URISA Leadership Academy

Just Announced: Don't miss your ONLY opportunity to attend the URISA Leadership Academy in 2011!

May 16-20, 2011
Moonrise Hotel
St Louis, Missouri

Registration and travel information, click here .

Opportunities to sponsor the ULA, click here.

Developing Crucial GIS Leadership Skills - The success of any GIS program is largely tied to the capabilities of its leader.  Strong leadership is necessary to establish a solid GIS program, operate efficiently and effectively, coordinate participants, adapt to change, and move a program forward.  Leadership, however, is a skill that must be developed. 

The URISA Leadership Academy was established to meet this need.  At the Academy, participants learn key GIS leadership and management factors and techniques, successful team development, organizational capacity building, program investment and justification, GIS politics, change management, situation assessment, and problem solving.  The environment further provides for productive collaboration and networking.

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Course Outline & Schedule

Courses are taught by proven leaders in the profession, with materials reviewed and enhanced by a team of reviewers and editors. Each course will include numerous interactive exercises, team-building tools, and opportunities to delve into topics in a way you cannot do at large conferences. Course attendance is limited in size to encourage such interaction. Click on each day heading below for details about each session.

• Monday, May 16, 2011

Session 1: Introduction to Leadership and Management
Welcome Reception

• Tuesday, May 17, 2011 

Session 2: Building a Successful Team

• Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Session 3a: GIS and Organizational Capacity Building: How May I Help You?
Session 3b: Show Me the Money - An Introduction to Budgeting & Finance for GIS

• Thursday, May 19, 2011

Session 4: GIS Politics and Change Management

• Friday, May 20, 2011

Session 5: Putting It All Together – Evaluating Where You Are and Planning Where You’re Going

• Luncheon Keynote
• Graduation!

Registration and travel information, click here .

Current Faculty Listing, click here.

"I've been working in the GIS field for 15 years and this was, by far, the most valuable and comprehensive training I have received. No matter how much you think you know about GIS management, you will learn more than you ever thought possible." - Scott A Weisman, GISP, GIS Technical Services Manager, Tallahassee Leon County GIS - ULA Graduate, December 2009

"This is an excellent leadership course, which I would highly recommend to anyone involved in managing GIS projects.  The session on Evaluating Where You Are provides insightful practical techniques and tools for assessing any GIS project. The session on risk management and ROI were equally insightful and beneficial.  Once I returned to home to my GIS world,  I immediately implemented the concepts and strategies I learned from this training." -Annette Gardner, Lead GIS Public Health Advisor, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA

"I felt that the ULA truly authenticated the change in mentality from being a general worker to a true geospatial professional, or leader. It really boosted a change in attitude for me."
- Craig Barraclough, GISP, Park County (CO) GIS

June 2008 Graduates - Chicago

December 2008 Graduates - Seattle

December 2009 Graduates - Seattle

June 2010 Graduates - Baltimore

Who has attended the ULA?

The ULA has been presented in New Orleans, Chicago and Seattle so far more than 200 individuals have attended. Who are they?

•  Attendees represent nearly every U.S. state and 9 countries

• They work for a wide variety of organizations, representing:

• Local Government- 42%
• Consultants - 23%
• Regional Government- 10%
• State/Provincial Government- 6%
• Federal Government- 8%
• Tribal Government- 3%
• Other (Nonprofit, utility, university, private sector) - 8%

• 47% of the attendees already hold their GISP certification

• They hold a wide range of job titles (a few examples: GIS Specialist, GIS Analyst, GIS Manager, IT/GIS Manager, Manager GIS Consulting Services, Epidemiologist, E911 Coordinator, Senior Project Manager, Planning Director, Data Management Manager, Assistant Professor)

A Leadership Academy for the GIS Practitioner

• Do you see GIS potential in every industry/application?
• Do you recognize GIS as a major enabling technology to help achieve most goals?
• Do you want to make a positive difference in the world around you using GIS?
• Do you understand the power of visualizing and spatially analyzing information?
• Are you frustrated by others in your organization that just don’t “get” GIS?
• Are you overwhelmed by your management responsibilities?

The entire five day program, the only leadership training program of its type, is tailored to industry leaders and practitioners faced with unique challenges of GIS leadership and management and who want to make an impact leveraging the power of GIS.

URISA Leadership Academy (ULA) attendees will work together in a collegial environment designed to foster networking during the session and to enhance your professional network outside the Academy. The Academy is a full-service conference. Each day, ULA members will learn, dine, and socialize together. To that end, each day is structured to promote and encourage strong relationships between instructors and attendees.

GISCI GISP® Points for Attending Part I of the ULA = 0.63 EDU Points. Points for attending the full ULA = 1.25 EDU Points.

  Here is just a sample of the reviews from ULA Graduates:

• “I learned more than expected. This is the first time I've been able to interact with, almost exclusively, GIS managers, coordinators and GIOs.”
• “The greatest takeaways for me: management and leadership techniques, how to make excellent reports, creating effective budget proposals, strategic planning and marketing planning, collaboration and focusing on small wins.”
• “It inspired new ideas on integration and getting the word out about GIS. The review of strategic planning and ROI was excellent.”
• “The URISA Leadership Academy was well worth it. I enjoyed having the opportunity to network with GIS professionals who are facing the same challenges as me.”
• “Excellent. Very worthwhile in many aspects.”
• “The ULA was a comprehensive and organized interchange of experiences being facilitated by professionals who work in the same field I do. It was so valuable to realize that the issues I have in my workplace are NOT unique, that others have experienced and successfully negotiated the minefield.”

"The ULA provided a rare moment to bring some of the top leaders in the GIS field together to extend their experience with folks that truly believe in GIS and want to make a difference locally, regionally and maybe nationally in the future.  The broad knowledge base allowed the ULA to touch on every skill that is needed to make us leaders in our respective communities." - Chris Cantrell, GIS Coordinator, Midland County, Michigan

URISA Leadership Academy Committee Members