Frank LaFone
City: Morgantown
Professional Sector: Education/Research

I believe we have the opportunity to grow our association by actively engaging with the political body to increase our industries visibility within the state.

Barbara MacLennan
City: Morgantown
Professional Sector: Education/Research

My interest in being a WVAGP board member stems from my great respect for the geospatial community and the impact the association continues to have for the betterment of the state and the shared community of support it creates for geospatial professionals of all types and areas of interest. As a past member, I feel that we have just gotten started on a new phase of the WVAGP, what it offers and what it means to be a member. Being on the board would give me an opportunity to build on previous collaborations and outreach to continue to advocate for the needs and interests of geospatial professionals in one of the fastest growing fields in the world.

Eric Bess
City: Charleston
Professional Sector: Private Industry

With over 24 years in the GIS field, through a variety of sectors and assets, I have a good perspetive on GIS role in support in asset management, analysis and data integrity.  GIS is a powerful tool that can be leveraged in many ways and it is our responsibility as GIS professionals to educate others in GIS benefits to their organization and nurture younger students into the field.

Cal Carlson
City: Morgantown
Professional Sector: Regional/Local Organization

I am the GIS Coordinator for Monongalia County, located within the Assessor’s Office. Additionally, I am the Monongalia County representative to MMAGIC (Monongalia Morgantown Geospatial Information Consortium). Prior to taking this role, I spent over two years as the Deputy Clerk of Elections and Voter Registration in the Monongalia County Clerk’s Office, where I maintained the database of 61,000+ registered voters, helped administer the 2021-2022 countywide elections, and assisted with the GIS portion of the 2021 Redistricting of the precincts and magisterial districts. I hold a graduate certificate in GIS from WVU (2020) and am completing my M.S. in GIS and Spatial Analysis. Through my coursework and research, I have completed projects involving campus crime, election turnout, spatial hydrology, and sports geography. One of my main goals as GIS Coordinator and as a member of the Board of Directors is to continue moving Monongalia County and West Virginia forward in terms of our geospatial offerings and data updates. As a young professional who wants to continue living in our state, I want to be a voice for the younger members in our field to know they have representation and opportunities to advance in their geospatial careers.

Adam Cottrell
City: Charleston
Professional Sector: Regional/Local Organization

No Statement Provided

Jessica Gormont
City: Charles Town
Professional Sector: Regional/Local Organization

I am a GIS Coordinator at the Jefferson County GIS/Addressing Office, where I have been working since 2008.  Our office is the main source for non-cadastral mapping for the majority of County Departments and several outside agencies. 

The WVAGP does a wonderful job of expanding the connections made by its members. I would like to see us continue to provide networking opportunities and support to all current and future members. I also believe that people should be encouraged to announce and discuss projects that they have been working on at meetings and on the website, as it may lead other members to discover new ways to utilize GIS in their own projects.

I also enjoy the numerous training opportunities that the WVAGP provides; training that might not be possible for some members without the organization’s aid. In this conflicting age of decreasing budgets and increasing technology, I believe it is our duty to continue to seek out low-cost training opportunities for our members.

And finally, I would like to see the WVAGP reach out to the younger generation (and their teachers) to make them more aware of career opportunities in the GIS community and/or the potential in utilizing GIS in their chosen fields. Perhaps, in encouraging our members to interact with their local schools, we may also engender a life-long interest in mapping in some of the students.
 

Jennings Starcher
City: Charleston
Professional Sector: Regional/Local Organization

Employer & Brief Job Description: I am the GIS Manager for the Charleston Sanitary Board (CSB). I oversee and maintain the CSB GIS mapping system. I work with the records, the asset management system and help coordinate data collection from our surveyors. I provide guidance and training to various department personnel in GIS and record implementation. I design and update the geodatabases for wastewater, property and base maps. I create and update GIS policies and procedures for the CSB.

Visions & Goals for WVAGP: Work with public and private entities on promoting and sharing geospatial technologies throughout the state. This could be done with continued outreach, additional training and educational opportunities. I also want to work closely with my fellow colleagues in the federal, education, county, city, state and private sectors on coming up with ways of making our state a leader in geospatial technology.

Platform for being on the WVAGP Board of Directors: I’ve been on the WVAGP Board for a combined thirteen years and during that time I made sure to faithfully attend meetings, serve on committees, chair the election committee and served as the WVAGP President and the WVAGP Treasurer. I’m currently in my twelfth consecutive year as the WVAGP Treasurer. If elected to the WVAGP Board for a third and final two-year term it is my pledge that I will continue to work with the other members of the WVAGP Board to further advance WVAGP's mission and goals.

Hussein S Elkhansa
City: Charleston
Professional Sector: State Government

I am honored to serve collectively as a board member with the other team, and I look forward to achieving common goals that will benefit the Great State of West Virginia. I have been with WVDOT for 36 years, 20 in the GIS field.

Meryl Friedrich
City: Elkins
Professional Sector: State Government

I am a GIS Analyst with the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. I develop spatial analyses that help inform conservation and management of our state’s wildlife resources, such as the Land Acquisition Prioritization Tool, the Biodiversity Rank Index, and various habitat suitability models. For the past two years, I have served on the WVAGP Board of Directors in roles including Vice President, Election Committee chairperson, and Conference Committee member. I have enjoyed working towards modernizing our elections process by updating the Elections Procedure Manual and developing online surveys. I am seeking re-election to continue contributing to the excellent work that the association is undertaking.