{"id":2941686,"date":"2025-10-24T05:06:16","date_gmt":"2025-10-24T12:06:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?post_type=blog&p=2941686"},"modified":"2025-11-24T06:26:56","modified_gmt":"2025-11-24T14:26:56","slug":"meet-the-judges","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/sharing-collaboration\/meet-the-judges","title":{"rendered":"Meet the judges! Join a conversation about geospatial storytelling"},"author":9422,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":""},"categories":[37511],"tags":[398132,40161,706371,27881],"industry":[],"product":[36611,380802],"class_list":["post-2941686","blog","type-blog","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sharing-collaboration","tag-arcgis-storymaps","tag-living-atlas-of-the-world","tag-storymaps","tag-storytelling","product-story-maps","product-arcgis-storymaps"],"acf":{"short_description":"Register for our Meet the Judges webinar to get storytelling, mapping, and design advice from the 2025 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition judges.","flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

This year, Esri\u2019s ArcGIS StoryMaps and Living Atlas teams are cohosting\u00a0<\/span>the 2025 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition<\/span><\/a>\u00a0to share best practices and innovation in storytelling, cartography, and data visualization\u2014<\/span>and to help you elevate the challenges that mean the most to you.<\/p>\n

On November 20, 2025, the 2025 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition guest judges\u2014Karina Amalbert, V\u00e9ronique Couttee, John Nelson, Maryam Rabiee, and Stephanie Smith\u2014shared their tips and techniques for building a competition story.<\/p>\n

Watch the Meet the Judges webinar recording.\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"kaltura","video_id":"1_ebwhhk8f\/238781783","time":false,"start":0,"stop":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2937432,"id":2937432,"title":"separator-opening-2025","filename":"separator-opening-2025.png","filesize":88738,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/announcements\/show-us-your-geospatial-storytelling-skills\/separator-opening-2025","alt":"Three hexbins in a horizontal row filled with Living Atlas map images","author":"9422","description":"","caption":"","name":"separator-opening-2025","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2922302,"date":"2025-08-27 09:04:35","modified":"2025-08-27 09:05:02","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1952,"height":237,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":56,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":93,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025.png","large-width":1920,"large-height":233,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025-1536x186.png","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":186,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025.png","2048x2048-width":1952,"2048x2048-height":237,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025-826x100.png","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":100,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025-1920x233.png","wide_image-width":1920,"wide_image-height":233}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Get to know your judges\u2026<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Karina Amalbert<\/strong><\/h3>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2942346,"id":2942346,"title":"Karina_640px","filename":"Karina_640px.png","filesize":490655,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Karina_640px.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/sharing-collaboration\/meet-the-judges\/karina_640px","alt":"Close up of Karina Amalbert, the Geospatial Project Manager for Latinos in Heritage Conservation","author":"9422","description":"","caption":"","name":"karina_640px","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2941686,"date":"2025-10-08 19:23:53","modified":"2025-10-09 14:21:43","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":640,"height":572,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Karina_640px-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Karina_640px.png","medium-width":292,"medium-height":261,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Karina_640px.png","medium_large-width":640,"medium_large-height":572,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Karina_640px.png","large-width":640,"large-height":572,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Karina_640px.png","1536x1536-width":640,"1536x1536-height":572,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Karina_640px.png","2048x2048-width":640,"2048x2048-height":572,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Karina_640px-520x465.png","card_image-width":520,"card_image-height":465,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Karina_640px.png","wide_image-width":640,"wide_image-height":572}},"image_position":"left","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Karina Amalbert is the Geospatial Project Manager for Latinos in Heritage Conservation<\/a>, where she leads the Abuelas Project\u2019s online GIS platform<\/a>, manages a growing digital archive, mentors emerging fellows, and builds strong, meaningful connections with communities.<\/p>\n

