The Connected Nation Blog: CN's GIS Services Manager Named to Professional Group

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

CN's GIS Services Manager Named to Professional Group

Ashley Littell, Connected Nation’s manager of GIS Services, has been named to a select group of GIS professionals.

Littell has been named to the inaugural Vanguard Cabinet (VC) by URISA, the leading association for GIS professionals. The Vanguard Cabinet is a new URISA initiative to engage young GIS practitioners, increase their numbers in the organization, and better understand the concerns facing these future leaders of the GIS community.

“I think URISA’s Vanguard Cabinet will be an exciting opportunity to give young GIS practitioners additional prospects to expand and impact the GIS knowledge base,” Littell said.

“We’re extremely proud of this recognition of Ashley’s talents and experience,” said Tom Ferree, Connected Nation’s chief operating officer. “We at Connected Nation have long recognized her abilities and are glad that the GIS community will now benefit from her talents as well.”

According to URISA, the VC is an advisory board made up of young professionals who represent the young membership of the organization. The Cabinet’s mission is to collaborate with URISA’s Board of Directors and committees in creating and promoting programs and policies of benefit to young professionals. Comprised entirely of young members selected from different geospatial disciplines, the Cabinet aims to position URISA as the center of opportunities for creative young professionals who are committed to improving URISA and the geospatial profession via innovation, collaboration, networking, and professional development.

“For obvious reasons, experience is the major focus of so much professionally that young practitioners and those getting ready to graduate with GIS degrees need as many resources as possible to increase networking abilities and continue learning about the diversity that exists in fields using GIS,” Littell said.

Applicants for the VC submitted a resume and answered questions related to the mission of the Vanguard Cabinet. A Steering Committee reviewed the submissions and selected the first five members of the Cabinet, who will serve a two-year appointment and five additional members will be selected in 2012.

More information about the Vanguard Cabinet is available here.