MAGIP News Blog

Welcome to the MAGIP News Blog. Subscribe to the RSS feed via the link below.

View the MAGIP News Archive
  • 04/10/2023 9:46 AM | Jeff Hedstrom (Administrator)

    Open Board of Directors Positions

    Nominations are open through April 20, 2023 for the following positions: 

    Vice President - Elected to three (3) year term (Vice President, President, Past President).

    Duties Include:

    • Parliamentarian – be aware of bylaws and meeting procedures
    • Step in for presidential duties when necessary
    • Attend Board and committee meetings
    • Help plan MAGIP events
    • Promote MAGIP

    Treasurer - Elected to two (2) year term. Duties Include:

    •  Keep track of MAGIP accounts
    • Create draft annual budget for Board review and approval
    • ·       Provides budget updates at Board meetings

    Secretary - Elected to two (2) year term. Duties Include:

    • Record minutes at Board meetings
    • Post meeting agendas, minutes, and board decisions to the website

    Technical Committee Chair – Elected to two (2) year term. Duties Include:

    • Responsible for planning and organizing workshops at the annual GIS conference
    • Responsible for advising the board and membership on technical issues

    Scholarship & Grants Chair – Elected to two (2) year term. Duties Include:

    • Oversee the annual Education Grants and Higher Education Scholarships

    Please consider nominating yourself, or someone who you think would make a great addition to the board, using this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MAGIP23Election

    In addition to filling these roles, the board is also proposing changes to MAGIP’s Bylaws, Article II & Article III and amendments to MAGIP’s Constitution, Article IV. Please review the specific changes to the respective articles in the above links. The elections for both the new board members and the proposed Bylaw and Constitution amendments will open April 27 and will close May 12.

    If you have any questions on the nominations or proposed Bylaw changes please reach out to the Election Committee: Jeff Hedstrom, Mike Powell or Meghan Burns for more information.

    Additional information on the elections, current governing documents, and the board can be found at the following link.

  • 03/02/2023 8:36 AM | Meghan Burns (Administrator)

    The 2023 Big Sky GeoCon Committee and the Montana Association of Geographic Professionals (MAGIP) invite you to participate in the Map/Poster Gallery at the 2023 Big Sky GeoCon to be held at the Best Western Grantree Inn, Bozeman MT, April 3-6.

    Through the use of maps the MAGIP Community has demonstrated many creative and insightful ways to share their message with their audience.  If you have created posters, maps or web applications that you are proud of and would like to put on display for a large group of GIS professionals, the Map Gallery would be a perfect opportunity to show them to the MAGIP community.  We encourage you to enter your maps and web mapping applications to the Map Gallery, for display at this year’s conference!  All entries will be evaluated by judges during the conference for possible cash awards totaling $700.

    Click here for complete Poster/Map Guidelines and Policy Document

    Click the Register button now to submit your poster/map! Submit by Friday, March 10. If you plan to submit more than one poster/map, please create a separate submission for each. 

    Notification of acceptance will be made on or before March 17.  All persons submitting a poster will be expected to register for the conference upon acceptance. (early bird registration will be honored)

    After notification of acceptance, you will receive the Judging Categories/Guidelines.

    On behalf of your 2023 Big Sky GeoCon Planning Committee, we look forward to hearing from you!




  • 01/20/2023 2:41 PM | Meghan Burns (Administrator)

    As we begin 2023, we want to highlight our incredible year and provide an update on upcoming changes.

    Accomplishments
    MAGIP continues our effort to keep our community informed of happenings in and around Montana, as well as providing opportunities for meetups outside our annual conference. We appreciate the opportunities for our membership to meet in person to collaborate, share ideas, and discuss common issues. Our annual Big Sky GeoCon in Missoula was another great success, as we enjoyed our first in-person gathering since 2019. We supported multiple meetups last year, including numerous to celebrate GIS Day. The 2023 Big Sky GeoCon Conference Planning Committee has been working hard at preparing and organizing for the conference in Bozeman in April. MAGIP started a new Special Interest Group (SIG) for Local Government and will add a new LiDAR SIG in 2023. The MAGIP Board also approved the initiative to grow our social media presence.

    Board of Directors Meeting minutes and/or recordings are located on our
     Board of Directors Meetings webpage, and Work Plans are located on our Governing Documents webpage. As always, we encourage our members to continue to monitor emails, social media, and our website for news and updates.