With a background in urban planning and a passion for sociology, economics, and cultural geography, Karina uses innovative mapping tools to uplift and preserve Latino heritage. Her work sits at the intersection of technology, memory, and movement, always grounded in place and guided by community voices. Karina is also a Ph.D. candidate in Urban Planning, researching radical planning practices in Puerto Rico. She brings a critical and creative perspective to geospatial storytelling, blending culture, care, and impact in everything she does.<\/p>\n

Read Braceros Across the US-Mexico Border<\/a><\/em>, the 2024 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition Winner in Humanities and Popular Culture by Latinos in Heritage Conservation.<\/p>\n

Connect with Karina: https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/karina-amalbert\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2937432,"id":2937432,"title":"separator-opening-2025","filename":"separator-opening-2025.png","filesize":88738,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/announcements\/show-us-your-geospatial-storytelling-skills\/separator-opening-2025","alt":"Three hexbins in a horizontal row filled with Living Atlas map images","author":"9422","description":"","caption":"","name":"separator-opening-2025","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2922302,"date":"2025-08-27 09:04:35","modified":"2025-08-27 09:05:02","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1952,"height":237,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":56,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":93,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025.png","large-width":1920,"large-height":233,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025-1536x186.png","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":186,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025.png","2048x2048-width":1952,"2048x2048-height":237,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025-826x100.png","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":100,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025-1920x233.png","wide_image-width":1920,"wide_image-height":233}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

V\u00e9ronique Couttee<\/strong><\/h3>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2942342,"id":2942342,"title":"Veronique_640px","filename":"Veronique_640px.png","filesize":491469,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Veronique_640px.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/sharing-collaboration\/meet-the-judges\/veronique_640px","alt":"A close up of V\u00e9ronique Couttee-Jenkins, a leadership, impact, and equity specialist","author":"9422","description":"","caption":"","name":"veronique_640px","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2941686,"date":"2025-10-08 19:19:44","modified":"2025-10-09 14:22:19","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":640,"height":572,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Veronique_640px-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Veronique_640px.png","medium-width":292,"medium-height":261,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Veronique_640px.png","medium_large-width":640,"medium_large-height":572,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Veronique_640px.png","large-width":640,"large-height":572,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Veronique_640px.png","1536x1536-width":640,"1536x1536-height":572,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Veronique_640px.png","2048x2048-width":640,"2048x2048-height":572,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Veronique_640px-520x465.png","card_image-width":520,"card_image-height":465,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Veronique_640px.png","wide_image-width":640,"wide_image-height":572}},"image_position":"right","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

V\u00e9ronique Couttee-Jenkins, a Creole Mauritian woman, is a leadership, impact, and equity specialist. As the founder of Geospatial Equity Tech<\/a> (GET), a consulting firm, she passionately advocates for applying spatial thinking and geospatial technology to the processes surrounding measuring and communicating social and environmental impact. Drawing also on her background as a conservation biologist, she believes in simplifying science to connect with the needs of organizations, communities, and individuals.<\/p>\n

She consistently brings a multidisciplinary approach to her work, with an unwavering focus on finding material and relevant solutions for change in marginalized communities. Her ability to translate complex concepts into compelling narratives makes her a sought-after speaker, particularly in bridging the gap between science and business. She emphasizes the importance of inclusive leadership and the transformative power of technology for driving social change and promoting environmental justice. Through the AfriTech Fellowship<\/a>, a non-profit she founded, Couttee-Jenkins empowers women in STEAM fields. Over 20 fellows completed the program to drive digital transformation in their communities.<\/p>\n

Her work and advocacy earned her the Women in Tech Africa Advocate Award in 2023 and the National Geographic Society Wayfinder Award in 2025<\/a>, further solidifying her role as a catalyst for change in technology and social justice.<\/p>\n

