Originally posted on the ILGISA Blog
Can you tell us a little about your background and how you got started in GIS?
My journey into the geospatial profession was an odd one. I was doing archaeological field school as an undergrad in Sicily, hand mapping sites and surveys - that got me curious about if there was an easier way to map. As a computer guy, I started researching options and discovered GIS. I fell in love with the technology almost immediately and spent the rest of my time as an undergrad and grad student at NIU working on both pursuits. My career started when I randomly submitted my resume to the City of Batavia for an internship and 18 years later, I’m now the Coordinator with my own staff.
What is your current role, and how does GIS play a part in your work?
My current role is GIS Coordinator at the City of Batavia. I use GIS almost all the time. On any given day I am using it for application development, data maintenance, spatial analysis, and any other GIS type of work that pops up in a city environment. I support all the departments at the city so I am lucky enough to get to work with a lot of great people and on a wide variety of projects and requests.
How long have you been involved with ILGISA?
I’ve been involved with ILGISA over 20 years now. My first exposure to it was 100% due to Dr. Richard Greene at NIU encouraging us to attend the conference and its student night. It also didn’t hurt that he gave us extra credit for it.
What motivated you to join the ILGISA board?
I was motivated to get on the board to help make a difference after many friends in the community encouraged me to go for it. Additionally, I’ve always been involved with committees and attended events and I saw how important it was to our community. Getting elected to the board was a way I could give back to the organization after getting so much from it.
What are some key initiatives or projects you’ve been involved in as a board member?
I’ve been on the board for 6 years now and I would say some of my big highlights so far are as there are way too many to list:
- The new website (customizing, migration of old, administrating)
- Banner Project (creating and deploying)
- Two Strategic Plans
- Board Member retreat
- Professional Development Committee creation
What’s one achievement or milestone you’re particularly proud of during your time on the board?
I’m beyond proud to have been elected President of ILGISA. It was something I hadn’t fully considered when first getting elected to the board, but the sheer number of fellow board and organization members who encouraged me to run was an amazing feeling.
What challenges do GIS professionals face today, and how can organizations like ours help?
I feel the biggest challenge GIS professionals face is in communication and acceptance of our importance. ILGISA has helped in both ways by showing what we GIS users are capable of and just how critical our skills sets can be beyond just putting dots on a map.
Are there any GIS tools or technologies you’re particularly excited about right now?
We just secured an enterprise agreement with Esri that opens us up to some technology we didn’t have access to before. One of the big pieces for me is a staff wide rollout of Data Reviewer. As we prepare to implement some Utility Networks, this tool will be a huge help in identifying areas needing cleanup. Another piece of technology I am looking forward to is ArcGIS Monitor. Using it should make maintaining and monitoring our enterprise so much more robust. The last bit of technology that has me excited is all of the new AI work.
Outside of work, do you have any hobbies or interests you would like to share?
Some of my interests include spending time with my family, travel, food, history, sports (Cubs/Bears/Bulls/Blackhawks).
What’s one fun fact about you that people might not know?
Most people don’t know that I enjoy thrifting. My parents have been antique dealers for decades and passed on a lot of knowledge items along the way. I really enjoy hunting diamonds in the rough. One of my best finds recently was a French map of the world from 1700’s that I spent $3 on.
What goals do you have for the organization moving forward?
Halfway through my Presidency we’ve already accomplished a lot (strategic plan, new professional development committee, more regional meetings and financial work). My main goal right now is to continue to grow our membership through our under-represented communities, mostly students and those in the private sector. This fall, for example, I am working on ILGISA visits at our academic partner organizations.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
I really enjoy helping others. If you ever want to talk GIS, have technical questions, want to network, or anything else please don’t hesitate to reach out!
Feel free to email me: MichaelKaminGIS@gmail.com