Summary: I am an ESRI Enterprise and Open Source GIS subject matter expert, Project and Product Manager, GIS web developer, GIScience researcher, and Remote Sensing scientist. I started my own GIS consulting company (SimSpatial.com) focusing on open-source GIS and geoweb development. I enjoy new and complex problems that involve data that can be mapped in any space. I jump at opportunities to use new technology and tools to find solutions to geospatial problems. I am always looking for new opportunities to make the world better through maps and data analysis.
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PhD (ABD) - Geography - Florida State University
Working Dissertation Title: Integration of Ancillary LiDAR Data in Image Object Creation for use in Object-Based Classification of Urban Structures and Land Cover from GeoEye-1 Satellite Imagery
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MS - Geographic Information Systems - Florida State University - 2006
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BS - Environmental Studies/Geography - Florida State University - 2005
GIS PTC PROJECT MANAGER
Norfolk Southern Corporation. - Engineering - Atlanta, GA.
May 2017 - Current
PTC (Positive Train Control) is a multi-billion dollar, railroad industry-wide effort to equip freight and passenger train fleets with an onboard system that will actively and safely stop trains if it detects unsafe conditions (speeding, incorrect routes, etc) by using advanced GPS on locomotives and detailed geospatial files.
Achieving Goals - I have been successful in increasing the geospatial processing efficiency by multithreading production work flows to cut weeks off production times. I have exceeded every federal and internal corporate goal set. I have led the PTC GIS team to be ahead of schedule and to become the ’Team to Catch’ across the PTC landscape at NS. I reduced corporate risk exposure by surpassing the federally mandated, 51% completion milestone a full 8 months ahead of the deadline.
Project Management - I realigned the geospatial file production portion of this federally mandated project from 3 months behind schedule to 6 months ahead of schedule. I exploit and create efficiencies by working across divisions, engaging leadership, and streamlining project workflows. I improve data integration between business partners to increase production speed, reduce redundancies, and increase data integrity. I track, visualize, and report the overall project status to the Assistant Chief Engineer and the VP level on an on going basis. I maintain exceptional relationships across the management structure at Norfolk Southern as well as other railroads to secure upper management buy in for process improvements.
Process Improvement - I continually improve the following key PTC components: daily workload of 11 GIS analysts and multiple business partners, geospatial data integration across business units, survey accuracy and planning, all feature attribution and geolocation accuracy along 8,008 route miles of rail corridor. I ensure the accurate and expeditious change management of the underlying geospatial data. I maintain data standards, compatibility and synchronization with internal train dispatching systems, engineering systems, and other internal business partners all while ensuring interoperability of NS geospatial data with our external railroad partners, including CSX, BNSF, UP, and KCS Railroads, to ensure we are interoperable across the North American rail network.
GIS SOFTWARE DEVELOPER
Norfolk Southern Corporation. - Engineering - Atlanta, GA.
May 2016 - May 2017
ESRI & .NET Software Development - I leveraged my 11 years of geospatial development experience to build custom GIS software to aid the NS Engineering Department as part of the roll out of the Positive Train Control Project. I utilized Oracle Spatial, SQL, Python scripts, C#, the .NET Framework, and ESRI’s ArcGIS Runtime SDK for .NET to develop custom ArcMap extensions and standalone programs. These suites were designed to ensure the highest data quality standards in the geospatial files used on the locomotives in PTC. I wrote custom scripts and software packages to QA/QC the output of other geospatial tools, automate processing of large geospatial datasets, and help GIS analysts be more efficient in their day-to-day workflows.
PRESIDENT-FOUNDER-DEVELOPER
SimSpatial GIS Consulting LLC - Atlanta, GA.
October 2014 - Current
Health GIS - I founded a boutique GIS consulting firm and served as the primary executive officer, project manager, and GIS developer. I worked primarily with non-profit, global, public health agencies across the US and UK helping them save money by migrating away from ESRI ArcGIS technology to OpenSource GIS solutions or streamlining their existing geospatial workflows. Past partners include The Task Force for Global Health, RTI International, The International Trachoma Initiative, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, The Carter Center, and The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. I took customer business needs and turned them into concrete GIS software solutions.
Open Source, JavaScript, & Cloud GIS Software Development - I successfully planned, developed, and migrated my client’s geodata to cloud-based geodatabases such as CartoDB.com, Google Cloud Services, or Amazon AWS. I developed custom mapping websites for my clients using HTML5, JavaScript, and Python. I have utilized the ArcGIS JavaScript API, Google Maps JavaScript API, CartoDB JavaScript API, CartoDB SQL API, MapBox JavaScript API, Leaflet.js, D3.js, and other modern web development libraries and technologies to help my customers get the best user experience and added value from their online mapping products and geospatial data. I provided excellent customer service and support before, during, and after all my contracts and as a result I have developed many strong business relationships that result in being viewed as a trusted geospatial professional and expert in the health geospatial data technologies industry.