Read stories by the AfriTech Fellows: Cohort 1<\/a> and Cohort 2<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Connect with V\u00e9ronique: https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/veroniquecouttee\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2937432,"id":2937432,"title":"separator-opening-2025","filename":"separator-opening-2025.png","filesize":88738,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/announcements\/show-us-your-geospatial-storytelling-skills\/separator-opening-2025","alt":"Three hexbins in a horizontal row filled with Living Atlas map images","author":"9422","description":"","caption":"","name":"separator-opening-2025","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2922302,"date":"2025-08-27 09:04:35","modified":"2025-08-27 09:05:02","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1952,"height":237,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":56,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":93,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025.png","large-width":1920,"large-height":233,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025-1536x186.png","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":186,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025.png","2048x2048-width":1952,"2048x2048-height":237,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025-826x100.png","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":100,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025-1920x233.png","wide_image-width":1920,"wide_image-height":233}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

John Nelson<\/strong><\/h3>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2942348,"id":2942348,"title":"John_640px","filename":"John_640px.png","filesize":422098,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/John_640px.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/sharing-collaboration\/meet-the-judges\/john_640px","alt":"A close up of John Nelson with Esri's Living Atlas team","author":"9422","description":"","caption":"","name":"john_640px","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2941686,"date":"2025-10-08 19:26:05","modified":"2025-10-09 14:22:47","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":640,"height":572,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/John_640px-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/John_640px.png","medium-width":292,"medium-height":261,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/John_640px.png","medium_large-width":640,"medium_large-height":572,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/John_640px.png","large-width":640,"large-height":572,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/John_640px.png","1536x1536-width":640,"1536x1536-height":572,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/John_640px.png","2048x2048-width":640,"2048x2048-height":572,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/John_640px-520x465.png","card_image-width":520,"card_image-height":465,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/John_640px.png","wide_image-width":640,"wide_image-height":572}},"image_position":"left","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

John Nelson is a map maker, software experience designer, and writer on Esri\u2019s ArcGIS Living Atlas team<\/a> creating odd geographic data, curious web experiences, moderately-educational blogs, and instructional videos. He works in a small woodshed in Michigan and relishes the opportunity to chat with other map folks.<\/p>\n

Explore John\u2019s work on ArcGIS blog<\/a> and https:\/\/adventuresinmapping.com\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Connect with John: https:\/\/linktr.ee\/johnnelsonmaps<\/a>.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2937432,"id":2937432,"title":"separator-opening-2025","filename":"separator-opening-2025.png","filesize":88738,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/announcements\/show-us-your-geospatial-storytelling-skills\/separator-opening-2025","alt":"Three hexbins in a horizontal row filled with Living Atlas map images","author":"9422","description":"","caption":"","name":"separator-opening-2025","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2922302,"date":"2025-08-27 09:04:35","modified":"2025-08-27 09:05:02","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1952,"height":237,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":56,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":93,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025.png","large-width":1920,"large-height":233,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025-1536x186.png","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":186,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025.png","2048x2048-width":1952,"2048x2048-height":237,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025-826x100.png","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":100,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025-1920x233.png","wide_image-width":1920,"wide_image-height":233}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Maryam Rabiee<\/strong><\/h3>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2942349,"id":2942349,"title":"Maryan_640px","filename":"Maryan_640px.png","filesize":449020,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Maryan_640px.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/sharing-collaboration\/meet-the-judges\/maryan_640px","alt":"A close up of Maryam Rabiee, Director of SDGs Today at the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network","author":"9422","description":"","caption":"","name":"maryan_640px","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2941686,"date":"2025-10-08 19:26:56","modified":"2025-10-09 14:23:31","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":640,"height":572,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Maryan_640px-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Maryan_640px.png","medium-width":292,"medium-height":261,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Maryan_640px.png","medium_large-width":640,"medium_large-height":572,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Maryan_640px.png","large-width":640,"large-height":572,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Maryan_640px.png","1536x1536-width":640,"1536x1536-height":572,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Maryan_640px.png","2048x2048-width":640,"2048x2048-height":572,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Maryan_640px-520x465.png","card_image-width":520,"card_image-height":465,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Maryan_640px.png","wide_image-width":640,"wide_image-height":572}},"image_position":"right","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Maryam Rabiee\u2019s work centers on innovative approaches to strengthening the data ecosystem for sustainable development. As Director of SDGs Today<\/a> at the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network<\/a>, she leads strategic initiatives that promote the use of timely and non-traditional data to drive evidence-based progress toward SDGs. With a strong background in data-driven solutions, Maryam works with a wide range of global stakeholders to build strategic partnerships that foster innovation, sustainability, and lasting impact.<\/p>\n

