WLIA 2025 Annual Conference Appleton: Full Schedule

arrow_back View All Dates

10:30am CST

Essential Skills You Didn't Know You Needed

Thursday February 27, 2025 10:30am - 12:00pm CST

Bring your notebooks, we're talking about all the things you didn't know you needed to know about leadership, turning your vision into action, aligning resources, and more. This lightning round style professional development session will give you a taste of different topics that will boost your knowledge about how to be a better leader from wherever you are in your organization or career. Learn from experienced WLIA members as they share their favorite tip, trick, or lesson learned.

Speakers

Jennifer Borlick

Geospatial Services Administrator, Rock County

Jennifer Borlick is the Geospatial Services Administrator at Rock County Planning and Development. She is an active member of (WLIA) where she is currently Past-President of WLIA. She has tried several project management and collaborative tools to determine what would work best with... Read More →

Andy Faust

GIS Analyst, North Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission

Andy has been with North Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission for over 20 years. He is a long time WLIA member and WROC program manager.

Jon Schwichtenberg

GIS Leader, GRAEF

Jon Schwichtenberg is a Past President of WLIA. He is the GIS Manager for GRAEF and has been working in the consulting business for 34 years. Jon has been assisting utilities and communities with Asset Management for over 28 years.

Zach Nienow

Manager - Aerial Mapping, Ayres Associates

Zach manages the aerial mapping group at Ayres Associates. He has been a member of WLIA since 2012 and is a past president. He is the WROC consultant program manager.

Kelly Felton

Cartographer/LIO, Sauk County

Kelly Felton is Cartographer/LIO for the Sauk County Land Information/GIS department. She has worked at Sauk County for 29 years and has served as LIO for the last 20+ years. She has been involved with WLIA throughout that time, participating on various committees, workgroups, task... Read More →

Jeremiah Erickson

GIS Coordinator/LIO, Monroe County

I am in my 19th year with my current employer Monroe County. I have spent about 25 years working with land information or related spatial data-based industries. I graduated from UW-Platteville with a Geography degree in 2000. I am a proud past-president of the WLIA '20-'21 and the... Read More →

Larry Cutforth

GIS Section Supervisor, Wisconsin Dept of Natural Resources

Larry is the GIS Section Supervisor at the WI Department of Natural Resources. He has over 25 years of GIS management experience with state and federal agencies.

Adam Dorn

GIS Administrator, Winnebago County

Adam Dorn is the GIS Administrator in Winnebago County and has served in GIS roles in several other Wisconsin counties and cities over the last 20+ years. He is currently the Chair of the WLIA Judicial Office Privacy Task Force.

Eric Damkot

IS Manager/LIO, Washington County

Eric is a UWGB alum where he majored in biology and environmental sciences. After graduation he joined a GIS program at Washington County that was in its infancy and for the past 25+ years has been involved in nearly all aspects of the county’s growing GIS program. Eric is a WLIA... Read More →

Kimberly Meinert

Land Information Systems Supervisor, Waukesha County

Kim Meinert is the Land Information Systems Supervisor at Waukesha County and LIO. Over the last twenty years at the County, she’s helped support a variety of programs with GIS services. She is also a past Wisconsin Land Information Association board member and is currently on the... Read More →

Michael Koutnik

Michael A. Koutnik Consulting, Owner

I focus on helping conservation and environmental protection organizations apply geographic information systems technology (GIS) to increase their efficiency and effectiveness. With 25 years experience with GIS industry leader Esri, I have worked with many public, private and nonprofit... Read More →

Thursday February 27, 2025 10:30am - 12:00pm CST
Bond/Crown

Essential Skills, Beginner

2:00pm CST

Career Connections

Thursday February 27, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm CST

Bond/Crown

Join in the Career Connections session to learn tips and tricks to kickstart your professional career or take your career to the next level. Stop in for advice, networking opportunities, resume and interview tips, and more. We’ll have open time for discussion, resume reviews, and networking. Open to all career levels, especially college students or those looking to break into the GIS industry. More to come as the conference approaches.

30 Minutes - Speaker: Matthew Haffner, PhD, Associate Professor of Geography, University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire on the topic, “From Theory to Practice: Cultivating Geospatial Success in Industry” - Geospatial industries are complex, and the needs of individual organizations can vary greatly. This challenge is compounded by a frequent disconnect between what geospatial professionals look for in entry-level hires and what university students are taught in the GIS classroom. In this talk I will discuss some observed pinch points between academia and industry, how both groups can work to bridge these gaps, and how career seekers can position themselves for success. I'll additionally cover networking, building an online presence, and resume and cover letter tips that have worked for many UWEC geography graduates. Finally, I'll present a comprehensive list of GIS interview questions that former students have encountered over the years.

45 Minutes – Industry Expert Panel with Q&A
• Frank Romo, CEO of RomoGIS Enterprises
• John Nelson, Cartography and UX at Esri
• Emily Champagne, Geospatial Manager, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD)
• Grace Condit, GIS Analyst, Mead & Hunt

15 Minutes – Open time for one-on-ones, resume reviews, etc.

Speakers

Kristen Vincent

GIS Manager, City of De Pere

Matthew Haffner, PhD

Associate Professor of Geography, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Frank Romo

CEO, RomoGIS Enterprises

Frank is an educator, activist, and tech entrepreneur with a deep commitment to community empowerment. His leadership spans over a decade of impactful community organizing work which focused on strengthening community bonds and creating healthier, safer, and more economically viable... Read More →

John Nelson

Cartographer, Esri

I'm a cartographer and User Experience designer in glorious Michigan. I work with Esri, promoting geographic content and quality through cartography, videos, writing, occasional keynotes, and other shenanigans.Some of my work has been featured in National Geographic Magazine, FastCompany... Read More →

Emily Champagne

Geospatial Manager, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District

Emily Champagne is the Geospatial Manager for the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District. She has over 20 years of experience in the water/wastewater industry, working in both the public and private sectors. Emily has led MMSD's geospatial team since 2013. She is responsible for... Read More →

Grace Condit

GIS Analyst, Mead & Hunt

Thursday February 27, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm CST
Bond/Crown

Career Connections, Beginner

4:00pm CST

Wisconsin Real Property Listers Association (WRPLA)

Thursday February 27, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm CST

Bond/Crown

Thursday February 27, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm CST
Bond/Crown

Special Interest