Kentucky GIS Conference 2026: Full Schedule

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7:00am EDT

Breakfast in the Barn

Thursday October 1, 2026 7:00am - 8:00am EDT

Break

8:00am EDT

Welcome and Announcements

Thursday October 1, 2026 8:00am - 8:30am EDT

General Session

8:30am EDT

Break and Transition

Thursday October 1, 2026 8:30am - 8:45am EDT

Break

8:45am EDT

24/7-(M)365: GIS Support Modernized and Automated with Microsoft 365

Thursday October 1, 2026 8:45am - 9:15am EDT

The Bluegrass Ballroom - B

Providing quality GIS support 24/7/365 is a key goal for the KYTC GIS Team. With a growing customer base and limited resources, this is a challenge.

We approached this challenge by building a scalable, automated support framework using Microsoft 365 tools, including Teams, SharePoint Online, Power Automate, and Planner. We also modernized our SharePoint Online GIS support site to better connect our customer community with the resources they need.

This presentation will outline how we designed and implemented this continuous support system. We’ll share how Power Automate helps us triage application requests, and how it automates processes like Teams notifications, Planner task creation, and application access approval notifications. We will also discuss the importance of modernizing customer support resources.

Attendees will leave with a practical, replicable approach for automating GIS support and operational workflows - empowering stronger geospatial connections without writing a single line of code.

Speakers

Sherana Key

Partner Enablement Manager, GeoComm, Inc.

Sherana Key is a Partner Enablement Manager at GeoComm, where she supports partner engagement, enablement, and collaboration around public safety GIS, location data, and mapping solutions. She brings more than 12 years of GIS experience, beginning her career as a GIS Analyst for the... Read More →

Hayden Wilkes

GIS Help Desk Lead, GIS Integrations, KYTC OIT GIS

Hayden Wilkes is the KYTC GIS Help Desk lead and GIS Integrations support. He supports cabinet members and the general public, leads training sessions for new and experienced GIS users, and is leading an effort to transition the GIS Team's footprint to a cloud-based environment.

H

... Read More →

Thursday October 1, 2026 8:45am - 9:15am EDT
The Bluegrass Ballroom - B

Breakout Session

8:45am EDT

Introduction to ArcGIS Workflow Manager

Thursday October 1, 2026 8:45am - 9:15am EDT

The Bluegrass Ballroom - A

This session will provide an overview of ArcGIS Workflow Manager, an easy-to-use, scalable enterprise GIS workflow management system. It streamlines production processes by automating and simplifying the performance and management of location-enabled work. Attendees will then see a demonstration of a real‑world workflow to illustrate how tasks, assignments, and status tracking come together in practice.

Speakers

Shawn Barbie

Solution Engineer, Esri

Shawn is a solution engineer with Esri based out of the St. Louis Regional Office supporting state and local governments in Kentucky and other states throughout the Midwest. He has over seven year's experience working in state government spanning desktop GIS analysis, web mapping... Read More →

Thursday October 1, 2026 8:45am - 9:15am EDT
The Bluegrass Ballroom - A 1375 South Broadway, Lexington, KY, USA

Breakout Session

8:45am EDT

KyFromAbove Update

Thursday October 1, 2026 8:45am - 9:15am EDT

The Rockbridge Reserve

This presentation focuses on recent and upcoming acquisitions managed by Kentucky’s Aerial Photography & Elevation Data Program, commonly known as KyFromAbove. This ongoing effort acquires, maintains, and distributes high-resolution aerial photography and LiDAR-derived elevation products for the entire Commonwealth. Provision of an openly accessible, seamless basemap, including current color leaf-off aerial photography and LiDAR-derived elevation data, reduces the cost of developing GIS applications, promotes data sharing, and streamlines many state agency business processes. The program’s strict adherence to data standards, long-term stakeholder collaboration, use of economies of scale purchasing, and distribution of data resources in the public domain are the basis of its success. An overview of unique use cases, new ways to consume KyFromAbove oblique imagery, and Phase2 elevation derivatives will also be highlighted during the session.

