About

Map Image from Stamen Design (Watercolor Map)

{Not to be confused with the Northwest (USA) GIS User Group: NWGIS}

Meetings

Introduction:

The NWWaGIS is a group of individuals who meet every three months to discuss our activities with Geographical Information Systems and to hear from others working in this field about their interests, activities and concerns. The group has been meeting on a fairly regular basis since the late 1990’s. The meetings were initiated by DNR in the Sedro-Woolley regional office where a need was felt to have some form of interaction with other individuals and agencies who use GIS and spatial data in our part of the state. “Our part of the state” generally includes the area from Snohomish County to the Canadian border, although on occasion we have had participants from King County, B.C., and elsewhere.

Meeting Schedule and Location:

We normally meet on the third Friday in the months of March, June, September and December. On a few occasions we have moved the meeting up or back a week, most notably adjusting the December meeting (typically to the second Friday) to accommodate holiday schedules. The location is variable depending on the wishes and needs of the person taking responsibility for the meeting program. Recent meetings have been in Bellingham, Mt. Vernon, Padilla Bay, Everett and Stanwood. The meetings are scheduled to run from 9 am to noon.

Meeting Format:

Our agenda generally consists of a roundtable discussion for the first hour, followed by a short break, and then a set of presentations, each taking fifteen to forty-five minutes. Thus, a typical meeting will have two to four separate topics. The choice of topics and the length of each offering is up to the person taking the responsibility for that meeting’s agenda. Any topic which relates to GIS hardware / software / databases / applications / policies… might be suitable.

For information on hosting or presenting at future meetings, contact Meeting Coordinators Ann Stark and Suzanne Shull.

Membership / Email List:

Our email list for sending out meeting notices now contains about 300 names. A typical meeting will have some twenty to sixty persons attending with a quite diverse membership coming from many organizations and individuals where GIS is a part of the operational mix. Included are people from city, county or tribal planning and/or public works departments, state and federal agencies, private consulting firms and educational institutions. We come because we are using GIS on a fairly regular basis, we want to interact with others having similar interests and responsibilities, and we like sharing with others what we are doing. Being a “member” of the group means either being on the mailing list or coming to meetings because you heard about it from someone. There are no dues, no membership applications and no requirements except interest in GIS and interest in learning and sharing.

NWWaGIS Email List:

SUBSCRIBE to the NWWaGIS email list for quarterly meeting reminders & agendas.

Use of the NWWaGIS Email List for non-NWWaGIS Events and Announcements

The primary use of the NWWaGIS email list is to send out NWWaGIS meeting announcements. Occasionally, at the request of a NWWaGIS member, informational items for upcoming events will also be forwarded. If you do not wish to receive these occasional emails do not sign up for the ‘Misc’ list. You can add or remove the Misc (or the NWWaGIS) list via the link at the bottom of each email from NWWaGIS

In general, the following guidelines apply to the types of announcement that will be forwarded:

  • Events held by non-profits organizations (meetings, workshops)
  • Free events (open houses, training)
  • One-time events (conferences, workshops, trainings)

Excluded from this list are:

  • Regular ongoing meetings/events
  • Job/resume postings
  • Requests for technical help or data
  • Sales of products and services

The intention of forwarding selected email notices is to provide a service to the NWWaGIS members. Please feel free to comment on this practice and/or make suggestions as to how to further refine these guidelines. In no case will the actual email address of members be shared with a third party.

Members of the NWWaGIS list who wish to receive Agendas ONLY (and not the occasional other items) should send an email to stefan.

See Also:

  • The Bellingham GIS Breakfast Group is a very informal gathering of GIS professionals meeting monthly (typically the third Wednesday of the month). Breakfast is from 7:00-8:00 am and is typically at the Old Town Cafe (316 W. Holly St.) in downtown Bellingham.     SUBSCRIBE
  • The Washington Chapter of URISA is the state GIS professionals organisation.  They host an annual GIS conference and occasional workshops each year. 

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