At the 2023     Washington    GIS Conference one of the highlights was the awarding of the Summit Award.  The Summit Award is for the GIS Person of the year and is awarded to a Washington State GIS Professional who has changed the profession in some significant way, been practicing GIS at least 10 years in the state, made a significant contribution to the GIS profession and community and is known for their excellent work and successful projects in GIS.  Generally, they will have volunteered significant time for the profession.   The 2023 awardee, Maria Sevier, is just such a person. Maria has dedicated significant effort to the GIS Community and WAURISA/WAGISA for over 20 years.  Everyone who has worked or volunteered with her knows her energy and enthusiasm towards her profession and it’s community.  I was fortunate to be able to interview Maria in light of her recent award.  Here is that interview:

Congratulations on being the 2023 Summit Award winner!  Can you describe your response to receiving the award?  I was quite surprised when my name was announced and I felt overwhelmed and happy.  I’ve always seen this award as one that goes to people that have made what I see as a big impact on our local GIS community through their hard work and contributions and I’ve never quite seen myself in that same category.  To know that others do is quite humbling.  I feel so blessed to be part of this amazing community and have learned so much from all of you.

Where do you plan to keep the plaque?    The plaque is in my office.

How did you start in the GIS industry and can you describe your GIS journey?  I began my GIS career as an intern for the NW Indian Fisheries Commission during my senior year studying at The Evergreen State College where I completed my degree.  During my final year at university I had the chance to take a yearlong GIS course and was so excited by what I was learning that I knew it was what I wanted to pursue.  After my internship I moved to Vancouver, WA where I then worked for a contract company that managed the GIS for the BLM in Oregon and from there I went on to work for Clark County WA.  A few years later I moved back north to begin working for the City of Lakewood where I stayed for 13 years.  During my tenure at all of these agencies I was able to grow my skills and move from technician to analyst and then a GIS coordinator.  When I left the City of Lakewood I started a small consulting company where I had the chance to work with non-profits, small businesses and government agencies.  In 2020 I started working at the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department supporting their COVID response team and where I continue to grow their GIS today.

What kinds of tips do you have for communicating the value of GIS to those outside of the field?  When I talk about the value of GIS I like to focus on sharing a story about how GIS can support making connections and helping to educate people so that they are able to make educated decisions. I’ll often reference all of the different ways in which everyone already uses GIS and then tell a story about how it might have been used to support their work or community.  For me it’s all about sharing in context to the person I’m speaking with and how it might benefit them and their work or life.”

Can you describe an exciting or interesting GIS projects you have worked on?   Working on the COVID response team for TPCHD has been one of the most challenging and exciting experiences that I’ve had in my career.  It was a dynamic and challenging experience with 10-12 hour days 7 days a week.  I had the chance to build a GIS from the ground up during a dynamically changing situation.  I gained new skills, created new friendships and supported my community.

When you are not working on your job, what do you do for fun and relaxation?  I love to travel, garden, knit, work on puzzles, hike, workout and spend time with friends.  In the next year I hope to add music concerts to the list of fun.

What advise do you have for young professionals trying to break into the field?  I always recommend volunteering as a great way to learn and network to help you grow your GIS career.

Do you have any final thoughts on your experience as the Summit winner?  I’m humbled by the recognition and look forward to continue to give back to our GIS community through the coming years.

That ends our interview with Maria Sevier, 2023 Summit Award Winner.  

The Summit award is an annual award presented every year at the Washington GIS Conference, if you know someone who you would like to nominated please Click Here to review the criteria and nominate someone you know.

I am still smiling weeks later when I reflect on the 2023 Washington GIS Conference. I have helped plan this conference since 2014 and this one was very special. Following a cancelled 2020 conference, several successful virtual conferences and some logistical challenges, we were nervous about going back to in-person, but we pushed ahead cautiously. Most of the big expensive venues were already taken. We were looking at different date ranges than normal, we had attendee estimates with a margin of +/-100 people. But somehow we pulled off and incredible conference at a new venue with a new cast of volunteers.

Thanks to countless volunteer hours, a dedicated Conference Coordinator and a lot of passion from our community we had almost 300 participants arrive at the University of Washington Tacoma Campus for workshops, presentations, a killer keynote by ESRI’s Ken Field, amazing socials, and a chance to connect again in person. It was magical!

Being the first post-COVID president, and the second president since WAGISA was founded is both an honor and a challenge. I hope the next two years represent a bit of stability after a tumultuous time. I see my term as president as a chance to reflect on what we as an organization do exceptionally well, what we can improve on, and what new ideas we want to explore. More to come on new initiatives of 2024. 

Speaking of new stuff; you are probably reading this in the new SUMMIT SCOOP! The Summit Scoop is our new blog that is replacing the pdf newsletter that we used to send out. While a delight to read, it involved countless volunteer hours every month, we hope this is more sustainable and timely.  We are aiming to make this site something that you subscribe to for updates on jobs, conferences, other events, and resources. 

Lastly, mentorship has been a huge theme in my career. Lots of dedicated GIS professionals have helped me get to where I am today (you know who you are). Because of that I hope to pay it forward to other young professionals. My door is always open to meet up for a cup of coffee, career talk, and finding ways to help you get more involved in this organization. Email me anytime at president@wagisa.org.  

Christina Chelf