Blog Post #3 - Industry Summary, Internship Update & LinkedIn Profile

The industry topic I chose focused on the role of GIS in public safety and emergency managment. I selected this topic because, in my new role as a GIS Analyst, I will be part of the City of Port Orange, Florida’s Emergency Management Team. This was an interview with Richard Butgereit, GISP, Information Management Section Head at Florida Division of Emergency Management. The interview provided several important insights that are especially relevant to this work, including the following:

•  Richard talked about the importance of coordination and information sharing among emergency management agencies. He stressed     that successful disaster response relies heavily on collaboration, not just individual agency efforts. 

• He also emphasized that proactive planning and preparedness efforts were especially important and required the most time. Emphasis on risk assessment, training, and pre-event planning being key for success. He reinforces the idea that emergency management is an ongoing process, not something that begins only when a disaster strikes.

• Finally, he emphasizes the growing role of data and technology in emergency management decision making. He made it a point to say that one of his jobs in emergency management was to provide data in as many ways/formats as possible. Even though this interview is likely slightly dated, the idea of providing data in multiple formats is still very relevant in 2026. I would think, as technology and user expectations have expanded, emergency managers now need to deliver the same information through dashboards, web maps, mobile tools, and raw datasets. While the formats have changed since this interview, the responsibility to make data accessible to different users has likely only grown.

As mentioned above, I am pleased to share that I have recently accepted a GIS Analyst position with the City of Port Orange, FL. I am excited to begin this new role and look forward to serving the citizens of my hometown. I believe this position will be a great fit, and I am eager to apply the skills I developed at UWF while continuing to grow as a GIS professional.

I recently updated my LinkedIn profile, which had not been revised in several years. I added the courses I completed at UWF and ensured that my blog/portfolio site is clearly visible and easily accessible in both the contact information and education sections. I also refined my listed skills to better reflect my GIS experience, particularly in my recent roles as an Environmental Scientist and GIS Cadastral Mapper. These updates helped create a cleaner and more professional overall presentation.

Additionally, I have begun ESRI training on creating ArcGIS StoryMaps. In the coming weeks, I plan to continue expanding my knowledge through additional StoryMaps training and ArcGIS Online coursework as I prepare to create and maintain web applications in my new role.