Website:Simspatial.com
GIS MANAGER
Florida Department of Health - Division of Disease Control and Health Protection - Tallahassee, FL
September 2013 - October 2014
Management Experience - I was responsible for all budgeting, purchasing, licensing, installations, and support of GIS, geocoding, and other geospatial software and hardware used at the Florida Department of Health (FDOH). This included managing ArcGIS Desktop, Server, SDE, and ArcGIS Online licenses and accounts for 350+ users across all 67 county health departments and all divisions in the central office. I successfully completed every project on time and on budget to migrate existing FDOH web maps from the outdated ESRI Adobe Flex API to the modern ESRI JavaScript API, integrated ArcGIS Online into internal business workflows, and established an internal, Health GIS Sensitive Data Plan and data portal. I also served as President of the FDOH GIS Coordinating Committee which coordinates, plans, and executes department-wide GIS and geospatial technology strategic plans and processes. I also managed the content and datasets on the production and test ArcSDE enterprise geodatabase servers and GIS web servers.
Budget & Management Experience - I managed an annual budget of over $250,000 as part of the CDC Public Health Emergency Preparedness (CDC-PHEP) cooperative agreement at FDOH. I managed and mentored GIS analysts in applying cutting edge geospatial technologies to achieve the business goals of the Division of Disease Control and Health Protection (DCHP) and FDOH. I kept my team up-to-date with current geospatial research, geospatial technologies, and state-of-the-art GISindustry platforms by securing funding for team members to attend top professional conferences such as AAG and the ESRI Federal User Conference. This allowed my team to operate with greater efficiency and facilitated effective future GIS program planning. As a result of adopting state-of-the-art GIS technologies, FDOH migrated their existing Flex-based web mapping applications to the newest JavaScript APIs, migrated to mobile-ready web mapping applications, and greatly reduced deployment time for web-based mapping solutions.
Project Management Experience - I managed outside vendor contracts and projects for custom GIS solutions for all of FDOH as well as internal GIS projects. I worked with external contractors to perform requirements analysis, solution discovery, and business plan creation to ensure technical, data quality, and budgetary goals were achieved in a timely manner. Projects included the migration of the Florida Environmental Health Preparedness Hazard Vulnerability Assessment Mapper to a mobile-friendly, ArcGIS JavaScript API/HTML5 platform. This project involved enterprise level geodatabase design and deployment using a Microsoft SQL Server/ArcSDE backend; ArcGIS Server feature service creation and publication; geoprocessing service publication; ArcGIS Online web map creation; and custom javascript/HTML5 web development. Other examples included an internal facility management floor plan web app built using the ArcGIS Flex API that was dynamically linked with Windows Active Directory to allow space and resource allocation reports to be quickly generated by upper management. I also served as a member of the FDOH ESF-8 Disaster Preparedness Team. I routinely provided high quality GIS analysis, maps, and subject matter expertise to the Florida Surgeon General’s office during local, state, and national disasters under tight deadlines.
GIS ANALYST
Florida Department of Health - Division of Disease Control and Health Protection - Tallahassee, FL
May 2013 - September 2013
FEMA Certification - I received FEMA NIMS and ICS (IS-100b, ICS-700A) certifications for emergency preparedness and response. I also served as part of the Department of Health ESF-8 Team during local, state, and national disasters.
ESRI Enterprise Experience - I was responsible for the design, maintenance, customization, testing, and optimization of several ArcGIS Server and ArcGIS Online web-based applications using the Adobe Flex and ArcGIS JavaScript APIs. I worked with vendors to ensure technical and data quality goals were achieved in a timely manner. I was also tasked with developing experimental web and mobile mapping apps to serve the needs of the Division of Disease Control and Health Protection; the Bureau of Environmental Health; the Division of Environmental Preparedness and Community Support; and the Bureau of Preparedness and Response. One such experimental application included a rapidly deployed mobile web map that dynamically displayed the locations, characteristics, and operational status of emergency shelters throughout the State of Florida in real time.
Health GIS Proficiency - I served as the subject matter expert for all users of GIS (ArcGIS Desktop Suite, Server, and Online) across all divisions of the central office and the 67 county health departments. I also performed ad hoc spatial analysis for FDOH internal customers.
GIS ANALYST
Citizens Property Insurance Corporation - Corporate Analytics - Tallahassee, FL
July 2008 - August 2009
I utilized my expertise in GIS programming, systems, and data modeling to exercise best-inindustry practices for the development and implementation of an enterprise-level, server-based geographic information system as well as web-based mapping applications using the Adobe Flex and Java API’s for ArcGIS Server at the second largest property insurance company by market share (11.41% in 2009) in Florida.
Enterprise GIS Development - I successfully designed, developed, tested, documented, and deployed custom spatial analysis tools, applications, and other GIS solutions on an ESRI ArcGIS Server and SDE platform. I assisted in the design, modeling, development, and maintenance of the CPIC enterprise/server-based GIS solution as well as the integration with the existing corporate relational database management systems (RDMS) for data interchange solutions.