Speakers

Kent Anness

Geospatial Information Officer, Kentucky Division of Geographic Information

As GIS Manager at the Bluegrass Area Development District from 1988-1998, Kent was responsible for the management of GIS specialists, technicians and interns. He served as the GIS Manager for the Water Resource Information System (WRIS) within the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority... Read More →

Thursday October 1, 2026 8:45am - 9:15am EDT
The Rockbridge Reserve 1375 South Broadway, Lexington, KY, USA

Breakout Session

8:45am EDT

Mapping the KY / TN "Blackbird War": Spatially Reconstructing Historic Avian Depredation (1974–1992)

Thursday October 1, 2026 8:45am - 9:15am EDT

The Barrel Room

Between 1974 and 1992, ~ 38 million “blackbirds” died, mostly in Kentucky and Tennessee from 83 applications of the surfactant PA-14 (“tergitol”). This project geographically locates these "bird kill events" (BKEs) using ArcGIS Pro, Alteryx, and other tools. By triangulating sparse archival records — e.g., local newspaper articles —with sometimes inaccurate federal and research reports, this project translates disparate historical data into spatial visualizations.
The analysis locates the regions, methods, and magnitudes of the kills, noting how local accounts justified them as public health and crop protection measures even as the use of Huey helicopters gave the operations a performative, militarized quality. The presentation will explore the use of GIS tools to verify omitted site details and analyze the "success" rates of these events. This session demonstrates the power of mapping to document human-wildlife conflict and the ecological consequences of mass eradication programs.

Speakers

Dan Stone

Emeritus Professor (University of Kentucky), KY master naturalist, BCTC student (environmental science technology), Kentucky master naturalists

Dan Stone is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Kentucky and a KY Master Naturalist specializing in environmental science technology. His research leverages ArcGIS Pro and Alteryx to perform spatial forensics on historic ecological data. His current project, "The Big Bird Kill... Read More →

Thursday October 1, 2026 8:45am - 9:15am EDT
The Barrel Room 1375 South Broadway, Lexington, KY, USA

Breakout Session

8:45am EDT

Small Team, Big River: GIS for Access, Risk, and Community Engagement on the Green River

Thursday October 1, 2026 8:45am - 9:15am EDT

The Carriage Room

The Green River supports exceptional freshwater biodiversity and recreation across more than 300 miles of Kentucky mainstem, yet systematic spatial tools for waterway stewardship and public access planning have been limited. This presentation describes how the Kentucky Waterways Alliance and University of Louisville Center for Geographic Information Sciences collabotrated using geospatial tools (GEE, ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Pro) to build an integrated suite of watershed-planning tools. We will walk through how we explored river access suitability from existing sites, modeled waste tire accumulation risk at the subwatershed scale, explored outputs with drone surveys, and designed community-facing reporting tools that turn public observations into actionable spatial data. The result is a practical workflow connecting geospatial processing, field verification, and public engagement, showing what a small GIS team can build using public data.

Speakers

Laura Krauser

Geospatial Research Associate, University of Louisville

Laura Egan Krauser is a geographer and Geospatial Research Associate at the University of Louisville's Center for Geographic Information Sciences. A Certified GIS Professional (GISP), she specializes in remote sensing, agriculture, and human-environment interactions, using geospatial... Read More →

Thursday October 1, 2026 8:45am - 9:15am EDT
The Carriage Room 1375 South Broadway, Lexington, KY, USA

Breakout Session

8:45am EDT

GIS Leadership, Governance & IT

Thursday October 1, 2026 8:45am - 9:15am EDT

The Stillroom

Speakers

David Shuey

Director of Information Systems and Analytics, OKI Regional Council of Governments

We will submit later

Thursday October 1, 2026 8:45am - 9:15am EDT
The Stillroom 1375 South Broadway, Lexington, KY, USA

Special Interest Group (SIG)

9:15am EDT

Break and Transition

Thursday October 1, 2026 9:15am - 9:25am EDT

Break

9:25am EDT

Becoming a GISP: The Importance of Professional Certification in the Geospatial Community

Thursday October 1, 2026 9:25am - 9:55am EDT

The Barrel Room

This session is designed to cover the various facets of a professional career, especially from a geospatial perspective. Included will be a discussion of certification and professional credentials in general, and the GISP and GISP-E certifications specifically, and how this area can help an individual succeed early and throughout one's career. GISPs who may have questions about renewing their certification are also encouraged to attend.

The GIS Certification Institute (GISCI) is a nonprofit 501(c)(6) organization established in 2002 to support and advance excellence in the geospatial profession. Through our internationally recognized certification programs—GISP® (Certified GIS Professional) and GISP-E® (Emerging GIS Professional)—we set and uphold high standards of competency, integrity, and service in the GIS field.

