Gaithersburg, MD – Gary Thompson, Section Chief of the North Carolina Geodetic Survey, and a member of two ACSM Member Organizations, AAGS and NSPS, was among the 15 individuals appointed by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar to serve as members of the National Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC). The Committee provides recommendations on federal geospatial policy and management issues and advice on development of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) which promotes sharing of geospatial data throughout all levels of government, the private and non-profit sectors, and the academic community.
The new appointees to three-year terms on the NGAC are:
* Mr. Dick Clark, State of Montana
* Mr. Jack Dangermond, ESRI
Ms. Joanne Irene Gabrynowicz, University of Mississippi
* Dr. Jerry Johnston, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Ms. Laurie Kurilla, Ventura County, CA
Dr. E. Donald McKay, State of Illinois
* Ms. Anne Hale Miglarese, Booz Allen Hamilton
Dr. Timothy Nyerges, University of Washington
* Mr. Matt O’Connell, GeoEye
Mr. Pat Olson, Aero-Metric, Inc.
Mr. Mark Reichardt, Open Geospatial Consortium
Mr. Anthony Spicci, State of Missouri
Mr. Gary Thompson, State of North Carolina
Mr. Gene Trobia, State of Arizona
Mr. David Wyatt, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
* Re-appointed to a second term on the NGAC.
Gary Thompson is an outstanding geodesist and a licensed professional surveyor, with extensive knowledge in land management and the various uses of Lidar technology. Together with the other members of NGAC, Thompson is uniquely qualified to represent the varied interests associated with geospatial programs and technology, and convey views representative of partners in the geospatial community.
The members of NGAC report to the chair of the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC), the federal interagency executive group responsible for providing leadership and direction in federal geospatial programs. The FGDC is chaired by the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary’s designee.
The NGAC meets three to four times per year. The public is invited to comment and make suggestions at all committee meetings, which will be announced by publication in the Federal Register at least 15 days before the meeting date. The U.S. Geological Survey, a bureau of the Department of the Interior, provides support services for the NGAC. The NGAC functions solely as an advisory body.
The NGAC was created under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, which was enacted by Congress in 1972 to ensure that advice rendered to the executive branch by advisory committees, task forces, boards, and commissions formed by Congress and the President, be both objective and accessible to the public. The Act formalized a process for establishing, operating, overseeing, and terminating these advisory bodies.
Additional information about the NGAC, including a complete list of the 28 committee members, is available at www.fgdc.gov/ngac.