Man, Cemetery Groundskeeper, Web Designer, GPS Data Collector, GIS & Water Quality Technician, Geography Teaching Assistant, User Experience Lead, Mapping Manager, Director of Design, and Cartographer. Currently, I revel in my current position with Esri, where I enjoy a curious mix of UX design, experimental cartography, speaking, writing, and teaching.
I tweet as @john_m_nelson and blog at www.AdventuresInMapping.com. I also write instructional cartographic blog posts (esriurl.com/Nelson) and Story Maps (esriurl.com/JohnNelsonStories) because I can’t help myself.
To serve NACIS would be an honor as I’ve benefitted greatly from it and admire its mission and friendly members.
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[ballot_option sectionname=”Directors-at-Large” name=”Lauren Tierney” id=”6″]
I am a Graphics Reporter and cartographer at The Washington Post, where I produce maps for in-depth analysis and breaking news stories. I previously worked as a Graphics Editor at National Geographic Magazine, where I worked for almost three years producing maps for the magazine and atlases.
I have a Master of Science in Geography from the University of Oregon, where I also worked in the InfoGraphics Lab for three years. I am currently one of the editors for the Atlas of Design, and served as NACIS Student Board Member for the 2014–2015 term. As a board member, I will focus on student outreach and connecting more emerging cartographers to the greater mapping community.
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[ballot_option sectionname=”Directors-at-Large” name=”Rosemary Wardley” id=”7″]
I am a Cartographer at National Geographic where I have worked since 2007. Over the past 11 years I have enjoyed working on our ever-changing suite of products, from the quintessential Atlas of the World to the interactive World Atlas App.
NACIS has been an important aspect of my professional development throughout my career. It has been evident to me since my first Annual Meeting in St. Petersburg 8 years ago that NACIS is a unique professional organization, full of welcoming members dedicated to improving our field of cartography. Over the past two years on the Board I am proud to have contributed to our initiatives to diversify NACIS and expand our community interaction beyond the annual meeting. There is more work to be done on these and many other topics and I would be honored to continue in this role and represent the wants and needs of our great NACIS membership.
Thank you for considering me as a nominee, I look forward to upholding the tradition that NACIS is nicest!
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[ballot_section name=”Student Director” desc=”(1 will be elected)” options=”1″]
[ballot_option sectionname=”Student Director” name=”Meghan Kelly” id=”9″]
My enthusiasm for cartography took off during my master’s program at the University of Kansas. Cartography and design helped me combine my experience in human geography and GIS in interesting ways. I love the structure provided by the discipline, but I also like tinkering with the “rules” and thinking about maps from underrepresented perspectives. I’m currently a PhD student at UW–Madison and my research focuses on feminist mapmaking. My first NACIS was in Pittsburgh in 2014 and I have to admit that I was pretty nervous to attend. The NACIS community immediately made me feel welcomed and supported. As a student, NACIS has given me incredible feedback in the map gallery and presentations. The organization has also generously provided student travel grant assistance making the conference more accessible. As a teacher at NACIS, I continue to learn and implement pedagogical strategies that span academia and industry. I’ve also absorbed tips, tricks, and techniques from colleagues at PCD and connected with cartographers across the community. I want to represent NACIS as a Student Board Member to give back to the community I’ve gained so much from. I hope to keep the welcoming, supportive, and inclusive momentum moving forward!
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