News

WVAGP Geospatial Jeopardy Kahoot!

Congratulations to everyone who played and to The Flying Merv who will hold the coveted troll prize for the next year. 

Created by geography students at Fairmont State University (who used references because they know this crowd asks to see the proof ;)

Try it out: https://create.kahoot.it/share/wvagp-geospatial-jeopardy-round-1/8905b779-0506-4387-b75f-78883fd6d7ff

or the companion Kahoot! to Gene DelGreco and Todd Tuckey's GIS in the Movies and TV https://create.kahoot.it/share/companion-to-gis-in-the-movies-tv-iii/a7f38b9d-3e1d-4468-b8d5-bb16f287d2b0

Or how about a musical number: https://create.kahoot.it/share/north-america-geobee-with-musical-cues/12dce7cc-e0d5-479f-885f-72f7851e711a

Announcement: 2025-2026 WVAGP Board of Directors and Committee Chairs

We would like to congratulate the newly elected members and those who have been appointed to Chair our standing committees:
(* = Elected for 2025-2027)

Officers
President: Meryl Friedrich
Vice President: Dusty Hays*
Secretary: Amanda Adams*
Treasurer: Jennings Starcher

Additional Board Members
Johnathan Adkins*
Veronica Balcer*
Eric Bess
Hussein Elkhansa*
Jessica Gormont
Frank LaFone
Barbara MacLennan
Alternate: Carolyn Sommer

Committees
Communications: Veronica Balcer (Chair), Dusty Hays (Vice Chair)
Conference: Taryn Moser (Chair), Dusty Hays (Vice Chair)
Election: Johnathan Adkins (Chair), Amanda Adams (Vice Chair)
Strategic Operations: Barbara MacLennan (Chair), Frank LaFone (Vice Chair)
Technical Issues: Austin Dotson (Chair), Johnathan Adkins (Vice Chair)
Training: Maggie McGhee (Chair), Jessica Gormont (Vice Chair)

Pictured: WVAGP Board of Directors in attendance at WV GeoCon

https://epan-jcwvgis.hub.arcgis.com/

The Eastern Panhandle GIS Users Group (EPan) Meeting is an annual one-day conference designed to highlight local and regional GIS endeavors. This year, the event will be held at the Shepherdstown Fire Dept in Shepherdstown, WV on Thursday, September 4, 2025.

Last Call for Nonprofits! Apply for the FREE Accelerator Project!

This is your chance to receive FREE support from WVU students and mentors to tackle key challenges like cybersecurity, digital workflow solutions, data management, and more!

Past projects have helped nonprofits:

Improve cybersecurity measures to better protect donor and client data

Streamline volunteer management with better tracking systems

Don’t miss out on this no-cost opportunity to strengthen your organization!

Deadline is Friday, March 14th! Learn more and submit your proposal here:

https://wvnpa.org/innovative-solutions-by-wvu-students.../

Learn more about Acclerated Vision: https://www.acceleratedvisions.org/

#NonprofitInnovation #AcceleratorProject #Cybersecurity #DataManagement #WVNonprofits #LastCall

HistoriGIS Stakehold Questionnaire 

From the WVGISTC for interested WVAGP stakeholders: 

To Whom It May Concern,

I hope this message finds you well.

I am writing to kindly request your assistance in distributing a preliminary survey related to an ongoing historical GIS proposal through the WVAGP listserv. The survey aims to gather insights from stakeholders involved with historical GIS data.

For your reference, I have attached a one-page summary of the project. Your assistance and any guidance you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Survey Link:  https://forms.gle/eqjsMMsnWkKpApUX7

HistoriGIS Stakeholder Preliminary Questionnaire The HistoriGIS project aims to automate the extraction and analysis of historical urban features from historical maps (e.g. Sanborn Fire Insurance), transforming them into interactive 3D digital models. By leveraging advanced geospatial and machine learning methods, HistoriGIS enhances historical preservation, urban planning, and community engagement. This questionnaire gathers preliminary feedback to ensure our research aligns closely with stakeholder needs and practical applications. docs.google.com

WVAGP non-profit members and those who work with non-profits this looks like a great opportunity. 

BIG NEWS ARC is offering no-cost training and funding access to help Appalachia's nonprofits build their capacity to serve communities!

Our virtual, seven-week READY Nonprofits training program will help eligible participants build skills in programming, operations, fundraising and more.

After successfully completing their training, nonprofits can apply for up to $25K (no match required) for internal capacity building projects.

