Candidates for Open Board Positions
Craig Austin
MassGIS; Boston, MA
Craig has been a GIS Analyst for over 12 years at the Massachusetts Bureau of Geographic Information (MassGIS). He oversees the gathering of parcel and owner data from each of the 351 cities and oversees the gathering and QA reviewing of the map and owner data and prepares the data to update the data distributed via the many portals MassGIS has. He also is involved in other QA work, including ortho Imagery. Craig, as a volunteer, has served on the Norwood Trails Committee and has developed several trail maps on properties within the town. Craig has seen the advantage of developing and following standards as a way to streamline workflows and improve the quality of the data received.
Danica Cucchi
Town of Sharon; Sharon, MA
I'm a New England based GIS professional and I've been in the GIS industry for over 15 years in both the telecommunications and the energy sectors. I've got a proven track record of growing a GIS Department and spreading GIS technology throughout my organization. I'm a tireless advocate for geospatial technology - constantly leveraging GIS in new an innovative ways to solve problems and create efficiencies. I'm active in the ESRI user community and have presented my work at multiple industry events. My work was even featured in the 2023 Infrastructure Management GIS Plenary session in Palm Springs this past October. I've also been active in both the Northeast Gas Association and the American Gas Association as a leader in GIS. I believe GIS will play a crucial role in New England's evolving energy future and I'm eager to utilize my skillset to help guide that future. Please let me know if you have any questions regarding my qualifications for this exciting opportunity.
Kevin Denault
City of Portland; Portland, ME
Hi, my name is Kevin Deneault; I am currently the GIS Mapping Specialist for the City of Portland, Maine. I have been working in the GIS field for little more than nine years. My most recent GIS work has focused on asset management, transportation, environmental change, hydrography, and coastal management with an essential focus on coastal issues such as shoreline change, coastal inundation, coastal erosion, and sea level rise. Geospatial technology has always been a passion of mine and I feel I would be a great addition to the Board of Directors for New England’s Geospatial Professional Network. This is important to me because I want to contribute by sharing new ideas, advancing the geospatial industry, gaining valuable leadership, and most importantly continuing to expand the geospatial network throughout New England. I hope you vote for me as a representative of the Board for New England's Geospatial Professional Network.
Matt Franz
Central Massachusetts Planning Commission; Worcester, MA
Matt Franz is the GIS Director at the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission (CMRPC) where he has been providing GIS management/services/support to staff, member communities and outside groups since 2006 and active in municipal/state GIS since 2000. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a minor in Cartography from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. When not exploring the world of GIS, Matt enjoys spending time with his family, playing board games, swimming and most things Sci-fi.
Ryan Norton
Town of Foxborough; Foxborough, MA
Ryan has been on the NEURISA/New England Geospatial Professionals Network Board of Directors since 2019, where he has served in many capacities including Communications Coordinator and Webmaster, as well as President in 2023. He has also been heavily involved in URISA/GPN, serving as the Chapter's representative to the Chapter Development and Relations Council, chair of the Membership Committee, and recently was a member of the GIS-Pro committee. Ryan was also a member of URISA's OneURISA task force. He was instrumental in bringing GIS-Pro to New England and was recently awarded URISA's Barbara Hirsch Award for his service. Ryan would like to continue his service to the Chapter and the GPN community.
Sarah Pierce
PARE Corporation; Lincoln, RI
My interest in GIS is rooted in a passion for problem solving and a drive to think outside the box. As the lead GIS Specialist of my organization, I have applied these traits to provide GIS services to all disciplines within our engineering firm. I first began my career 10 years ago in our Natural Resources group where my primary responsibilities included delineating wetlands and developing wetland permit applications for various projects at the firm. I felt that my environmental science degree with minors in applied geography and GIS made my uniquely qualified for the role. Although the firm was small at the time and did not have an official GIS position, my mentors strongly advocated for my desire to develop a GIS presence and use my background to perform spatial analysis and bolster our deliverables to clients. If chosen as a board member, I look forward to serving my community while broadening my professional network and learning about how my peers apply GIS to their job duties.
Olivia Read
VHB; Providence, RI
A goal of mine is to play a role in helping to create a pathway for younger generations to enter into a GIS career. I have higher education GIS teaching experience and have been a RIGIS Executive Committee board member for the past few years. Teamwork and networking is key in our field.
Isaiah Spencer
Seeking; Providence, RI
Isaiah has a passion and aptitude for GIS. He spent his undergrad learning from Lynn Carlson, at Brown University, and then during the pandemic, Isaiah showed his fortitude as a key member of the Rhode Island Department of Health's GIS team. Isaiah is a creative thinker and would be a great NEURISA BoD member.