GISCI is committed to promoting ethical practices, fostering professional development, and building a strong, connected GIS community. We champion mentorship, collaboration, and lifelong learning to help professionals thrive in a rapidly evolving industry.

Speakers

Tony Spicci CGMP GISP

Executive Director, GIS Certification Institute

Tony Spicci is a seasoned geospatial professional with over 35 years of experience. He began his career in 1992 at the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), where he led teams in geospatial sciences, technology, biometrics, and social science. After retiring from MDC, he became... Read More →

Thursday October 1, 2026 9:25am - 9:55am EDT
The Barrel Room 1375 South Broadway, Lexington, KY, USA

Breakout Session

global Y

9:25am EDT

Branching Out: Building a Smarter Arboretum

Thursday October 1, 2026 9:25am - 9:55am EDT

The Carriage Room

This summer 2026 project aims to bring the Rowe Arboretum into a more modern, easy-to-use digital environment. We’ll start by turning existing paper records into a centralized system and building a complete inventory of the arboretum’s roughly 4,000 plants. With the help of an intern, each plant will be mapped using GPS, creating an accurate, interactive view of the landscape.
Along the way, we’ll add helpful plant details and introduce simple tools to track maintenance and day-to-day work. The goal is to make information easier to access and manage for staff, while also creating a public dashboard that allows visitors to explore and learn more about the arboretum. A separate internal dashboard will support operations by organizing work orders and improving overall efficiency.

Speakers

Ryan Hermann

GIS Analyst, Village of Indian Hill

Ryan Hermann is a GIS Analyst for the Village of Indian Hill, leveraging gis to increase efficiency in the field, educate the public, and maintain village assets and gis repositories.With 15 years in local government, Ryan has a deep understanding of the needs of the public, elected... Read More →

Thursday October 1, 2026 9:25am - 9:55am EDT
The Carriage Room 1375 South Broadway, Lexington, KY, USA

Breakout Session

global Y

9:25am EDT

Cloud-Native GIS with GeoParquet

Thursday October 1, 2026 9:25am - 9:55am EDT

The Bluegrass Ballroom - A

GeoParquet is an emerging, cloud-native geospatial format built on Apache Parquet that enables scalable, high-performance access to spatial data. This presentation introduces what GeoParquet is and why its columnar design supports efficient workflows through column pruning, partial reads, and spatially partitioned data access. Using transportation datasets as examples, the talk demonstrates how GeoParquet was tested and consumed using Python, integrated into APIs and analytical scripts, and shared directly from cloud storage. The session highlights GeoParquet support in Esri and QGIS and provides guidance on where the format is most effective, where it is a poor fit, and how it can be incorporated alongside existing GIS workflows.

Moderators

Andrew McKinney

Data Officer - Senior IT Manager, Louisville Metro Government - Metro Technology Services

Andrew McKinney is the Data Officer and Senior IT Manager for Metro Technology Services at Louisville Metro Government. HE manages the city’s efforts on Data Governance and their Open Data Portal. He also leads the Enterprise Data Engineering and Analytics team which focuses on data, analytics, and GIS... Read More →

Speakers

Jeremy Gould

Spatial Data Engineer, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet

Jeremy Gould is a contractor with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, where he has played a key role in various CAD, GIS, and IT initiatives. Over the past 10 years, Jeremy has been instrumental in implementing KYTC's Real-Time/Big Data Intelligent Transportation Systems, utilizing platforms... Read More →

Thursday October 1, 2026 9:25am - 9:55am EDT
The Bluegrass Ballroom - A 1375 South Broadway, Lexington, KY, USA

Breakout Session

9:25am EDT

Exploration of Generalized Raster Data Applications

Thursday October 1, 2026 9:25am - 9:55am EDT

The Rockbridge Reserve

Raster datasets are best known for their ability to provide insight for qualitative analysis by displaying continuous data. While raster data is sometimes used in a quantitative capacity with histogram analysis and classification, raster generalization is a less explored methodology for deriving quantitative metrics from raster datasets. Raster generalization in this context refers to the act of averaging the value of cells in a raster dataset within a user-defined geography to derive a single numerical value. This session will cover the use of this methodology in my research project "Analyzing Remote Sensing Vegetation Indexes to Optimize Corn and Soybean Yield", Python scripting to achieve raster generalization, and other possible applications for this methodology.

