Rachelle is Co-Chair of the Community Map of Canada Advisory Council. She has worked in local government for over 20 years, delivering GIS services. Rachelle understands the need for data-driven decision-making and is involved in Open Data and system integration initiatives that provide broad access to data and tools.
Shane Long is Esri Canada’s Community Maps Program Director and Co-Chair of the Community Map of Canada Advisory Council. He has over 25 years of experience delivering GIS projects and solutions at the municipal, provincial and federal level. Shane aims to provide the most accurate, complete, up to date, and authoritative content through Esri Canada’s Community Maps, Roads and Addresses and Living Atlas Programs.
David has worked in GIS since 2007, after receiving his degree in geography. His love of maps began as a child and he always wanted to "do geography". After working in mining exploration and transportation, David landed a position in a city where GIS needs were big. Sharing his passion for maps is one his strengths.
Since 2015, Frank has been responsible for development and implementation of a GIS strategic plan within the Town of Oakville. Part of this plan was the streamlining of processes and ensuring that staff and citizens have access to the most recent and accurate data through the use of Open Data.
A forester by profession, Greg has extensive senior public management experience and served as Director of GeoManitoba, where he led the province’s enterprise GIS strategy. Greg was an active member of the Canadian Council on Geomatics and is keen to enhance collaboration and geospatial data sharing in Canada.
Greg has been with the City of Yellowknife since 2013 and as part of a small GIS team wears many hats within the organization. He has been practicing GIS for 30 years since the days of ArcView and AML. Greg started his career as a GIS forester, but these days loves to provide GIS solutions to City staff and the public.
Lakshmy is the Program Manager for Esri Canada’s Community Maps Program which aims to develop and deliver a national basemap of Canada built from authoritative sources and community engagement. She’s happiest when leveraging GIS to connect people and foster a sense of community. Lakshmy has a Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto and a graduate certificate in GIS from Sir Sanford Fleming College.
Mitchell has been with the City of Steinbach since 2007, working with staff to improve day-to-day operations and services to residents using GIS. He has a Diploma in GIS Environmental Technologies from Assiniboine Community College and a Bachelor of Science majoring in Geography from the University of Lethbridge.
Nina has been with the City of Campbell River (Vancouver Island, BC) for over 12 years. She has as extensive experience in GIS spanning over 25 years working for both private sector and the local government. Nina has an undergraduate degree in geography from McMaster University and an M.Sc in Geographic Information Science from Birkbeck College, University of London.
Paul is the Production Manager of Esri Canada’s Roads & Addresses Program, which aims to build a seamless roads and address database using contributor data. He is a trained cartographer and has over 25 years of geomatics experience in both the private and public sectors.
Throughout his career, Phil has provided data and geospatial support to Kingston and surrounding regions. He has extensive experience in the use of geospatial data in infrastructure planning and design. Phil strives to produce smart and sustainable solutions to advance Kingston into a spatially enabled environment.
Robert has a life-long love for maps and all thing spatial. He has over a decade of experience in using GIS to support large public safety organizations and is a subject matter expert on GIS for NextGen 9-1-1. He has an undergraduate degree in geography from Saint Mary’s University and an advanced diploma in GIS from COGS.
Mike Ballard started his GIS career in 1993 working on diverse projects for various federal departments including Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Natural Resources Canada. Mike has been doing consulting work ever since. From 2004 to 2023, Mike was a professor of GIS at Algonquin College and is now working at Public Safety Canada with a focus on disaster risk reduction data.
Jason has been with the Manitoba Government since 2004 in GIS roles ranging from technician to manager. He is primarily focused on providing GIS solutions enabling staff to make science-based decisions. Jason has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Winnipeg and Advanced Diploma in GIS from Red River College Polytechnic.
