Featured Presenters

Visit the 2024 Conference Schedule for complete agenda

Aileen Buckley
May 16

Aileen Buckley, Research Cartographer and Senior GIS Engineer on the Living Atlas of the World, Esri

Dr. Aileen Buckley has been making maps since she was an undergraduate student at Valparaiso University. She has a Bachelor’s degree from VU with a double major in Geography and Spanish. She earned a Master’s degree in Geography from Indiana University and a Ph.D. in Geography from Oregon State University. After serving on the faculty at the University of Oregon for several years, she joined Esri where she has been ever since. She is a cartographic researcher and senior GIS engineer on the ArcGIS Living Atlas team. Her work focuses on determining and sharing best practices for mapping and analysis with modern GIS. She publishes and presents world-wide on many aspects of mapping and GIS. She is a co-author of Map Use: Reading, Analysis, Interpretation, now being updated for the 9th edition. Aileen is a former president of CaGIS (the U.S. cartographic association) and is actively involved with the International Cartographic Association (ICA) in which she is the lead delegate for the United States. She was also recently elected to chair the new ICA Commission on Ethics in Cartography.

Megan Compton and Tracy Barnes
May 17

Megan Compton, State Geographic Information Officer
Tracy Barnes, IOT Chief Information Officer

Megan Compton serves as the State Geographic Information Officer for Indiana, appointed by Governor Eric J. Holcomb in April 2018. In this role, she oversees the State’s spatial data and technology portfolio and supports teams to build effective and innovative solutions that benefit our communities and the state. With Compton leading statewide geospatial coordination, and in collaboration with local, state, and national partners, Indiana’s GIS community has reached major milestones in geospatial maturity, strategic planning and first-time funding from the Indiana State Legislature for GIS programs. 

Indiana Office of Technology Chief Information Officer Tracy Barnes was appointed by Gov. Eric J. Holcomb in March 2020. In this role, Tracy oversees the Indiana Office of Technology and provides strategic oversight of the State's technology portfolio, as well as leadership on technology and cybersecurity policy.

Kevin Breitzke
May 16
Integrating Surveying and GIS

Kevin Breitzke, Porter County Surveyor

Kevin D. Breitzke, PE, PLS, CFM has over forty-five years of civil engineering and land surveying experience and a BSCE (Civil Engineering) degree from Valparaiso University. He is an ASFPM Certified Floodplain Manager, and has professional licenses for Engineering (1987) and Land Surveying (1983). Kevin has been Porter County Surveyor since 1997 and served for more than twenty-five years on the following Boards: Kankakee River Basin Commission, Northwestern Indiana Regional Plan Commission, Porter County Plan Commission (president from 2003 through 2007), and Porter County Development Review Committee. Also, he serves on the Kankakee River Basin-Yellow River Basin Development Commission Technical Advisory Committee and the Porter County Stormwater Management Board. Prior to public service, Kevin designed commercial and residential developments, wastewater and septic systems, and storm water management solutions. Kevin developed lifelong relationships with IDEM, DNR, Army Corps of Engineers, NRCS, city and county planning agencies, public works departments, and health departments as author of hundreds of plan submissions and permit applications. Kevin has actively served on a number of watershed and planning related advisory boards throughout Northwest Indiana including the Lake Michigan Coastal Advisory Board, and he has been active in several professional and community organizations.

Kevin is an accomplished leader in regional and county planning, storm water management, and environmental policy resulting in economic, environmental and personal benefits for Indiana and its citizens. Kevin is committed to improving his life-long home, Indiana.