Speakers

Hayden Hancock

Transportation Planner and GIS Specialist, Lake Cumberland Area Development District

Hayden Hancock is a Transportation Planner and GIS Specialist at the Lake Cumberland Area Development District in Russell Springs, KY. He graduated from the University of Kentucky in May 2025 with a Bachelors in Geography with a GIS and Mapping focus.

Thursday October 1, 2026 9:25am - 9:55am EDT
The Rockbridge Reserve 1375 South Broadway, Lexington, KY, USA

Breakout Session

global Y

9:25am EDT

Tailored solutions: GIS Request Management for the Maryland Port Administration

Thursday October 1, 2026 9:25am - 9:55am EDT

The Bluegrass Ballroom - B

Are GIS requests coming in from multiple departments, making it difficult to prioritize work and track progress? If you are a one-person GIS team or manage a large GIS team and want clearer visibility into workload, status, and the value GIS delivers across your organization, this session is for you.
Join us for a practical overview of Esri’s out-of-the-box GIS Request Management solution. We will walk through the solution’s core components—Survey123, ArcGIS Dashboards (including a fabulous Arcade trick), and ArcGIS Experience Builder—and show how JMT tailored and deployed it to the Maryland Port Administration’s ArcGIS Enterprise environment. You’ll see how the MPA GIS team uses the solution to manage requests from 13 departments and improve transparency and reporting. The Maryland Port Administration manages the Port of Baltimore, which ranks among the top 20 U.S. ports by tonnage and container volume (Bureau of Transportation Statistics, March 2024).

Speakers

Nour Salam

Senior GIS Analyst, JMT Technology Group

Certified senior GIS analyst with 7 years of experience in creating geospatial and database solutions for federal, state, local, and tribal government. I have supported diverse GIS tasks and have direct project experience in the transportation, environmental, and utility industri... Read More →

Thursday October 1, 2026 9:25am - 9:55am EDT
The Bluegrass Ballroom - B

Breakout Session

9:25am EDT

Utilities SIG

Thursday October 1, 2026 9:25am - 9:55am EDT

The Stillroom

Speakers

Kenny Ratliff

GIS Manager, Oldham County Water District

In July 2016, Kenny joined the Oldham County Water District as the GIS Manager. Bringing with him almost 20 years of experience working with Geographic Information Systems. He graduated from Morehead State University with a degree in Geography and Geology. His background with... Read More →

Thursday October 1, 2026 9:25am - 9:55am EDT
The Stillroom 1375 South Broadway, Lexington, KY, USA

Special Interest Group (SIG)

9:55am EDT

Break and Transition

Thursday October 1, 2026 9:55am - 10:05am EDT

Break

10:05am EDT

Introduction to ArcGIS Velocity

Thursday October 1, 2026 10:05am - 11:05am EDT

The Bluegrass Ballroom - A

This session will provide an overview of ArcGIS Velocity, Esri’s cloud-native real-time and big data analysis capability. It lets organizations ingest, visualize, and analyze data from real-time feeds, such as sensors, assets, and other dynamic data sources. They can also store accumulated data as big data and run fast queries and analytics on the data. Attendees will then see demonstrations of practical solutions that showcase Velocity’s ability to turn real-time data into actionable insights.

Speakers

Shawn Barbie

Solution Engineer, Esri

Thursday October 1, 2026 10:05am - 11:05am EDT
The Bluegrass Ballroom - A 1375 South Broadway, Lexington, KY, USA

1-hour Breakout Session

10:05am EDT

KAMP GeoAI Panel

Thursday October 1, 2026 10:05am - 11:05am EDT

The Bluegrass Ballroom - B

Artificial intelligence is transforming geospatial work on two fronts. Purpose-built GeoAI tools are advancing feature extraction, spatial prediction, and remote sensing analysis, while general-purpose AI — large language models, code assistants, and automation platforms — are quietly reshaping how professionals write scripts, manage data, and communicate results. This panel examines both dimensions, exploring where domain-specific and general AI tools complement each other, the risks of applying generalized models to spatially sensitive decisions, and practical strategies for integration. Panelists will share real-world experiences and offer guidance for organizations navigating this rapidly shifting landscape.

