GOED Receives NSGIC Geospatial Excellence Award

Pete CodellaBroadband

The National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC) recognized individuals and organizations in Utah, including Kelleigh Cole’s excellence within the Utah’s Broadband Outreach Center, for a Geospatial Excellence Award.The Utah Broadband Outreach Center, along with other award winners in the Utah Land Information Records Initiative, have performed advanced capabilities of geospatial focused technology and further promote the goals of NSGIC toward efficient and effective government.

NSGIC promotes development and management towards effective location-based information and works hard to be a state-led form for developing, exchanging and endorsing geospatial technology. They assist in  resources and advocate for the advancement of the interests of states, tribes, regions, local governments and the nation.  Membership is comprised of senior state geographic information systems executives and coordinators, academic researchers and other GIS colleagues that partner with the organization.

Some criteria to be considered for a Geospatial Excellence Award must create a sustainable partnership or initiative toward geospatial technology across multiple organizations; document improvements in implementing state or national data infrastructure; advances the term “create it once, use it a bunch'” belief; benefits the whole nation through innovation and best practices; champions involvement of state or national data infrastructure; promote NSGIC goals of efficient and effective government through increased  adoption of geospatial technologies.

The Utah Broadband Outreach Center, along with the office of Outdoor Recreation, in The Governor’s Office of Economic Development achieved the Champion Award for the “championed” use of GIS and enterprise mapping initiatives.  Using these programs to deliver value to citizens and businesses within Utah, the center has created multiple projects that include residential and commercial broadband mapping.  These maps include trail and recreational amenities data layers, and high resolution areal photography through partner funding.

Locate.utah.gov exemplifies these data layers on one convenient map, including SURE sites and thew newly added Tax Increment Areas feature.  Through the Outreach Center’s 6+ years of active work in connecting and supporting partners to Utah GIS, the locate.utah.gov map has been highly utilized and very successful.