First of all, the URISA support structure is undergoing some positive changes that should facilitate our Chapter activities in the months and years ahead. The GIS Certification initiative has hit the ground running and an enthusiastic start by over one hundred dedicated individuals has blazed the trail toward some well-deserved recognition for all of us in the GIS profession. Our own SoCal Chapter has hosted a GIS Certification workshop and URISA National is lining up some impressive tools as well to assist those embarking on the path to certification.

Secondly, the California URISA Chapter organizations are solidifying their positions and constituents into a cohesive, well-run, collaborative group of professionals that is bound to make all of our respective Chapter activities more efficient and cooperative. While we currently have three Chapters in the Golden State (SoCAL, Central, and BAAMA) a fourth, the Northern Chapter, is starting to come together and will likely become established later this year. Our own SoCAL Chapter will also be doing a bit of outreach in the months ahead as we seek to embrace the entirety of our region and attempt to be more all-inclusive and representative of the dynamics (and demographics) of our area. I'll look forward to the participation and feedback of our Board -indeed all of our membership as we embark on this initiative.

During the CalGIS Conference there were several well-organized forums and activities for Chapters of URISA to collaborate and share ideas. URISA National, the parent organization is making welcome strides in mutually beneficial activity that is aimed at enhancing the bi-directional relationship with Chapters while improving service and support to our all-important membership. Some of these activities are already in place at SoCal URISA, such as Workshops and a strong administrative structure. Others will become apparent as the year progresses and the new relationships mature and grow. For example, some of the other Chapters are forming alliances with other GIS-related organizations to combine conferences, share and act upon common goals (such as in GIS Standards, Certification, and technology improvement). SoCAL URISA will also be contributing toward this effort and we’ll be looking for input and ideas from our membership as we seek to streamline and enhance our service and support.

Finally, one other welcome CalGIS Conference observation is worthy of mention. The overall mood was very upbeat and the State of California certainly has its share of enthusiastic, energetic GIS professionals. The educational sessions were lively and animated, the forums were vigorous and proactive, and the vendors and commercial side was both optimistic and genuinely confident in the many new technology wonders and spreading use of GIS across a broad section of society. Even the guest speakers were an eclectic mix of visionaries with positive forecasts for innovation and growth. Industry leaders from Autodesk, ESRI, Intergraph, and MapInfo spoke of “new horizons” and the emerging ubiquitous embrace of GIS. As these speakers and others at the CalGIS Conference demonstrated, we do indeed live in interesting times…

In closing, the CalGIS Conference was an educational and motivating experience – one that the SoCal URISA Chapter hopes to emulate in the months ahead. Our Southern California Chapter is in one of the most socially dynamic, technology-rich, and infrastructure demanding region of the country. We invite all GIS professionals to join us in improving our region, improving your community, improving yourself. If you are not yet a member of SoCal URISA, please consider joining us – we welcome you with open arms and open minds…

See you at the NEXT CalGIS Conference in Bakersfield in 2005!

Laszlo Mariahazy – President, SoCal URISA