Prior to joining SDSN, Maryam had a career in academia, where she gained extensive experience in developing data systems, building partnerships, and advancing sustainable development frameworks. She holds an M.A. from Columbia University and a B.A. from the University of Washington. Throughout her career, she has led transformative projects across Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific.<\/p>\n

Explore SDGs Today maps and stories<\/a>. Follow SDGs Today on LinkedIn<\/a> and X<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Connect with Maryam: https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/maryamrabiee\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2937432,"id":2937432,"title":"separator-opening-2025","filename":"separator-opening-2025.png","filesize":88738,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/announcements\/show-us-your-geospatial-storytelling-skills\/separator-opening-2025","alt":"Three hexbins in a horizontal row filled with Living Atlas map images","author":"9422","description":"","caption":"","name":"separator-opening-2025","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2922302,"date":"2025-08-27 09:04:35","modified":"2025-08-27 09:05:02","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1952,"height":237,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":56,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":93,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025.png","large-width":1920,"large-height":233,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025-1536x186.png","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":186,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025.png","2048x2048-width":1952,"2048x2048-height":237,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025-826x100.png","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":100,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025-1920x233.png","wide_image-width":1920,"wide_image-height":233}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Stephanie Smith<\/strong><\/h3>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2942350,"id":2942350,"title":"Stephanie_640px","filename":"Stephanie_640px.png","filesize":443156,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Stephanie_640px.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/sharing-collaboration\/meet-the-judges\/stephanie_640px","alt":"Stephanie Smith, the GIS Program Director for the Grand Canyon Trust","author":"9422","description":"","caption":"","name":"stephanie_640px","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2941686,"date":"2025-10-08 19:27:50","modified":"2025-10-09 14:23:59","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":640,"height":572,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Stephanie_640px-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Stephanie_640px.png","medium-width":292,"medium-height":261,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Stephanie_640px.png","medium_large-width":640,"medium_large-height":572,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Stephanie_640px.png","large-width":640,"large-height":572,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Stephanie_640px.png","1536x1536-width":640,"1536x1536-height":572,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Stephanie_640px.png","2048x2048-width":640,"2048x2048-height":572,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Stephanie_640px-520x465.png","card_image-width":520,"card_image-height":465,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Stephanie_640px.png","wide_image-width":640,"wide_image-height":572}},"image_position":"left","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Stephanie Smith is the GIS Program Director for the Grand Canyon Trust<\/a>, a conservation advocacy organization focused on safeguarding the wonders of the Grand Canyon and the Colorado Plateau, while supporting the rights of its Native peoples. She has a M.A. and B.S. in geography from Appalachian State University with a focus on biogeography and geographic information systems. She is an award-winning cartographer and storyteller with works featured in A Walk in the Park<\/em> by Kevin Fedarko, National Geographic, The Huffington Post, Democracy Now, and the Guardian. When not at her computer you can find her in the garden with her daughter or hiking the Rocky Mountains and Colorado Plateau.<\/p>\n

Read a few innovative stories by Stephanie and the Grand Canyon Trust: The Voices of Grand Canyon<\/a> <\/em>and Lifeways of the Little Colorado River<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n

