Hi everyone,
I’m Cyndi Rachol and I work for the USGS’ National Geospatial Program as the National Map Liaison for Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. My predecessor, Dave Nail, retired in March.
I am based in Lansing, Michigan and have been with the USGS since 1999 as a hydrologist until 2021, when I joined the NGP. The past 26 years have been a full circle run for me at USGS – I started as a student who had “some GIS skills” after working at Michigan State University’s Center for Remote Sensing, so was hired as GIS support for research projects where I created field maps and maps for report and journal publication. However, one of my early supervisors really wanted me to put my geology degree and interest in geomorphology to use, so encouraged me to branch off into research areas of my own where I focused on dam removal, natural channel design research, and floodplain inundation studies. I’m a Certified Floodplain Manager through ASFPM, so still keep some ties to the floodplain management community.
Over 20 years is an awfully long time to be doing just one thing and when the opportunity presented itself to join the NGP in 2021, I was ready for a new adventure and returned to my GIS roots.
In my current role, I aim to keep you informed on the NGP’s 3D Elevation Program and 3D Hydrography Program initiatives, while also sharing our many other resources which include on-line mapping tools, data libraries, and educational videos.
Looking forward to learning more from this community on what your data interests and needs are.