    Annual Membership Fee Increase and Structure Changes
    MAGIP membership fees have not increased since the organization’s origin. Last year, the MAGIP Board initiated an evaluation of our membership structure and existing fees. A Task Force was formed to review and analyze historic fees and membership levels (Associate Member A, Associate Member B, etc.). Upon careful review and consideration, a new fee structure and membership model has been approved.
     Click this link to view the Task Force Recommendation letter. Membership fees have increased, and membership levels have been condensed to provide an efficient alternative for larger organizations:

    ---
    Individual Membership: $50 Annually ($20 increase)
    Student Membership: $25 Annually ($10 increase)
    Restructure Associate Membership as follows:
       - Rename Associate Membership to “Organizational Membership,”
       - Organizational Membership includes 5 members at the cost of $250 Annually. Additional
          Members can be added at $40 per person annually ($10 savings)
    ---

    Fees for the 2023 Big Sky GeoCon will not change, and MAGIP members will continue to receive a member discount.

    Renewal Date Change
    In conjunction with the fee increase, the MAGIP Board has also reviewed our existing renewal process. The Board has determined that all memberships be renewed on a single date (rather than when a member initially initiated a membership). The transition to an annual renewal date will assist administration with member management, analysis, and help prepare for our annual elections process. The Board has worked diligently to determine how this change will affect existing memberships and recent renewals. We feel this timeline is appropriate, as it provides a renewal opportunity one month prior to our annual conference.  Renewals will begin on March 1, and we will continue to provide correspondence as the deadline nears. We will make every effort for a seamless transition.

    We understand these changes are significant but acknowledge their justification. Please email the
     board or contact any board member if you have any questions. We look forward to strengthening our community and relationships, and we appreciate your continued support! 

    MAGIP Board of Directors

    Mike Powell (President)
    Jeff Sprock (Vice President)
    Jeff Hedstrom (Past President)
    Aaron Vaughn
    Nate Wold
    Robert Ahl
    Michael Eidum
    Erich Schreier
    Eric Spangenberg
    Jason Danielson


  • 01/10/2023 6:38 PM | Meghan Burns (Administrator)

    The Montana Association of Geographic Information Professionals (MAGIP) invite you to participate in the 2023 Big Sky GeoCon, April 3-6. This year’s GeoCon will be held at the GranTree Best Western in Bozeman, Montana. This year’s theme for the conference is “Common Ground – Building Connections with GIS” and we are hoping you can help us complement our program by participating as a Sponsor/Exhibitor.

    MAGIP is a non-profit professional association that works to identify and support the strengths of its members, find solutions to individual and collective problems, and address the needs of the Montana GIS community as a whole. Our Association has over 200 active members from every level of GIS expertise, and from many different professional fields. Big Sky GeoCon serves as MAGIP’s and Montana’s key geospatial networking event!

    We anticipate a diverse group of geospatial technology users and professionals to be in attendance, representing: federal, state, tribal, local government, university/educational, nonprofit, and private business sectors. Big Sky GeoCon attendees embody a wide variety of professions including natural resources, agriculture, utilities, geospatial services, mining, and timber.

    The conference will cover a broader spectrum of content including analytics, data acquisition, data science, and how geospatial technology augments them all. It should prove to be a great event to showcase your Company’s technology or services to a diverse audience.

    Secure your sponsorship today for the largest and most well attended GIS event in Montana!

    View the Sponsor/Exhibitor Prospectus (pdf) and then secure your Sponsorship and Register Today!


  • 01/10/2023 6:33 PM | Meghan Burns (Administrator)

    The 2023 Big Sky GeoCon Planning Committee and the Montana Association of Geographic Professionals (MAGIP) is looking for presenters to share their ideas, work, research and expertise and invite you to participate in the presentation of papers, electronic demonstrations and/or panel discussions during the 2023 Big Sky GeoCon, April 3-6 at the Best Western Grantree Inn, Bozeman, Montana.

    This year's Big Sky GeoCon will be an interactive gathering attracting a wide variety of GIS users from federal, state, local, tribal and educational institutions as well as private organizations.

    With information geared to both new and seasoned users of geospatial technology, the conference is a great opportunity to share, connect, collaborate and be inspired. We encourage you to share your expertise, projects, stories or explorations in any GIS-related field. 

