More Than Just Maps

Enterprise GIS and Kubernetes

June 08, 2023 22:00 - 53 minutes - 36.6 MB

In this edition, we speak with Bryan Palus and Jason Harris from Rok Technologies about Enterprise GIS. In detail, we discuss the history of Enterprise GIS, a powerful enterprise tool known as Kubernetes, and what all this means to the GIS practitioner now and in the future.

Episode 27

October 14, 2021 14:00 - 24 minutes - 16.8 MB

On this week's episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Ashley Hitt of Connected Nation. Ashley discovered GIS during her undergraduate years when she took an intro to GIS class as mandated by her studies in meteorology. She instantly fell in love with and after completing her Masters Degree, joined Connected Nation as an Analyst. Now the VP of GIS Services, Ashely and I discuss how her role an skills have changed over the course of her 14 years with the non-profit agency. We also talk...

Episode 26

August 03, 2021 17:00 - 36 minutes - 25.4 MB

On this week’s episode, I finish my interview with Liz Parrish of esri. In this special episode, Liz and I chat about the dreaded Imposter Syndrome and how it affects everyone. We share some of our own experiences and discover that men and women are actually affected almost the same. We also talk about how our upbringing can influence the imposter syndrome tendencies we experience, and some ways to boost your confidence instantly.

Episode 25

July 14, 2021 14:00 - 45 minutes - 31.5 MB

On this week’s episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Liz Parrish of Esri. Liz got her start in GIS after unknowingly doing GIS in her career in Real Estate. After wetting her pallet, she went back to school to learn more about it, and become a GIS professional. We chat about how more graduate Business programs are incorporating GIS into their curriculums, exposing more people to GIS early on in their careers, and what it’s like to build GIS from scratch for a newly incorporated munic...

Episode 24

May 26, 2021 13:00 - 34 minutes - 24.1 MB

On this week’s episode, I finish my interview with Toby Soto of Soto Media. We chat about some of the differences between working in any level of government versus the private industry. We also dive deep into Toby’s journey of GIS Success, the blog he started while struggling to find all the information he needed in one place. What started as Munigovguy.com is today becoming one of the best places for GIS leaders to learn the skills that don’t necessarily have to do with GIS.

Episode 23

May 12, 2021 13:00 - 17 minutes - 12.1 MB

On this week’s episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Toby Soto of Soto Media and GIS Success.com. Toby got his start in the industry through surveying and drafting while at the City of Riverside, California. It was there this cool new thing called GIS was starting to take off, and Toby jumped in with both feet. His career eventually led him to the county level and several other cities. And all this without a four year degree. We chat about how networking is key for promotions and fin...

Episode 22

April 28, 2021 13:00 - 25 minutes - 17.5 MB

On this week’s episode, I finish my interview with Chris Wayne of Directions Magazine. We dive into his current business and how he not only helps clients with their GIS needs, but also helps them to create the need. We also talk about the difficulty of getting organizations to switch to newer technologies and the importance of networking. And finally Chris lets us know how he comes up with article ideas for Directions Magazine.

Episode 21

April 14, 2021 12:00 - 28 minutes - 19.7 MB

On this week’s episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Chris Wayne of Directions Magazine. Chris has held many titles over years from archeologist, professor, GIS specialist, author and even voice actor. These days he goes by Geographer. We chat about the non-linear path his career has taken from starting from his 12 year stint at Carter Lake National Park, where he re-built the GIS system from the ground up, to these days where he runs his own GIS consulting business helping small com...

Episode 20

March 24, 2021 13:00 - 23 minutes - 16.4 MB

On this week’s episode, I finish my interview with Brett Clark of Nearmap. We dive into how to use some of the sales skills Brett learned over the years to benefit not just your career, but almost anything you’re working on, from fighting for a seat at the table, to getting buy-in from other departments. We also talk about how starting from the bottom up helps to push your projects and goals along. And finally for those who are new to GIS, we grab some tips about how to get more than your fo...

