August 14, 2006 – Denver, Colorado– The 2006 program committee is pleased to announce that senior NOAA official John H. Dunnigan will serve as keynote speaker for the 19th Annual GIS in the Rockies Conference in Denver, Colorado.
Mr. Dunnigan is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Assistant Administrator for the National Ocean Service NOS is one of the nation’s premier institutions in marine navigation, operational oceanography, geopositioning, and marine and coastal management.
Mr. Dunnigan previously served as NOAA’s Ecosystem Goal Team Lead, responsible for planning, programming and overall coordination of NOAA’s nine ecosystem goal programs. In Mr. Dunnigan’s current role he experiences NOAA’s scientific leadership on a daily basis, whether providing weather forecasts, saving marine mammals, preserving wetlands, charting our seas, or locating, monitoring and protecting our natural resources.
“We are very pleased to welcome a speaker with Mr. Dunnigan’s experience and achievements to give our keynote address,” said Mike Greer, 2006 program committee chair. “While it may seem a little odd to have the head of the NOS speak at the GIS in the Rockies Conference, NOS is also the parent of the National Geodetic Survey (NGS). The NGS evolved out of the Coast and Geodetic Survey, arguably the first long term generators of GIS type information for this great nation.”
Mr. Dunnigan will talk about the wealth of data and tools in NOAA and how GIS has enormous potential within the organization and for those using its data, such as NGS’s National Spatial Reference System and other Department of Commerce data, such as Census’ data. In NOAA it is very well recognized that good planning leads to the best decisions – GIS is the perfect tool to make better and more informed decisions.
The 2006 GIS in the Rockies Conference will be held September 13 – 15, 2006 at INVESCO Field at Mile High stadium in Denver, Colorado. The six sponsoring societies and organizations share a dedication to promote professional development, education and general community outreach while helping people understand the uses and benefits of GIS technology.
Interested GIS and Surveying professionals can register online at the event website: www.GISintheRockies.org.
Questions about attending the conference should be directed to chair@gisintherockies.org.
About GIS in the Rockies
GIS in the Rockies is a technology conference providing community outreach, education and professional development for people interested in Geographic Information System (GIS) technology. Formed by several professional societies and organizations, the conference enjoys its 19th annual event at INVESCO Field at Mile High stadium in Denver, Colorado USA. The sponsoring societies include: the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Geospatial Information and Technology Association (GITA), the Colorado Section of the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM), the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS), the Professional Land Surveyors of Colorado (PLSC), the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA) and GIS Colorado.
For more information about GIS in the Rockies and links to the sponsoring societies, visit www.gisintherockies.org.