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Geospatial Data Act of 2017 Webinar August 29th

 
 
GITA's FREE Webinar Series
 

When:  Tuesday, August 29, 2017
 Time:  1:00 PM CDT  
Who:  John Wertman 

Aug 14, 2017 -- To keep our membership informed regarding the Geospatial Data Act of 2017, GITA will be holding a free webinar hosted by John Wertman from the American Association of Geographers (AAG) on Tuesday, August 29th at 1pm CDT.

This act, if passed into law, may negatively impact your ability to conduct mapping grade surveys, bid on or provide work products to state or federal agencies, provide mapping and cartography services to educational institutions, or assist the military and law enforcement with geospatial services.

GITA believes that this act, and other similar legislation proposed at the state level, will limit your ability to practice your geospatial craft as you have done for many years. 

The Geospatial Data Act of 2017 is currently being debated within U.S. Senate committees, and a companion bill was introduced in the House of Representatives on July 27, 2017.  These bills, if enacted, will have far reaching consequences for you and your firm.

In response to the threat this legislation creates for our membership, GITA joining with several other geospatial organizations; notably, Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA) and the AAG, have established position papers on this proposed legislation.

We request all members stay informed and active in opposing this significant legislation.

The geospatial community needs to speak out and stifle this movement to encroach upon our profession, and perhaps prevent a "lockout" of the geospatial skills and services you and your firm provide.


Bio:
John Wertman serves as Senior Program Manager for Government Relations at the Association of American Geographers (AAG). He is a past Chair of the Coalition of Geospatial Organizations (COGO) and is now the AAG's delegate to COGO.  His career has focused on positions in and around politics, and he previously served as Special Assistant to the Director of Presidential Letters and Messages at the White House during the Administration of President Bill Clinton.  Wertman also held government relations positions at the Consortium of Social Science Associations, the University of Virginia Medical Center, and the American Urological Association.  He interned on Capitol Hill for both former Congressman Tom Davis and former House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt.  Wertman holds a BA in Government from the University of Virginia.

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