Spatial Engineering, Inc., and Keck & Wood, Inc., Provide GIS Training to Counties in Southeast Georgia

Southeast Georgia has been experiencing a growth explosion over the last several years. Once sleepy communities are now experiencing the problems seen in larger metro communities. These communities are turning to geographic information system (GIS) as a tool to manage growth, locate problems, and find answers. In response to the increased use of GIS in southeast Georgia, Spatial Engineering, Inc., and Keck & Wood, Inc., partnered to provide reduced cost training classes in April, which included ESRI's Introduction to ArcGIS I and Introduction to ArcGIS II, to communities in that area.

Spatial Engineering took the lead coordinating the registration, securing the training site, and conducting the Introduction to ArcGIS I class. Keck & Wood provided marketing support and custom on-site training for Glynn County and conducted the Introduction to ArcGIS II class. Spatial Engineering and Keck & Wood are both ESRI business partners and have teamed together in the past to successfully provide GIS training services.

Introduction to ArcGIS I was taught by Anna Austin, Spatial Engineering's GIS project manager. Anna is an ESRI Authorized Instructor with more than five years of GIS experience. She has supported GIS projects from Seoul, South Korea, to Rincon, Georgia, to Wiesbaden, Germany. She is highly experienced in ArcGIS.

Roger McDonald, transportation coordinator for Camden County Schools, attended Anna's Introduction to ArcGIS I class. "Anna was fantastic. I have been a college professor for 15 years. I have been an educator and administrator for 31 years. I can honestly say that Anna did an excellent job."

The Introduction to ArcGIS II class was taught by Tripp Corbin. Tripp heads Keck & Wood's GIS Department and has more than 16 years of GIS, mapping, and surveying experience. He is a GIS certified professional and a certified floodplain manager in addition to being an ESRI Authorized Instructor. Tripp has used various software packages during his years of experience including ArcView 3.x and ArcGIS. He serves on the Georgia URISA Board as corporate sponsor chair and is on the GISP application review committee.

Dianne Wilson, assistant GIS manager for Glynn County, attended the Introduction to ArcGIS II class. "The course material is an excellent overview of ArcGIS capabilities. Tripp Corbin is an excellent communicator and he knows his subject. Tripp is willing to go the extra mile to help and encourage his students."

As a reflection of the growing use of GIS in this area, personnel from several counties and departments attended the training. Glynn County, an early adopter of GIS in the region, enrolled six people whose positions varied from GPS field technician to assistant GIS manager. Camden County sent a Planning Department employee and the school system transportation coordinator. Brantley County's chief appraiser attended the training.

The classes were a big success. The students learned how to use ArcGIS Desktop capabilities in their day-to-day routines. Doug Miles, chief appraiser for Brantley County, Georgia, said, "Anna and Tripp were both very knowledgeable about the material. They were very good at conveying the material in an easy-to-understand manner. They used real-world examples from their own experience and explained things in down-to-earth language."

The success of these classes has led to a demand for additional classes in the near future. Spatial Engineering and Keck & Wood are working to schedule more classes to meet this demand. Class schedules will be posted on Keck & Wood's Web site at www.keckwood.com. Spatial Engineering and Keck & Wood are continuing to provide GIS support and assistance to communities in southeast Georgia.

About Keck & Wood, Inc.
Founded in 1954, Keck & Wood, Inc., is a multidiscipline consulting firm engaged in providing a diverse range of professional services in the areas of civil engineering, environmental engineering, natural gas engineering, surveying, community planning, mapping, GIS, and related technical disciplines. Keck & Wood currently employs a staff of more than 80 loyal employees and maintains offices in Duluth and Carrollton, Georgia, and Rock Hill, South Carolina.

As an ESRI Authorized Business Partner, Keck & Wood is an authorized consultant, value-added reseller, and developer of software based on ESRI products.

About Spatial Engineering, Inc.
Spatial Engineering, Inc., is a professional services company specializing in geographic information system (GIS). Founded in 2000, Spatial Engineering provides state-of-the-art spatial data solutions worldwide for Department of Defense as well as services for local municipalities. Spatial Engineering, Inc., is located in the growing city of Rincon, Georgia, about 20 miles west of historic Savannah. Spatial Engineering, Inc., is an ESRI Authorized Business Partner, value-added reseller, and developer of software based on ESRI products.

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