Water Maps getting back to Normal
The Town of Normal, IL is taking great strides in its GIS progress under the leadership of two highly talented professionals. IT Director, Teri Legner and GIS Coordinator, Cassidy Killian are currently working with the water department to update all of their old maps. The water distribution system is currently all mapped out in CAD however it is not exactly to scale, causing a huge challenge when trying to convert to GIS format. Normally a simple georeferencing process can stretch or rotate the old maps to fit, however in this case it was not a practical approach due to the scale variance.
Cloudpoint was brought in to help with this process consisting of referencing old records such as pdf valve cards, construction drawings, and CAD data to reconstruct the data in a GIS environment. The newly converted data will be in Esri's local government data model and can be easily integrated into all of the latest Esri tools, maps, and apps including the Water Utility Network Editing and Reporting tools which are freely available to the Town as part of their current Esri licensing. Soon the GIS department will be able to use this new GIS layer for water distribution applications such as valve isolation traces, reporting, and customer outage notifications or boil orders.
As-built record drawings were scanned to pdf and used for reference in constructing the GIS layers
Water main details are incorporated into the GIS which can later be used for system-wide analysis and reporting.
Having Trimble GeoXH units on hand will allow the water department staff to further "fine tune" their data and collect GPS information with greater accuracy. The professional staff at Normal has displayed great insight in migrating their data to the GIS environment and using the resources they have in place.
Stephenson earns GISP certificate
Congratulations to Cloudpoint's, Paul Stephenson, for becoming the team's latest certified GIS Professional (GISP). Paul was one of the very first people to sit for the newly established GISP examination through the GIS Certification Institute (GISCI) which he took last November. With his professionalism and outstanding work ethic it was no surprise that he passed with flying colors. Obtaining a GISP certificate involves an extensive application process which now includes the exam requirement. With Paul's achievements, he joins Jon & Micah bringing the total number of GISP certified staff members at Cloudpoint to three. The following are some notes highlighting what makes a certified GISP:
Pictured are Paul Stephenson (left) and Jon Hodel (right) with Paul's new GISP certification
- Certified Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Professional endorsed by a 3rd party (GISCI) though a peer-reviewed evaluation.
- Has met the minimum standards for educational achievement, professional experience, and manner in which he or she contributes back to the profession, and practices in an ethical manner.
- Must abide by higher guidelines for ethical behavior.
- Continues to educate and reeducate him or herself while preparing for recertification.
- Has had their professional background scrutinized and reviewed by an independent third party organization. An Institute comprised of leading non-profit associations (AAG, NSGIC, UCGIS, GITA, URISA, and GLIS) focused on the application of GIS and geospatial technology.
- Can come from anywhere in the world, and current, active GISPs reside in all 50 States and 25 foreign countries.
- Is more than a practitioner of GIS technology.
- Is a Professional.
Well done Paul!
Open wide..... We've Moved!
Growing up, I had a mouth full of cavities and now have plenty of fillings to show for it. Little did I know at that time (back when I though I wanted to be a fireman) I would soon be making a living by working in that same building where I would go for routine checkups and teeth cleaning. No, didn't go in to dentistry (although if you stop by we could take a look at your teeth but I wouldn't trust our diagnosis). We recently purchased the former dentist office in Roanoke where just a few short months ago people were getting crowns and caps, now it is used for drones, ipads and desktop PC's. We are excited to make it our new home here at Cloudpoint Geographics.
Ten (10) weeks of renovations consisted of ripping our old sinks and X-ray boxes, hoses, lines, excess wiring, tons of painting, new carpet, and best of all- the lighting. We converted an old lab into a kitchen, and exam rooms are now functioning as high-tech office space. The large window view that so many of us distracted ourselves with while a hygienist scraped on our jowls, is now enjoyed by our staff as each person has their own private office.
We are blessed to have a new spot that so perfectly fits our current needs and the move was just across the parking lot from our old location. Be sure to come by and visit us during our upcoming Open House on October 2nd from 4PM to 6PM.
Coming to an Office near you!
Here's an update as to what's going on at Cloudpoint Geographics.
Office Remodel:
I've had some people say they heard we were moving a while back but nothing since then. We are deep into the remodel project and can see light at the end of the tunnel. Here are some quick snapshots of the work being done.
employee spotlight:
Our new office manager, Jodi Hoffman, has been doing an awesome job. Outside of work, Jodi keeps track of three fine young boys (four if you count husband Eric) and keeps things rolling smoothly at home and in the office. We are thankful to have her on our team.
ILGISA Conference 2015:
We are heading to the ILGISA conference in Springfield, IL very soon. Hoping to get moved in to the new office just before that. Be sure to stop by our booth and say hello to our team. We will all be there!
Also Cloudpoint will be sponsoring the new Monday night social so don't miss out on the fun.