    Below are the proposed categories for presentation:

    • GIS in Health
    • Conservation/Natural Resources
    • Emergency Services
    • Government
    • AEC Engineering Design/Asset Management/Utilities
    • UAS/Remote Sensing
    • Tribal

    Deadline for submission is extended to February 10, 2023. You will receive notification of acceptance on or before February 17, 2023. Accepted presenters will be expected to register for at least one day of the conference unless only attending to present and then immediately signing off.

    Visit the Presentation Submission link to submit your presentation!

    If you plan to submit multiple track presentations, please create a separate submission for each.

    On behalf of your 2023 Big Sky GeoCon Planning Committee, we look forward to your participation!

    For more information visit: 2023 Big Sky GeoCon


  • 11/16/2022 9:47 PM | Jeff Hedstrom (Administrator)

    GIS DAY 2022

    Wednesday, November 16


    MAGIP WEB MAP CONTEST WINNERS!

    1ST PLACE - $100 PRIZE

    Bobbi Johnson, Billings PD

    “Billings PD Neighborhood Task Force Areas Info & Crime Hub”

    2nd PLACE - $50 PRIZE

    Kim Kresan and Jeff LeProwse, Water and Environmental Technologies (WET)

    “Anaconda Deer-Lodge Cemeteries”

    3rd PLACE - $25 PRIZE

    Jeff Sprock and Joel Griffin, City of Billings

    “Billings Capital Project Dashboard”

    2022 Map Gallery

    A big thank you to everyone who submitted maps to this year's contest, and thanks to everyone who participated by voting for their favorite!

  • 10/31/2022 8:00 AM | Meghan Burns (Administrator)

    GIS DAY 2022

    Wednesday, November 16



    Enter your web maps & apps:

    Contest Entry Form 

    Web Maps and Applications will be voted on by the GIS Community.

    Winners will be announced after voting closing on Wednesday, GIS DAY.


    Visit the MAGIP GIS Day page for more info


  • 07/20/2022 8:00 AM | Meghan Burns (Administrator)

    The MAGIP Board of Directors has appointed a new Conference Liaison.

    Please welcome Erich Schreier, a GIS Specialist with the City of Bozeman, to the MAGIP Board!

    Erich replaces Haley Jurecki, who resigned in June after taking on a new employment opportunity.

  • 05/18/2022 9:22 AM | Jeff Hedstrom (Administrator)
    Congratulations to the following MAGIP Members on winning the 2022 Board Member Election:

    Vice President - Jeff Sprock, City of Billings

    Member Development Chair - Mike Eidum, MDT

    Conference Liaison Haley Jurecki, Axim Geospatial 

    The proposed changes to MAGIP’s Bylaws in Article II, Sections 1 and 4, PASSED with 88% of the respondents voting 'For', 10.6% voting to 'Abstain' and 1.5% voting 'Against' the changes. View a summary of the election voting results in this document.

    Thank you to everyone who ran for the various positions and for your dedication to MAGIP.

    And a special thank you to the out-going Board members, Michael Krueger, Steve Jay and Phoebe Ferguson, for your time, dedication and commitment to making MAGIP a great organization to be a part of.

  • 04/26/2022 10:33 AM | Meghan Burns (Administrator)

    Open Board of Directors Positions

    Vice President - Elected to three (3) year term (Vice President, President, Past President)

    • Jeff Sprock, City of Billings
    Member Development Chair - Elected to two (2) year term
    • Mike Eidum, MDT
    • Garin Wally, City of Missoula  
    Conference Liaison – Elected to two (2) year term
    • Haley Jurecki, City of Helena   

    • Brendan Wiltshire, Stillwater County

    For Photos and Bios of each of the Candidates visit: 

    https://www.magip.org/2022Elections/

    In addition to filling these roles, the board is also proposing changes to MAGIP’s Bylaws in Article II, Sections 1 and 4.  Please review the specific changes, which are highlighted in this document.  At this juncture, we would ask for your review to get acquainted with the changes. 

    The elections for both the new board members and this proposed Bylaw revision will open May 2nd and will close May 16th.

    If you have any questions on the nominations or proposed Bylaw changes please reach out to the Election Committee: Michael KruegerJeff Hedstrom, or Meghan Burns for more information.


© Montana Association of Geographic Information Professionals

MAGIP is a 501(c)6 non-profit organization in Montana

Full Scope Association and Event Management

1236 North Ave. W, Missoula, MT  59801

magip.mt@gmail.com


Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software