My parents gave me many names to pick from, Whitney Tara Michelle Maynard, and I prefer to go by Tara. I have close to 5 years of GIS experience, between volunteer work, internships and previous employment as a GIS Analyst, as well as a B.S. in Geology.
Currently, I am employed at Kentucky State University as a Research Assistant to Dr. Buddhi Gyawali. My work currently is on one grant in particular, that has an emphasis on the East Kentucky Coal Field region of Appalachia. As a research assistant I can wear many hats to get the job done and helping out where I can. My duties consist of compiling geospatial, soil, water, environmental, demographics data, and other datasets. These will create larger databases to assist in creating a baseline to assess the changes in the landscape and biomass on and around reclaimed surface mine lands. I also serve as the Program Assistant for the aforementioned grant and assist in designing surveys, coordinating and conducting interviews with local stakeholders, and assist in the analysis of geospatial data. I will be assisting in compiling information for website development, creating and reviewing literature for both academic and extension publications, and conducting geospatial workshops for teachers in the Appalachia area.
I have been a member of KAMP as a student and a professional for about 6 – 7 years. I have contributed in the past to KAMP, as member, and presented a story map that demonstrated how ESRI’s Story Map application can enhance community engagement, outreach, and understanding of mapping community flood hazards. This was presented at the KAMP GIS conference in Louisville in 2019. I would say that KAMP has contributed and benefitted me than I have to KAMP. KAMP has provided me a foundation to stand on in the Kentucky GIS Community, which allowed me the opportunity to engage and learn from the KAMP community members. I have had opportunities, as a student and professional, to utilize my membership with KAMP to attend conferences to learn from GIS professional, presented professionally, networked and learned the importance of the GISP. KAMP creates the platform that all us, GIS Kentuckians, can nerd out and come together to discuss the issues, problems and concerns that GIS and geospatial technologies can provide solutions to.
I want to serve on the KAMP executive Board to be more engaged in the GIS community and to represent an underserved (my) region of Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky. Eastern Kentucky needs our help now and in the future on a multitude of levels, one being teaching geospatial technologies at an early age in the classroom. How can might we assist in encouraging, teaching and gaining access to geospatial technologies in local community colleges, local high schools and elementary schools? This type of technology is much more intuitive at a young age and it now imperative that it to be taught in our school systems. Our local communities are dwindling, heritage and cultural disappearing, these ways of life are being lost in Appalachia due to the simple fact that folks are leaving the area in search for jobs and diverse opportunities. Through education we can deter this! This type of education, along with others, could expand locals’ skillsets for other job opportunities as they arise in their region. Having a workforce with this type of skillset could also encourage other companies and organizations to move to the region of Eastern Kentucky to a workforce that has these needed skillsets. It could also encourage community members to start their own business and create job opportunities and in turn protecting their heritage and culture by being able to thrive right there, in their own communities. I am very passionate about helping the people of Kentucky and the region I am so lucky to call home. We truly can make a difference through education and hard work. I know KAMP is the organization that has and can impact many lives throughout Kentucky and I hope to be a part of that. I want to serve KAMP by not only by giving my all to serve as secretary, but to also be a good representative to KAMP in the community to share how geospatial technologies can assist in solving local, regional and international problems.