Episode 19

March 18, 2021 12:00 - 32 minutes - 22.4 MB

On this week’s episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Brett Clark of Nearmap. Brett started his foray into the geospatial industry in a slightly non traditional manner, construction. After a series of decisions saw him then go from advertising to sales, Brett landed a sales role as one of the first employees for Australian based Nearmap in the US. Now the North American Public Sector Director Brett shares what it took to get to where he is now, and how Nearmap is impacting the geospat...

Episode 18

February 24, 2021 10:00 - 22 minutes - 15.3 MB

On today’s episode I conclude my interview with Lt Ronald Vaughn. We talk about how he took the reins and made sure he had all the tools and help he needed to succeed in this new phase of his career in GIS. After being nominated to the SCAUG board of Directors, he met as many GIS professionals as he could and continues to do so. We also chat about some of the projects that Lt Vaughn has helped Dallas Fire-Rescue with and how this directly impacts the department’s ability to respond to calls.

Episode 17

February 10, 2021 14:00 - 32 minutes - 22.2 MB

On this week’s episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Lt Ronald Vaughn of Dallas Fire Rescue. When his dreams of becoming a police officer turned into becoming a Fire Fighter & Paramedic instead, Lt Vaughn never dreamed of the day when he would be voluntold into the world of GIS. After almost 20 years in the field, Lt Vaugh was given the assignment to find out what this “GIS” thing was for the department, and he hasn’t looked back.

Episode 16

January 28, 2021 14:00 - 29 minutes - 20.4 MB

On today’s episode I conclude my interview with Caitlyn McNabb and Micah Babinsky. With 2020 being what it was, this special episode of the podcast deals with the topic of burnout. Caitlyn, Micah and I all discuss some of the challenges we’ve faced recently and how and what we’ve done to overcome our own bouts of burnout.

Episode 15

January 14, 2021 13:00 - 28 minutes - 19.4 MB

On this week’s episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with not one guest, but two. Caitlyn McNabb of Sedaru and Micah Babinsky of CDR McGuire join me and talk about how they got into this big wide world of GIS. Both are members of the URISA Vangaurd cabinet and have been able to greatly expand their careers thanks to the experiences they’ve gained, not only from URISA events, but a multitude of opportunities.

Episode 14

October 28, 2020 13:00 - 34 minutes - 23.6 MB

On today’s episode I conclude my interview with Jordan Carmona as we wrap up our discussion on the GISP. We dive into why each of us wanted the certification in the first place, and then we crack open the technical exam, as much as we can, for those who are looking for some insight into this sometimes controversial test.

Episode 13

October 14, 2020 12:00 - 51 minutes - 35.3 MB

On this week’s episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Jordan Carmona from the city of McKinney, Texas. On this special episode, Jordan and I chat about all things GISP. We share our own experiences of completing our portfolios, tips and tricks to use to gather points, and how the point system works in the first place.

Episode 12

September 24, 2020 12:00 - 36 minutes - 24.8 MB

On today’s episode I conclude my interview with Brandi Rank. We talk Servant leadership and the difference between good and bad management. We also dive into some universal truths in the workplace, and the importance of being aware of yourself including your positives and negatives. And finally we discuss how GIS departments are key in governmental organizations, be that helping IT departments transition to 100% remote work, or acting as bridges between siloed groups.

Episode 11

September 09, 2020 10:00 - 47 minutes - 33 MB

On this week’s episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Brandi Rank from the city of Thornton, Colorado. We chat about what it’s like being the first generation in your family to attend college, while not knowing what you want to do right away, and what that process is like when searching for what you’re supposed to do with the rest of your life. We also talk about the importance of internships, and the abundance of experience they can provide. And finally we span Brandi’s career in gov...