Read more about the opportunity: https://www.arc.gov/ready/nonprofits/

Then, register for our February 11 webinar for answers to your application questions: https://arcgov.zoom.us/.../WN_fx-CEE0bTGiALQXQEfEV_w...

https://arcg.is/1808Ke2
Special GIS Day 25th Anniversary Talk
GIS in Movies and TV, Part III
Date: December 4th Time: 12:30 pm - 1:30pm
Presenters: Gene Del Greco and Todd Tucky, West Virginia Association of Geographers (WVAGP) members
Format: Virtual - link to be provided prior to event on link - https://arcg.is/1808Ke2
What does contempory media have to say about GIS and geography? Explore this subject in depth with this fascinating and fun presentation. Part III. of Del Greco's and Tucky's presentation continues to examine how GIS is portrayed in the media, and takes a closer look at how cartographic issues, such as mapping ethics, mapping techniques, and best practices, are portrayed on TV and in the movies. 

Barb Maclennan is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: GIS in the Movies & TV III
Time: Dec 4, 2024 12:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84615813482?pwd=C6hj09XGGWo0t9xIIRPNgChR3shnSL.1

Meeting ID: 846 1581 3482
Passcode: 041305

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One tap mobile
+16468769923,,84615813482#,,,,*041305# US (New York)
+16469313860,,84615813482#,,,,*041305# US

Please pass this onto orgs using NAIP. 

The USDA-GEO team that manages NAIP: 2024 NAIP Survey: https://forms.office.com/g/mtKi7jwVDg

GEO invites you to take part in our 29-question 2024 NAIP survey. In addition to you completing this survey, we request that you distribute this to your regional, state, and county counterparts. We hope to get feedback from as many individuals who use NAIP as possible. The survey will be available till 11/22/2024. It is anonymous unless you include your contact information in question 29.  We are hoping to have a good sample of data from all states and territories.

From Katherine Schipke, Geographer and GIS Specialist, Associate Liaison for the National Map for below:

Your participation helps GEO to determine priorities for pending data acquisitions and help us to provide better customer support and assistance to our agencies, customers and partners.

Thank you,

Gita

************************

Gita Urban-Mathieux

Federal Liaison, User Engagement

National Geospatial Program

U.S. Geological Survey

511 National Center, Reston, VA 20192

Office: 703-648-5175; Cell: 703-268-1438

Email: burbanma@usgs.gov

FYI - If you haven't gotten this email that relates to your community.

Please note that the deadline for submission of both Programmatic Requests and Congressionally Directed Spending Requests is Monday, March 18, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET.

The Senate Appropriations Committee helps write the legislation that allocates federal funds to government agencies, departments, and organizations on an annual basis. It is responsible for reviewing the President's budget request, hearing testimony from government officials and other witnesses, and drafting the spending plans for the coming fiscal year.

If you would like to make a request for your community, please visit https://www.manchin.senate.gov/appropriations for more information. 

For assistance with these forms, please call the office at (202) 224-3954 or email appropriations@manchin.senate.gov.

Nominations Now Accepted for WVAGP 2024 Board of Directors Election

It’s WVAGP election season, and we want your input on nominations for the Board of Directors! Please fill out this 2-minute survey to share the names of colleagues and friends that you see as leaders or future leaders in the WV GIS community, and yes — self-nominations are welcome. This is a great opportunity to step up and get involved! This year, there are six members that are up for re-election. Eric Bess, Hussein Elkhansa, Aaron Ferrari, Meryl Friedrich, Jessica Gormont, and Jennings Starcher.

Submit Your Nomination

Nominations Due March 1, 2024

What is the Board of Directors? An 11-member group elected by the WVAGP membership to actively pursue the association’s mission to bring together and build the geospatial community into a cohesive, recognized coordinating body that facilitates the use, development, sharing, and management of geospatial data, and communicates the value of geospatial information to citizens and decision-makers. What does a board member do? Attend a monthly virtual meeting to discuss and vote on association affairs and participate in committee service such as conference planning, scheduling GIS training courses, communication and outreach, organizing elections, strategic planning, and more. The membership term lasts from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2026. Didn’t we just do this last year? Yes! In order to keep the WVAGP leadership dynamic and engaged, elections are open for five members in odd-numbered years and six members in even-numbered years. Our association values new voices and perspectives, and welcomes the nomination of anyone with an interest to get involved. What’s in it for me? Board membership is a great way to serve the GIS community in West Virginia and help make the WVAGP the best that it can be. And if you’re working on your GISP certification, board service earns points towards your portfolio! Questions or feedback may be submitted in the Elections Feedback Form. Additionally, the WV GeoCon Program Committee would like to remind all members that registration is now open for WV GeoCon 2024! Early Bird Registration ends April 15, click here to learn more!