Kentucky Association of Mapping Professionals
Association and Executive Board Meetings
16 May 2008

The Kentucky Association of Mapping Professionals (KAMP), meeting at the Pikeville Fire Department Training Center in Pikeville, Kentucky, was called to order by President Michelle Ellington at 10:10 am. The agenda consisted of an Association meeting featuring several presentations followed by an open meeting of the KAMP Executive Board.

ATTENDEES

Stephen Berry, KAMP President-Elect, Clark County GIS
Lori Branham, Clark County GIS
Trisha Brush, KAMP President Emerita, Northern Kentucky Area Planning Commission
Joe Busemeyer, Northern Kentucky Area Planning Commission
Michelle Ellington, KAMP President, University of Kentucky, Physical Plant Division
Tim Fields, MapSync
Shawn Harley, National Weather Service
Racheal Isaac, Pike County Emergency Management
Wally Justice, Southeast Telephone
Brandon Lewis, Vaughn & Melton
Charles Maynard, Pike County GIS
Dennis Miller, Kentucky Finance Cabinet, Department of Revenue
Christy Powell, Northern Kentucky Area Planning Commission
Todd Reidenbach, Georgetown-Scott County Planning Commission
Earl Smith, KAMP Director, Georgetown-Scott County Planning Commission
Kyle Snyder, KAMP President Emeritus, Northern Kentucky Area Planning Commission
Matthew Tolar, Georgetown-Scott County Planning Commission
Buddy Whorrall, National Weather Service
Mark Wiljanen, KAMP Secretary, Commonwealth of Kentucky, Council on Postsecondary Education
Joe Woods, Lynn Imaging
Demetrio Zourarakis, Commonwealth of Kentucky, Division of Geographic Information

ASSOCIATION MEETING PRESENTATIONS

The meeting began with a set of presentations by Charles Maynard and Doug Tackett of Pike County GIS. The focus was on the role of GIS in local emergency management, especially in documenting and responding to flooding incidents. Other significant GIS projects, including an infrastructure inventory and the Pikeville cut-through were also reviewed.

Kyle Snyder (Northern Kentucky Area Planning Commission) described the benefits and rewards of professional certification and offered a detailed guide through the process of attaining Geographic Information Systems Professional (GISP) certification.

Shawn Harley and Buddy Whorrall of the National Weather Service (NWS) gave us a look at a variety of GIS-based services provided by the NWS including the National Digital Forecast Database, hydrological models, a storm survey, and the Tornado Project.

Lunch was generously provided by Southeast Telephone and MedFlight.

EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING

The open meeting of the KAMP Executive Board commenced at 1:55 pm with self-introductions by all present.

ANNUAL MEETING PLANS

The KAMP Annual Meeting is scheduled for 7 July 2008, 6:00 pm, at the Marriott Griffin Gate Resort in Lexington. The meeting will be held in conjunction with the Ky GIS conference. President Ellington noted that this is KAMP’s five-year anniversary, and ideas were solicited for an appropriate commemoration that might reflect the Association’s perseverance and growth. Several suggestions were considered, but a consensus developed around President Ellington’s idea of a photograph of all the KAMP members at the annual meeting. This could be repeated every five years for a visual record of our Association’s growth.

WORLD EQUESTRIAN GAMES

Stephen Berry, KAMP President-Elect, Earl Smith, KAMP Director, and Trisha Brush, KAMP President Emerita, announced the launch of a 2010 World Equestrian Games mapping initiative. They envision this as a collaborative effort resulting in a set of maps of local amenities and services. The maps would be available through the Web and would be formatted for viewing on cell phones. A possible role for KAMP and KAMP members in the production of these maps was discussed.

KENTUCKY ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL SURVEYORS LIAISON

KAMP President Ellington reported on conversations with officers of the Kentucky Association of Professional Surveyors concerning the establishment of formal liaisons between the two organizations. General support was expressed for strengthening ties between the organizations, and President Ellington offered to look into the details of how this might be accomplished.

ASSOCIATION BUSINESS

Issues surrounding the membership roll and the membership renewal process were explored and set aside for future consideration. And a brief update was provided on the progress of the web site redesign efforts.

A NEW GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION ADVISORY COUNCIL?

Demetrio Zourarakis brought attention to the currently inactive, statutorily-mandated Geographic Information Advisory Council (GIAC), which advises the state executive branch on the usage and development of geospatial information and related infrastructure. All agreed that an active GIAC would be relevant and beneficial and that KAMP should take a leading role in its revitalization. There also was agreement that KAMP should be represented on the GIAC. KAMP members are the dedicated professionals who work day in and day out with geographic information, assembling it, validating it, updating it, often conducting detailed and complex analyses of that geographic information, and then serving it to individuals and agencies all across the Commonwealth. KAMP had not been a part of the GIAC in its previous existence, but the profession is maturing, and it’s time for KAMP to take a seat beside the other professional groups represented on the GIAC.

The meeting of the Kentucky Association of Mapping Professionals was adjourned at 3:10 pm.

Mark Wiljanen
KAMP Secretary
Council on Postsecondary Education