Episode 10

June 25, 2020 16:00 - 20 minutes - 14.1 MB

On today’s episode I conclude my interview with Michelle Swindle. We talk about what it’s like to have staff who are brand new, versus subject matter experts in any given field. We also chat about some of the work Michelle has done with the North Texas Emergency Communications Center, as well as the Joint Emergency Operations Center in Tarrant county, and how it first started as a way to track incidents at the Texas Motor Speedway, and how it’s evolved to serve many other functions, like the...

Episode 9

June 10, 2020 13:00 - 36 minutes - 25.3 MB

On this week’s episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Michelle Swindle from the city of Fort Worth Texas. We chat about Michelle’s non-traditional path to GIS, and what it was like to go back to school after she thought she was finished with higher education. We also get to hear about what it’s like to be a civilian GIS contractor in an active war zone, and how that environment comes with a whole host of unique challenges.

Episode 8

May 27, 2020 19:00 - 27 minutes - 18.7 MB

On today’s episode I conclude my interview with Tom Fisher. We get into the wide range of activities Tom is involved with in Ohio from his work at the county to the non profits he helps to support. We also discuss how the current Covid-19 crisis is affecting everyone, and how his county is responding and going about providing as much information as it can to it’s citizens.

Episode 7

May 13, 2020 13:00 - 23 minutes - 16.4 MB

On this week’s episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Tom Fisher of Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Tom and I discuss how he got his first taste of GIS as an eagle scout mapping out fire hydrants for his local community, before starting a degree in forestry. His love of nature eventually lead him back to GIS and some pretty resourceful strategies to get into the companies where he saw himself thriving.

Episode 6

April 01, 2020 13:00 - 26 minutes - 18.5 MB

On today’s episode I conclude my interview with Keri Brennan. We discuss how Keri’s career evolved with teaching as an esri instructor to teaching workshops for URISA, to being one of the head instructors of URISA GIS Leadership Academy. We also discuss the difference between a manager and a leader in the GIS community, and how becoming a GIS leader is everyone's responsibility, whether you are a loud or quiet leader. And finally we chat about why it’s important to push for GIS to be part of...

Episode 5

March 25, 2020 13:00 - 32 minutes - 22.1 MB

On the current episode of More Than Just Maps I have the pleasure of talking with the current URISA President, Keri Brennan. We chat about Keri’s journey from being a non-GIS student in natural resources and how she was able to break into the industry through academic research. We also talk about how evolving GIS technology has changed what she does on a day to day basis, and what to focus on when first entering the industry.

Episode 4

February 26, 2020 12:00 - 25 minutes - 17.5 MB

On the second part of my interview with URISA Texas founder Brian King, we talk about all the ways in which Brian continues to learn including teaching at Penn State, working on bringing continuing education through the URISA Texas Speaker series, and starting the Freese and Nichols drone program from scratch.

Episode 3

February 12, 2020 10:00 - 33 minutes - 23 MB

This month I get to chat with the founder of URISA Texas, Brian King. Brian goes into detail about what it's like to change from archeology to GIS gradually through his career. We also talk about how quickly the GIS field has grown since he first started using the technology, what it's like to start a non-profit, and what you can do to get more experience when you have none.

Episode 2

January 22, 2020 14:00 - 23 minutes - 16 MB

On this episode of the podcast I continue my discussion with Tim Nolan about his interest in all things project management including, Agile, Scrum, Kanban, and personal Kanban, and how this can be used to make even the most complicated GIS workflows work for you.

Episode 1

January 08, 2020 10:00 - 28 minutes - 19.7 MB

Navigating the world of GIS takes more than being able to make a pretty map. Between the science, technology, and artistic design required to be successful in the geospatial field, things can get confusing. Join us as we talk with GIS veterans and geniuses who know a thing or two about how to find your way from student to professional and beyond, while also chatting about some neat tools, tricks, and trends. Presented by the URISA Texas Chapter.

More Than Just Maps

Episodes