Associate Deputy Secretary of the Interior to Address MAPPS Policy Luncheon
Reston, VA (September 25, 2008) – Jim Cason, Associate Deputy Secretary of the Interior, will join members of MAPPS in a discussion of geospatial initiatives and Federal geospatial organization and coordination at a special MAPPS Washington Policy Luncheon next Tuesday, September 30.
Mr. Cason will conduct an informal roundtable discussion with the leaders of the geospatial profession on plans to implement reform regarding geospatial coordination, strategic investment, and structure in the Department of the Interior. These measures will favorably impact the entire Federal government, as well as its relationship with state and local government and the private sector. Most will be implemented BEFORE the Bush Administration leaves office on January 20, 2009. This will also set the stage for the new Administration, regardless of who wins the Presidential election.
This event will NOT be the usual luncheon speaker and Q&A. Rather, it is a roundtable discussion, a give and take, and an exchange of views, on critical issues affecting not only the Federal market for geospatial services, data products and technology, but state, local and commercial markets as well.
MAPPS Executive Director John Palatiello said, "I am asking each participant in the Forum to come with an answer to the following: ‘If you had an opportunity to make a 1-minute presentation to the President-Elect on how his administration should address geospatial issues, what would you recommend?’ Each person attending the Forum will be given an opportunity to present their answer to this question."
Palatiello added, "MAPPS has been working hard to help promote and advocate reforms in the Federal government’s geospatial activities. Our goals have been to make geospatial activities more commonly used in government processes, to make government more efficient, and to increase the public’s use of geospatial services and products. This Forum will provide an update of steps that have been taken, and a discussion of what is yet to be done."
Joining Mr. Cason will be Karen Siderelis, Associate Director for Geospatial Information and Chief Information Officer of USGS. Mr. Cason is responsible for the Interior Department’s policy, management and budget activities, and coordinates government-wide geospatial issues as Chairman of the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Steering Committee.
The MAPPS Washington Policy Luncheon is on Tuesday, September 30 at 12:00 noon at the City Club of Washington at Columbia Square Location, 555 13th Street, NW, Washington, DC.
Among the topics to be discussed is inter-agency coordination, QBS, government competition, Imagery for the Nation, National Lidar Initiative, National Land Imaging Program, National Land Parcel Data, Transportation for the Nation, Digital Coast, Elevation for the Nation, The National Map, Integrated Ocean and Coastal Mapping, National Spatial Data Infrastructure, homeland security, climate change, energy development, and many other issues.
About MAPPS
Formed in 1982, MAPPS is the only national association exclusively comprised of private firms in the remote sensing, spatial data and geographic information systems field in the United States. Current MAPPS memberships span the entire spectrum of the geospatial community, including Member Firms engaged in satellite and airborne remote sensing, surveying, photogrammetry, aerial photography, hydrography, bathymetry, charting, aerial and satellite image processing, GPS, and GIS data collection and conversion services. MAPPS also includes Associate Member Firms, which are companies that provide hardware, software, products and services to the geospatial profession in the United States and other firms from around the world. MAPPS provides its members opportunities for networking and developing business-to-business relationships, information sharing, education, public policy advocacy, market growth, and professional development and image enhancement.
For information on membership in MAPPS and attending the forum, go to www.mapps.org or contact Nick Palatiello, nick@mapps.org or (703) 787-6996.