Executive Event
How a geographic approach accelerates action
February 8, 2023 | 9:00 a.m.—11:30 a.m. (ET) | Virtual
Betsy Gardner is the editor of Data-Smart City Solutions, a research resource at Harvard University’s Bloomberg Center for Cities dedicated to understanding where government and data intersect—from open data and predictive analytics to civic engagement technology. Gardner is also the producer of the Data-Smart Cities Pod podcast. She has several publications through the Harvard Kennedy School Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation and the Lincoln Institute and has written for Government Technology and Governing magazines. Gardner holds a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Policy from Northeastern University.
Kizzy Charles-Guzmán is the executive director of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice. Her team focuses on climate leadership and programs for sustainability, resiliency, and environmental justice. She has spent over 15 years of her New York City service career delivering work at the intersection of environmental policy, public health, and racial equity. She led the development of Cool Neighborhoods NYC and other initiatives ensuring residents can withstand and emerge stronger from the impacts of climate change. She has served as a deputy director at the NYC Mayor’s Offices of Sustainability and Climate Resiliency, director of the Climate Change and Health Program at the NYC Department of Health, and policy advisor on Air Quality during the Bloomberg administration. She received the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Quality Award and a Champion of Change Award from the US White House in recognition of her work.
Jesús Cerezo Arillo is head of Process Integration Service for the General Sub-directorate for Urban Innovation and Information at Madrid City Hall. In his more than 25 years in civil service, he has led digital transformation using location technologies like geographic information systems (GIS). He has designed multiple GIS solutions for urban planning and city management, including Madrid’s Geoportal and Urban Viewer, which integrate all of Madrid’s urban data and make it accessible for collaboration and public engagement.
Raitis Bušmanis is head of Virtual Design and Construction for Rail Baltica. In this role, he leads the department responsible for implementing technologies and processes including building information model (BIM) data, GIS, and asset and data management systems.
Vaidas Ulenskas is a GIS team leader at Rail Baltica. Since 2019, he has worked to assemble the project’s GIS team, build a custom GIS infrastructure from scratch, and oversee the use of GIS as the core information system. He is currently developing a project-wide digital twin.
Director of Planning at Port of Corpus Christi
Leslie Ruta has overseen grant development and administration for the Port of Corpus Christi in Texas since 2015. She and her team work closely with government agencies responsible for infrastructure, environmental, and security programs to coordinate a range of projects for the port and internal clients.
Director of Distribution and Collection at Toronto Water
William Shea has worked for the City of Toronto managing water infrastructure for over 13 years. His current department is responsible for all aspects of the city’s water supply and treatment and has implemented leading GIS solutions to visualize, track, and manage its assets and operations citywide.
Global Director for Industry Solutions at Esri
Matt Piper is a subject matter expert in asset management, GIS and business intelligence, and digital twins, as well as a thought leader on applying the value of GIS across an organization. In addition to his global director role, he leads the infrastructure sector of Esri’s industry solutions team.
Executive Director of Transport at West Midlands
Anne Shaw heads the Statutory Transport Authority for the United Kingdom’s West Midlands region. An expert in resilient public transport systems, she provides leadership for service delivery, planning, and development, including contributing to the Regional Transport Coordination Centre, a facility for monitoring the system, preparing for disruptions, and managing incidents.
Cameron McDonald is an associate and geospatial projects lead for the analytics team at Knight Frank Research. He focuses on collaborating with stakeholders to provide geospatial analysis that informs decision-making. He has several years’ experience developing bespoke, effective solutions for a variety of stakeholders while championing the benefits of geospatial technology. He previously worked in land services consultancy at engineering services firm WSP, where he contributed to several nationally significant infrastructure projects.
Dr. R. N. Sankhua is a leader and published researcher in water resources, with a focus on technology-driven planning using modeling, imagery, and GIS. In his current role, he is responsible for planning and reporting for key river link projects designed to efficiently use and conserve India’s water.
Matthew Lewin is director of Management Consulting at Esri Canada where he leads a national team providing strategic planning and executive advisory services. Matthew and his team help organizations understand and apply the geographic approach to address today's biggest challenges. He is an author and the host of Management Perspectives, an interview series where he speaks with organizational leaders about how geospatial technology enables vital transformation and better problem-solving.
