November 30, 2010 -- PA-MAPPS, the Pennsylvania chapter of MAPPS, named officers and directors for the association's Board of Directors and set priorities for the chapter for 2011.

The board of directors of PA-MAPPS consists of the following members and positions:

• President: Con Sweeney, Michael Baker Jr., Inc. (Harrisburg, PA)
• President-Elect: Stephen Ellis, GISP, GeoDecisions a divison of Gannett Fleming, Inc. (Camp Hill, PA)
• Secretary: Rob Rowe, GISP, Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc. (State College, PA)
• Treasurer: Ashis Pal, GISP, geographIT (Lancaster, PA)
• Director: Michael Shillenn, CP, Photo Science, Inc. (West Chester, PA)

In addition to the board positions, Pete Quigley, Keddal Aerial Mapping, a division of Kucera International, was appointed as the membership chair.

"I am grateful for the support of the members of PA-MAPPS and those working with me on the board," said Con Sweeney, PA-MAPPS President. "During the last year we strengthened our partnership with the other geospatial practitioner groups in Pennsylvania to give voice to the need for greater utilization of geospatial data for the benefit of the citizens of the Commonwealth. We plan to continue this message with the newly elected Governor and legislature over the next year."

The board of directors also announced the creation of programs and legislative committees. The programs committee will work to provide greater content to the membership, including business development and networking, as well as support the professional geospatial conferences within the Commonwealth. The legislative committee will work closely with other stakeholders in Pennsylvania to continue to make a geospatial coordination council a reality.

PA-MAPPS will hold a general membership meeting on Thursday, December 16, 2010 at which time committee leadership positions will be filled.

About PA-MAPPS and MAPPS

PA-MAPPS, the first state chapter of MAPPS, is open to private firms in in photogrammetry, satellite and airborne remote sensing, hydrography, aerial and satellite image processing, surveying, GPS, and GIS data collection and conversion services in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. PA-MAPPS has two membership categories; Member Firms: geospatial service firms with offices and employees based in Pennsylvania and Associate Members: companies that do business in but not having a physical office or businesses in the Commonwealth, or those that provide hardware, software, products and services to the geospatial profession in the Keystone State. Firms in PA-MAPPS are also members of MAPPS.