{"id":709432,"date":"2024-10-29T19:59:04","date_gmt":"2024-10-30T02:59:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/?post_type=arcnews&p=709432"},"modified":"2024-10-28T15:02:52","modified_gmt":"2024-10-28T22:02:52","slug":"planting-seeds-of-geocollaboration-in-arizona-and-beyond","status":"publish","type":"arcnews","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcnews\/planting-seeds-of-geocollaboration-in-arizona-and-beyond","title":{"rendered":"Planting Seeds of Geocollaboration in Arizona and Beyond"},"author":5752,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sync_status":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","castos_file_data":"","podmotor_file_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1041,10372,91],"tags":[301,241,134972,487942,9402],"arcnews_issues":[490712],"class_list":["post-709432","arcnews","type-arcnews","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-collaboration","category-gis-hero","category-mapping","tag-community","tag-gis","tag-land-management","tag-sanborn","tag-state-government","arcnews_issues-fall-2024","arcnews_sections-gis-people"],"acf":{"short_description":"During an internship, Jenna Leveille fell in love with GIS and what it could do. She\u2019s been mapping and advocating for GIS ever since.","pdf":{"host_remotely":false,"file":"","file_url":""},"flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"Jenna Leveille, vice president of state and local government for The Sanborn Map Company, describes her career in GIS as a happy accident.\r\n\r\n\u201cMy degree is in zoology, but my goal was to go into conservation,\u201d Leveille said. \u201cI wanted to save the world and at that time, GIS wasn\u2019t mainstream\u2014there weren\u2019t courses for it. But I got an internship at a place called the Conservation Biology Institute, and all their analysis and research were done using GIS. They were at the forefront of the technology.\u201d"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":709462,"image_position":"right","orientation":"vertical","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"The connection between spatial relationships and decision-making has just made sense to Leveille since then.\r\n\r\n\u201cI fell in love with the technology and what it could do,\u201d she said."},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Managing Arizona\u2019s Land Trust<\/h2>\r\nUntil recently, Leveille worked for the Arizona State Land Department. She spent more than 18 years with the department, first as a GIS analyst and then as deputy state cartographer, providing GIS coordination and support for land-management decisions made by the state in the service of Arizona residents.\r\n\r\nAfter college, Leveille said, \u201cI got a job with Arizona State Land\u2014in part because I could map very accurately\u2026and the department really needed that to manage the state\u2019s trust lands.\u201d\r\n\r\nBecause there was so much available land as the United States expanded westward in the 1800s, the federal government granted \u201ctrust lands\u201d to Western states\u2014specific tracts of land that were set aside to benefit each state\u2019s residents. The Arizona-New Mexico Enabling Act of 1910 authorized Arizona land parcels of about 10.9 million acres (about 44,100 square kilometers) to be held in trust for the benefit of K\u201312 schools and other public services.\r\n\r\nArizona\u2019s State Land Department makes sure that this land resource\u2014on the surface and belowground\u2014is managed for the best use in all cases, while providing funds for Arizona\u2019s schools and other purposes.\r\n\r\n\u201cThat\u2019s a pretty delicate balance to achieve,\u201d Leveille said. \u201cSo in the metro area of Phoenix, the department strategically sold off lands at the best value it could get, while in parts of rural Arizona the best use is agriculture and grazing leases. In some cases, the land is considered multiuse, so the best uses could include mining or solar farms on ranch land. The department is also concerned with equity around the state, including for things like paved roads, broadband access, and cellular coverage in underserved areas.\u201d\r\n\r\nToday, the department manages about 9.3 million acres (more than 37,600 square kilometers) of land\u2014which is around 13 percent of Arizona\u2019s total surface landownership. To support this effort, the department collects and consolidates GIS data from across the state.\r\n\r\n\u201cThere were visionary people\u2014lawmakers as well as people that came before me at the department\u2014who were early adopters of GIS. They saw the power early on of where having GIS data will make a difference,\u201d Leveille said, noting how reliable GIS data helps manage land for issues related to water, roads, addresses, parcels, wildfires, landslides, and more."},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Coordinating Statewide Collaboration<\/h2>\r\nDuring her time as deputy state cartographer, Leveille also led the Arizona Geographic Information Council (AGIC), a group of federal, state, local, tribal, and private organization representatives who advise the Arizona State Land Department on how best to coordinate GIS data and make it widely accessible.\r\n\r\nFilling these two roles helped Leveille guide the development of what she considers the greatest legacy of her time with the department and AGIC: the department-hosted and AGIC-sponsored AZGeo Data Hub<\/a>, which provides Arizona GIS data online. Built with ArcGIS Hub, the AZGeo Data Hub gives visitors access to online map services, metadata, geospatial data, and apps that are used by municipal, regional, state, and tribal governments; private companies; and the public.