Connect with Stephanie: <\/strong>https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/stephlsmith\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2937432,"id":2937432,"title":"separator-opening-2025","filename":"separator-opening-2025.png","filesize":88738,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/announcements\/show-us-your-geospatial-storytelling-skills\/separator-opening-2025","alt":"Three hexbins in a horizontal row filled with Living Atlas map images","author":"9422","description":"","caption":"","name":"separator-opening-2025","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2922302,"date":"2025-08-27 09:04:35","modified":"2025-08-27 09:05:02","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1952,"height":237,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":56,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":93,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025.png","large-width":1920,"large-height":233,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025-1536x186.png","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":186,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025.png","2048x2048-width":1952,"2048x2048-height":237,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025-826x100.png","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":100,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/08\/separator-opening-2025-1920x233.png","wide_image-width":1920,"wide_image-height":233}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Visit the 2025 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition website<\/a> to get the competition rules, important dates, and online resources.<\/h3>\n"}],"authors":[{"ID":9422,"user_firstname":"Michelle","user_lastname":"Thomas","nickname":"Michelle Thomas","user_nicename":"mthomas","display_name":"Michelle Thomas","user_email":"mthomas@esri.com","user_url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/arcgis\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/overview","user_registered":"2019-04-05 16:54:26","user_description":"Michelle Thomas is a communications lead and content strategist on Esri's StoryMaps team. She manages the annual ArcGIS StoryMaps competition, digital platforms, and storytelling campaigns that feature storytellers globally.\r\n\r\nPrior to joining Esri, Michelle created digital campaigns at the U.S. Interior Department and U.S. Department of Agriculture. She leveraged Esri's storytelling tools at both agencies, tying people, resources, and places together through stories. She joined Esri's StoryMaps team to share those experiences widely and empower storytellers to tell stories that matter.","user_avatar":""},{"ID":345372,"user_firstname":"Andria","user_lastname":"Olson","nickname":"Andria Olson","user_nicename":"aolson","display_name":"Andria Olson","user_email":"aolson@esri.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2023-09-05 16:47:59","user_description":"Andria Olson is a senior content specialist on Esri's ArcGIS Storytelling team.","user_avatar":""},{"ID":6461,"user_firstname":"Lisa","user_lastname":"Berry","nickname":"Lisa Berry","user_nicename":"lisa_berry","display_name":"Lisa Berry","user_email":"LBerry@esri.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2018-03-02 00:18:23","user_description":"I am a Principal GIS Engineer and ArcGIS Living Atlas Evangelist at Esri. I promote all things Living Atlas, ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Arcade, Smart Mapping, python, and cartography. I also specialize in socioeconomic and demographic datasets within Living Atlas, and how to visualize them.","user_avatar":""}],"related_articles":[{"ID":2922302,"post_author":"9422","post_date":"2025-09-10 05:00:18","post_date_gmt":"2025-09-10 12:00:18","post_content":"","post_title":"Show us your geospatial storytelling skills! Enter the 2025 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"show-us-your-geospatial-storytelling-skills","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-12-14 10:37:08","post_modified_gmt":"2025-12-14 18:37:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?post_type=blog&p=2922302","menu_order":0,"post_type":"blog","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2313372,"post_author":"6461","post_date":"2024-04-23 16:25:11","post_date_gmt":"2024-04-23 23:25:11","post_content":"","post_title":"Your Living Atlas Questions Answered","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"your-living-atlas-questions-answered","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-06-18 10:20:49","post_modified_gmt":"2024-06-18 17:20:49","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?post_type=blog&p=2313372","menu_order":0,"post_type":"blog","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2529802,"post_author":"7231","post_date":"2024-10-30 10:58:34","post_date_gmt":"2024-10-30 17:58:34","post_content":"","post_title":"Details matter: Elevate your story with these finishing touches","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"finishing-touches-for-lasting-impressions","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-10-30 11:47:57","post_modified_gmt":"2024-10-30 18:47:57","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?post_type=blog&p=2529802","menu_order":0,"post_type":"blog","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1825722,"post_author":"7641","post_date":"2026-03-22 18:00:37","post_date_gmt":"2026-03-23 01:00:37","post_content":"","post_title":"Twelve ways to get the most out of ArcGIS Living Atlas","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"get-most-arcgis-living-atlas","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2026-03-22 17:54:18","post_modified_gmt":"2026-03-23 00:54:18","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?post_type=blog&p=1825722","menu_order":0,"post_type":"blog","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2835122,"post_author":"9422","post_date":"2025-06-17 03:04:48","post_date_gmt":"2025-06-17 10:04:48","post_content":"","post_title":"Seven things we learned from the 2024 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition winners","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-06-26 04:41:23","post_modified_gmt":"2025-06-26 11:41:23","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?post_type=blog&p=2835122","menu_order":0,"post_type":"blog","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"show_article_image":false,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Blog_thumbnail-meet-judges-2025_v2.png","wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Blog_cover-meet-judges-2025_v2.png"},"yoast_head":"\nMeet the judges! Join a conversation about geospatial storytelling<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Register for our Meet the Judges webinar to get storytelling, mapping, and data viz advice from the 2025 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition judges.