St. Paul, Minn., Feb. 5, 2015—The Geospatial Information and Technology Association (GITA) is pleased to welcome Becky Shumate and Jeff Allen to its Board of Directors. The two will serve as “at-large” members and fill two vacancies opened with the departure of Dan Shannon and Jerry King due to their reaching term limits.

Ms. Shumate, GISP, has worked as a leader in the geospatial industry since she first interned with the USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service in 1998. Many years of her career were spent with PennWell, increasing her responsibilities from GIS Specialist to Operations Manager. She is an active member-at-large of GITA and has represented the organization to GIS Certification Institute (GISCI), serving first as a member of that organization’s Board of Directors and, most recently, as Vice President. As such, Ms. Shumate brings not only significant work experience, but in-depth knowledge about the credentialing process and where it is headed within the geospatial industry.

Mr. Allen is the President of Novara GeoSolutions (formerly the geospatial division of Coler & Colantonio) and has 22 years of survey, application development, and GIS experience. He was responsible for the conception and design of a patented integrated suite of software applications (Intrepid) that has been responsible for much of his firm’s growth. Mr. Allen continues to set Novara’s vision for geospatial applications development, providing an unparalleled resource for the energy industry critical to navigating today’s ever-changing regulatory environment.  Mr. Allen has served in various leadership positions for the PODS Association and GITA’s Oil & Gas Conference / Pipeline Week.  Mr. Allen holds a BS in surveying engineering from the University of Maine.

“Becky Shumate is a fantastic addition to the board, with her industry and GISCI experience she brings a rare depth of experiences to the GITA Board,” said Mark Limbruner, newly elected GITA President.  “Likewise, Jeff Allen has served several roles in private industry, while also volunteering for the GITA Pipeline Week Conference planning committee. With Jeff having served as conference chair for the past two years, he brings a fresh perspective to the board from our most important national conference.”

Mr. Limbruner, GISP of Range Resources Corporation, assumes the mantle of President for the next two years and looks forward to leading the organization as it continues to build new events, gain members, and provide first-rate educational services to the geospatial industry.  Matthew Thomas of Centurion Pipeline advances to become President-Elect, while Elizabeth Bialek from the East Bay Municipal Utilities District will serve as Treasurer, and Eric Hoogenraad will serve as Secretary. Talbot Brooks, GISP, continues to serve the GITA board as Past-President.

About GITA – www.gita.org

The Geospatial Information & Technology Association (GITA) is the professional association and leading advocate for anyone using geospatial technology to help operate, maintain, and protect the infrastructure, which includes organizations such as utilities, telecommunication companies, and the public sector. Through industry leading conferences—along with research initiatives, chapters, membership, and other programs—GITA provides education and professional best practices to geospatial practitioners focused upon critical infrastructure assets. For more information on GITA contact Steve Swazee at [email protected].