\r\n\r\n\u201cWe revamped our state GIS data clearinghouse and made it more accessible to the public,\u201d Leveille said. \u201cThis allows our lawmakers and our leaders\u2014whether they have knowledge of GIS specifically or not\u2014to make good, data-driven decisions to support our communities.\u201d\r\n\r\nLeveille is also proud of the mentorship program developed by AGIC during her time at the organization. \u201cThe program, which supports professional development for Arizona geospatial [technology] professionals, is now in its third year, and all of the graduates are invested in AGIC and are part of Arizona\u2019s GIS community,\u201d she said."},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":709472,"image_position":"left","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Influencing GIS Decisions Around the Country<\/h2>\r\nLeveille\u2019s work with AGIC led to her participating in a national organization called the National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC). Leveille represented Arizona at the organization and also served as its president from 2021 to 2022.\r\n\r\nA national network for geospatial leaders, NSGIC provides a platform for cross-state GIS collaboration. The council also develops and promotes sound policies for geospatial activities at the state level. For example, every other year NSGIC conducts a maturity assessment of states\u2019 geospatial technology initiatives, capabilities, and issues, providing each state with a report card to identify areas of strength and opportunities for improvement.\r\n\r\n\u201cAfter I started representing Arizona at NSGIC, I wanted to be part of the board and the organization,\u201d Leveille said. \u201cThat led to me being elected president. NSGIC helped me to build up the AGIC program in Arizona. My time as NSGIC president was the most meaningful time of my career so far.\u201d\r\n\r\nWhile Leveille was NSGIC president, the organization developed a nonprofit called the National Geospatial Collaborative<\/a>, or NGC. Launched in 2023, NGC advances the understanding, use, and integration of GIS and associated emerging technologies by supporting geospatial professionals, organizations, and initiatives via collaborative research, education, knowledge-sharing, and strategic partnerships. Leveille serves on the organization\u2019s board.\r\n\r\n\u201cOur vision statement is to boldly pursue a more effective geospatial ecosystem,\u201d she said."},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

A New Chapter at Sanborn<\/h2>\r\nIn May 2024, Leveille began working for Sanborn, an Esri partner, as vice president of state and local government. The position builds on her past work with the Arizona State Land Department, AGIC, and NSGIC.\r\n\r\nFounded as a fire insurance mapping company in 1866, Sanborn has evolved into a modern, full-suite geospatial technology services provider. Its fleet of planes, equipped with lidar, imagery, and geophysical sensor systems, collects data across the United States and beyond. Sanborn also provides strategic planning, GIS and IT consulting, data processing, spatial analysis, custom app development, and managed services.\r\n\r\nWith this vast expertise, Sanborn helps clients build robust geospatial solutions and programs in sectors such as transportation, resource management, broadband, public works, mineral exploration, assessment and planning, and disaster response. Through its long-standing relationship with Esri, Sanborn helps clients benefit from the full Esri product suite.\r\n\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s no longer enough for a company to simply deliver data and products,\u201d Leveille said. \u201cThe company needs to understand how geospatial assets are used and contribute to more effective and efficient government through better decision-making.\u201d\r\n\r\nRegarding her new role, Leveille said, \u201cI\u2019m in a unique position to help Sanborn deepen state and local governments\u2019 understanding of why GIS is important. I\u2019m excited to leverage the company\u2019s resources to serve the state and local market in a really meaningful way.\u201d\r\n\r\nThe company also aligns with Leveille\u2019s personal values.\r\n\r\n\u201cSanborn believes in relationships, transparency, working together, giving time for learning, and supporting government entities\u2019 growth,\u201d Leveille said. \u201cThat\u2019s why the company is investing in me to support state and local governments\u2019 GIS efforts.\u201d\r\n\r\nFor Leveille, the success of these GIS efforts often comes down to collaboration.\r\n\r\n\u201cIn Arizona and in AGIC, we talked about \u2018Arizona and the GIS world\u2019 as a geospatial ecosystem,\u201d Leveille said. \u201cI love that concept because it really implies all the pieces that are dependent on each other. We\u2019re only successful because we\u2019re a community of collaborators with diversity of ideas. We all count, and it all makes a difference.\u201d"},{"acf_fc_layout":"sidebar","layout":"standard","image_reference":null,"image_reference_figure":"","spotlight_image":null,"section_title":"","spotlight_name":"","position":"Center","content":"Read other articles in the GIS Heroes<\/a> series.","snippet":""}],"references":null},"yoast_head":"\nPlanting Seeds of Geocollaboration in Arizona and Beyond | Fall 2024 | ArcNews<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"During an internship, Jenna Leveille fell in love with GIS and what it could do. 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