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/sharing-collaboration\/meet-the-judges\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Meet the judges! Join a conversation about geospatial storytelling\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Register for the Meet the Judges webinar on November 20th to get storytelling, mapping, and data viz tips from the experts.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/sharing-collaboration\/meet-the-judges\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"ArcGIS Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/esrigis\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-11-24T14:26:56+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Blog_thumbnail-meet-judges-2025_v2.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"826\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"465\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ESRI\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":[\"Article\",\"BlogPosting\"],\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/sharing-collaboration\/meet-the-judges#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/sharing-collaboration\/meet-the-judges\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Michelle Thomas\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/91fecab52a67372dac021aabfa726ceb\"},\"headline\":\"Meet the judges! Join a conversation about geospatial storytelling\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-24T12:06:16+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-24T14:26:56+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/sharing-collaboration\/meet-the-judges\"},\"wordCount\":9,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"ArcGIS StoryMaps\",\"Living Atlas of the World\",\"storymaps\",\"storytelling\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Sharing and Collaboration\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/sharing-collaboration\/meet-the-judges\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/sharing-collaboration\/meet-the-judges\",\"name\":\"Meet the judges! Join a conversation about geospatial storytelling\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-24T12:06:16+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-24T14:26:56+00:00\",\"description\":\"Register for our Meet the Judges webinar to get storytelling, mapping, and data viz advice from the 2025 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition judges.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/sharing-collaboration\/meet-the-judges#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/sharing-collaboration\/meet-the-judges\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/sharing-collaboration\/meet-the-judges#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Meet the judges! Join a conversation about geospatial storytelling\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/\",\"name\":\"ArcGIS Blog\",\"description\":\"Get insider info from Esri product teams\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Esri\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Esri.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Esri.png\",\"width\":400,\"height\":400,\"caption\":\"Esri\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/esrigis\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/ESRI\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/5311\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/91fecab52a67372dac021aabfa726ceb\",\"name\":\"Michelle Thomas\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2020\/09\/mthomaspic.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2020\/09\/mthomaspic.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Michelle Thomas\"},\"description\":\"Michelle Thomas is a communications lead and content strategist on Esri's StoryMaps team. She manages the annual ArcGIS StoryMaps competition, digital platforms, and storytelling campaigns that feature storytellers globally. Prior to joining Esri, Michelle created digital campaigns at the U.S. Interior Department and U.S. Department of Agriculture. She leveraged Esri's storytelling tools at both agencies, tying people, resources, and places together through stories. She joined Esri's StoryMaps team to share those experiences widely and empower storytellers to tell stories that matter.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/arcgis\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/overview\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/ArcGISStoryMaps\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/author\/mthomas\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Meet the judges! Join a conversation about geospatial storytelling","description":"Register for our Meet the Judges webinar to get storytelling, mapping, and data viz advice from the 2025 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition judges.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/sharing-collaboration\/meet-the-judges","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Meet the judges! Join a conversation about geospatial storytelling","og_description":"Register for the Meet the Judges webinar on November 20th to get storytelling, mapping, and data viz tips from the experts.