It is with gratitude that I introduce myself, Kenny Ratliff – as candidate for the office of President-Elect, Kentucky Association of Mapping Professionals. As a 1990 graduate of Morehead State University with a major in Geography and minor in Geology, I couldn’t have dreamed of where those courses of study would take me. It wasn’t until 1997, while working in Public Health that I was able to make GIS the focus of my career. There were many successes that followed with the efforts of a great team, resulting in an Esri Special Achievement in Geography award in 2007. Since that time my GIS experiences have included the different industries of Emergency Management, Military/Defense, State GIS and Environmental Planning. Bringing me to my current position as GIS Manager for the Oldham County Water District. It doesn’t seem like 24 years of GIS experience has passed that quickly!
In looking back, I’ve attended 12 State GIS Conferences during those years. The official records show I’ve been a member of KAMP for the past 5 years since rejoining following a brief time away. Prior to that, I served as KAMP director from 2006 to 2008. Since re-engaging with KAMP in 2016, I’ve worked to increase the participation of public utility GIS organizations. It’s been encouraging to see growth from this industry group. Additionally, I always attempt to engage in each quarterly meeting. When not presenting at the conferences, I’ve made sure to volunteer to moderate. For last year’s event, I created and hosted a pre-conference webinar on Esri Story Maps.
My goal in seeking the role of President-Elect is pretty simple. To continue to build on the successes of those leaders before me. The adage ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ applies to a certain extent. However, we can always seek to improve in our membership, outreach, relevance, and visibility. The evolvement of culture, how we interact with each other, and technologies – demand that KAMP seek innovative opportunities to push boundaries. Specifically, I think we must seek increased engagement with high school and collegiate level students. They are the future of the GIS industry. Overall, it is my desire to listen to and leverage the ideas of members while contributing my experience to KAMP’s continued growth. In doing so, we can contribute to the future of Kentucky GIS!
Thank you for the privilege of being a candidate for this role and your consideration!