GIS Software and Application Development - I developed, tested, and documented ArcGIS Server-based GIS applications and services using the Java and Adobe Flex API’s for ArcGIS Server. I developed internal web mapping services for the spatial querying and mapping of insurance policies that also visualized the underlying policy and premium data from several relational databases in a standard tabular and mapping layout. I also developed a custom geocoding services for other business units to support the georeferencing of CPIC’s 1.3 million policies in force.
Statistical Analysis - Additionally, I provided expert GIS and geospatial analysis services to internal customers. In one case I applied my knowledge of spatial data statistical analysis to detect regions of insurance adjuster fraud by conducting a cluster analysis on potentially fraudulent claims.
Interdepartmental Collaboration - I proactively developed innovative and customized product solutions using GIS technology (particularly through web mapping services and geospatial analysis) for complex business issues such as estimating the number of policy claims following a hurricane event and efficient insurance adjuster deployment and distribution based on spatial proximity to claims. I supported business processes by coordinating with departments to promote efficient use and expansion of GIS in support of the company’s business and strategic goals. I regularly utilized GIS software at an expert level to aggregate, analyze, and visualize geographic data; delivered executive summaries and produced cartographic products in multiple formats for C-Suite Management (CFO, CTO, and Director of Corporate Analytics).
GIS CONSULTANT
Citizens Property Insurance Corporation - Corporate Analytics - Tallahassee, FL
January 2007 - May 2007
As a GIS Consultant to the Director of Corporate Analytics I developed a business plan that resulted in the creation of an in-house GIS department and the development of an enterprise-level, server-based GIS to serve multiple business units. I analyzed business unit requirements and the crrent in-house GIS technology, data, and software capabilities as part of a needs assessment. I recommended, and later implemented, a GIS platform using ArcGIS Server as well as the development of a MS SQL Server geodatabase for integration with in-house data flows.
GRADUATE RESEARCH & TEACHING ASSISTANT
Florida State University - Department of Geography - Tallahassee, FL
May 2006 - May 2013_
I researched Urban and Physical Geography topics using state-of-the-art satellite remote sensing and photogrammetric technologies. I produced geospatial products that answer research questions related to the physical environment that humans create through the management of multi-source geospatial data sets, development of advanced imagery manipulation algorithms, and geospatial analysis of elevation data. I utilized my excellent written and verbal communication skills to draft academic articles and present the research findings at professional conferences around the world.
Broad Geospatial Background & Excellent Communication Skills - I also served as Instructor of Record for several undergraduate and graduate academic courses, both online and in classroom. These included: Introduction to Geographic Information Science,Introduction to Remote Sensing, Environmental Science, Physical Geography, and Cultural Geography. I had sole responsibility for all aspects of the course including course planning, content creation, instruction, supervision of other teaching assistants, and student evaluation.
Python, R, JavaScript, C#, .NET, Java, SQL, HTML, LATEX, Google Maps/Earth API, ArcGIS JavaScript API, ArcGIS .Net SDK, Amazon AWS, Google App Engine, MapBox, CartoDB.
Oracle Spatial, MS SQL Server 2008; MySQL; ESRI ArcGIS Desktop and Server 10.x, 9.x; ArcGIS Online; Google Earth; Quantum GIS; ERDAS Imagine v10.x, 9.x; eCognition (Definiens) Developer v8.x; GRASS GIS; uDIG; MapINFO Professional; IDRISI Tiaga; MrSid Viewer; SPSS; LASTools; MARS; MapMarker; Accumail Frameworks, GISCloud, ESRI JavaScript Web App Builder.
Mac OS X v10.x; Microsoft Windows 10/7/Vista/Server 2003/XP; Linux; Google Chrome, Unix
MS Teams, MS Project, MS SharePoint, MS Access, MS Visio, Adobe Photoshop & Creative Suite, GIMP, Blender, Inkscape, CorelDraw.
- Sims, M., and Mesev V., 2007: Use of Ancillary Data in Object Based Classification of High Resolution Satellite Data, Proceedings of URBAN/URS Urban Remote Sensing Joint Event -Paris, France, 2007.
- Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting - New York, NY, February 2012.
- Remote Sensing, Urbanization, and Land Use (Session Chair) - Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting - Seattle, WA, April 2011.
- Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting - Seattle,WA, April 2011.
- Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting - Washington, DC, April 2010.
- URBAN/URS Joint Remote Sensing Event - Paris, France, April 2007.
- Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting - San Francisco, CA , April 2007.
*American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing(ASPRS) - 2006-Present
*Association of American Geographers(AAG) - 2006-Present
*Southeastern Division of the Association of American Geographers(SEDAAG) - 2007-Present
*Seven Hills Regional GIS Users Group(SHRUG) - 2007-Present
*Florida State University Academic Leadership Award
*Chairman and Organizer, FSU Regional Remote Sensing Conference
*President, Geography and Environmental Studies Student Association (FSU)
*President, Society of Geospatial Sciences (FSU student chapter ASPRS)