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/sharing-collaboration\/meet-the-judges","og_site_name":"ArcGIS Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/esrigis\/","article_modified_time":"2025-11-24T14:26:56+00:00","og_image":[{"width":826,"height":465,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Blog_thumbnail-meet-judges-2025_v2.png","type":"image\/png"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_site":"@ESRI","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":["Article","BlogPosting"],"@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/sharing-collaboration\/meet-the-judges#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/sharing-collaboration\/meet-the-judges"},"author":{"name":"Michelle Thomas","@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/91fecab52a67372dac021aabfa726ceb"},"headline":"Meet the judges! Join a conversation about geospatial storytelling","datePublished":"2025-10-24T12:06:16+00:00","dateModified":"2025-11-24T14:26:56+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/sharing-collaboration\/meet-the-judges"},"wordCount":9,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/#organization"},"keywords":["ArcGIS StoryMaps","Living Atlas of the World","storymaps","storytelling"],"articleSection":["Sharing and Collaboration"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/sharing-collaboration\/meet-the-judges","url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/sharing-collaboration\/meet-the-judges","name":"Meet the judges! Join a conversation about geospatial storytelling","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/#website"},"datePublished":"2025-10-24T12:06:16+00:00","dateModified":"2025-11-24T14:26:56+00:00","description":"Register for our Meet the Judges webinar to get storytelling, mapping, and data viz advice from the 2025 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition judges.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/sharing-collaboration\/meet-the-judges#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/sharing-collaboration\/meet-the-judges"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/sharing-collaboration\/meet-the-judges#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Meet the judges! Join a conversation about geospatial storytelling"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/","name":"ArcGIS Blog","description":"Get insider info from Esri product teams","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/#organization","name":"Esri","url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Esri.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Esri.png","width":400,"height":400,"caption":"Esri"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/esrigis\/","https:\/\/x.com\/ESRI","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/5311\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/91fecab52a67372dac021aabfa726ceb","name":"Michelle Thomas","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2020\/09\/mthomaspic.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2020\/09\/mthomaspic.jpg","caption":"Michelle Thomas"},"description":"Michelle Thomas is a communications lead and content strategist on Esri's StoryMaps team. She manages the annual ArcGIS StoryMaps competition, digital platforms, and storytelling campaigns that feature storytellers globally. Prior to joining Esri, Michelle created digital campaigns at the U.S. Interior Department and U.S. Department of Agriculture. She leveraged Esri's storytelling tools at both agencies, tying people, resources, and places together through stories. She joined Esri's StoryMaps team to share those experiences widely and empower storytellers to tell stories that matter.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/arcgis\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/overview","https:\/\/x.com\/ArcGISStoryMaps"],"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/author\/mthomas"}]}},"text_date":"October 24, 2025","author_name":"Multiple Authors","author_page":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/sharing-collaboration\/meet-the-judges","custom_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Blog_cover-meet-judges-2025_v2.png","primary_product":"ArcGIS StoryMaps","tag_data":[{"term_id":398132,"name":"ArcGIS StoryMaps","slug":"arcgis-storymaps","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":398132,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":184,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":40161,"name":"Living Atlas of the World","slug":"living-atlas-of-the-world","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":40161,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":393,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":706371,"name":"storymaps","slug":"storymaps","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":706371,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":56,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":27881,"name":"storytelling","slug":"storytelling","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":27881,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":121,"filter":"raw"}],"category_data":[{"term_id":37511,"name":"Sharing and Collaboration","slug":"sharing-collaboration","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":37511,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":424,"filter":"raw"}],"product_data":[{"term_id":36611,"name":"ArcGIS StoryMaps","slug":"story-maps","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":36611,"taxonomy":"product","description":"","parent":36981,"count":573,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":380802,"name":"ArcGIS StoryMaps","slug":"arcgis-storymaps","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":380802,"taxonomy":"product","description":"","parent":0,"count":323,"filter":"raw"}],"primary_product_link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?s=#&products=arcgis-storymaps","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/2941686","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/blog"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9422"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2941686"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/2941686\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2941686"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2941686"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2941686"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=2941686"},{"taxonomy":"product","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product?post=2941686"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}