Cadastral Consulting, LLC

         Quality Continuing Education for the Surveying, Land Use, and Design Professional

Rebecca Somers has been a leader in the Geographic Information Systems field for more than 20 years. A prominent speaker and writer in national and international forums, she holds a Master's degree, specializing in GIS, from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Rebecca is founder and president of Somers-St.Claire, an independent GIS consulting firm based in northern Virginia. Her firm works nationwide, helping organization plan, implement, and use GIS and spatial technology and information effectively. Clients include local, state, and federal government agencies; utilities, and educational institutions.

A past president of the Geographic and Land Information Society, past chair of the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping, past president of the Geographic and Land Information Society (a member organization of ACSM), and past board member of the Urban and Regional Information Systems Association, she has led efforts advancing public and private sector understanding of GIS. She recently helped develop the GIS Professional Certification program for the GIS Certification Institute, and serves on industry forums including the steering committee of the Federal Geographic Data Committee.

In addition to serving as a columnist and editorial advisory board member for Geospatial Solutions, Rebecca has been a columnist for GeoWorld and an editor of the URISA Journal. She has authored a long list of publications covering diverse aspects of the GIS field, and is currently working on a book on GIS Implementation and Management for John Wiley & Sons.

• GIS Implementation and Management (4 to 32 hours)
• GIS Custom Training Courses
• Integrating GIS Into a Survey Business (8 hours)

GIS Implementation and Management (4 to 32 hours)

This workshop provides a practical guide for implementing and managing a GIS. It provides an overview of the GIS implementation process and details each of the steps, analyses, and decisions that must be made for a successful project. The workshop also addresses situations in which an organization already has some GIS capabilities, but wishes to expand its GIS operations or move to an enterprise GIS. Crucial organizational and management approaches and issues are also discussed. GIS implementation and management strategies, techniques, and issues are illustrated by examples from various types of organizations' current GIS projects. The workshop is designed to help anyone initiating a GIS project or program, expanding current GIS facilities, or seeking to improve their GIS operations and solve inherent problems. Key topics include:

• GIS Strategic Planning and Implementation Planning
• Requirements Analysis and System Design
• Database Design, Data Sources, Data Conversion, and Data Sharing
• Specifying and Selecting the Right GIS System Components
• Managing Vendors and Consultants
• GIS Operation and Maintenance
• Expanding GIS Operations and Developing an Enterprise GIS
• Organizational Issues
• Staffing and Training
• Financial Justification, Budgeting, and Funding
• Ensuring Effective GIS Use and Adoption
• GIS Management Strategies and Techniques

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GIS Custom Training Courses

Organizations and businesses can request specialized GIS training, focusing on their particular needs and interests in planning, implementing, managing, operating, or expanding GIS. Rebecca has developed customized workshops for dozens of organizations including businesses, local governments and other government agencies, GIS associations, surveyors' associations, and others wishing to better understand, start, or expand GIS projects and businesses. Please contact us for more information.

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Integrating GIS Into a Survey Business (full day)

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology and use has grown rapidly and is now a part of every type of activity in business and government. Therefore, every surveying and engineering business needs to be able to use GIS technology effectively and develop a strategy for how to work with clients that have GIS. This workshop will help those in surveying and engineering companies determine how to effectively use GIS technology in their businesses. Topics include:

• Current GIS technology capabilities and applications
• How organizations are implementing and using GIS
• How GIS can be used in surveying and engineering companies
• Using GIS for planning and project execution
• Using GIS for effective business management
• Developing and marketing GIS services
• Performing GIS-related jobs successfully
• Working effectively with GIS clients
• Avoiding common pitfalls

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