Speakers

Cole Waymeyer

Geospatial Solutions Analyst, LINK-GIS/PDS

Cole is an emerging GIS professional (GISP-E) and Geospatial Solutions Analyst based in Northern Kentucky. In his current role, he leverages GIS technology to support public sector decision-making and strengthen community engagement. He collaborates regularly with leaders across public... Read More →

Thursday October 1, 2026 10:05am - 11:05am EDT
The Bluegrass Ballroom - B

1-hour Breakout Session

10:05am EDT

Louisville's Urban Forest: Quilting the Canopy with GIS

Thursday October 1, 2026 10:05am - 11:05am EDT

The Barrel Room

Louisville’s tree canopy is a quilt of data, complied by numerous organizations and municipalities, stitched together through GIS and thoughtful analysis. Across a fragmented urban forestry landscape, organizations often compete for limited space, funding, and capacity, even while working toward common canopy goals. This presentation shows how GIS integrates diverse datasets, including canopy trends, Tree Equity Scores, field data collection, and climate trend analysis, to guide planting and maintenance strategies and support collaboration across sectors. In Louisville, this geospatial approach has helped inform citywide planting efforts, contributed to more than 15,000 trees planted by one organization over the past decade, and supported the award of a $12 million U.S. Forest Service grant for street tree maintenance and planting. GIS helps transform scattered efforts into a connected urban forest strategy.

Speakers

Mary Chambless

GIS Analyst, Louisville Parks and Recreation: Division of Urban Forestry

Mary Chambless, MGIS, is a GIS Analyst with over six years of professional experience in geospatial analysis, cartographic design, and spatial data management. With a strong background in zoological studies, environmental science, and mapping industries, she brings a unique interdisciplinary... Read More →

Trevor Harry

GIS Analyst, Louisville Parks and Recreation: Division of Urban Forestry

Trevor Harry, MS, is a GIS Analyst with Louisville Parks & Recreation Division of Urban Forestry. Trevor serves in a unique role as a GIS Analyst for the Louisville Equitable Forestry Initiative, where he utilizes GIS to maintain tree inventories, planting locales, maintenance records... Read More →

Thursday October 1, 2026 10:05am - 11:05am EDT
The Barrel Room 1375 South Broadway, Lexington, KY, USA

1-hour Breakout Session

10:05am EDT

Putting the Experience in Experience Builder: Enhancing GIS Through Custom Widget Development

Thursday October 1, 2026 10:05am - 11:05am EDT

The Rockbridge Reserve

As organizations continue transitioning to Esri’s Experience Builder platform, many organizations are finding that standard tools alone do not always support the unique workflows required by staff, clients, and citizens. Custom widget development creates opportunities to build more intuitive, efficient, and user-focused GIS applications that improve both internal operations and public engagement.

In this session, representatives from Engineering Mapping Solutions (EMSOL) and the Kenton County Planning and Development Services will demonstrate how custom Experience Builder development can transform GIS applications through streamlined workflows, consolidated functionality, and configurable user experiences. The presentation will showcase EMSOL’s xUI widget framework and how it has been implemented to enhance usability, simplify navigation, and improve access to GIS data and tools.

Phil Ponce, PE, Vice President of EMSOL, will discuss the development philosophy behind custom GIS solutions and how configurable widgets can address operational challenges across both public and private sectors. Joe Busemeyer, GIS Application Development Coordinator for Kenton County Planning and Development Services, will provide a real-world client perspective by sharing how Kenton County has utilized the xUI widget framework to improve platform functionality, user experience, and accessibility for staff and the public.

Attendees will gain insight into how custom widget development can help organizations maximize their GIS investment while creating more engaging, efficient, and adaptable web applications.

Speakers

Joe Busemeyer

GIS Applications Development Coordinator, Planning and Development Services of Kenton County

Joseph Busemeyer, GISP, is the GIS Applications Development Coordinator at Planning and Development Services of Kenton County. A University of Cincinnati alumnus, he holds both a Bachelor of Arts in Physical Geography and a Master of Arts in Geography with a concentration in GIS... Read More →

Phil Ponce, P.E.

Vice President, Engineering Mapping Solutions

Phil Ponce, PE, is the Vice President of Engineering Mapping Solutions (EMSOL), where he brings more than 30 years of experience in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), engineering support, and municipal infrastructure solutions. Throughout his career, Phil has worked closely with... Read More →

Thursday October 1, 2026 10:05am - 11:05am EDT
The Rockbridge Reserve 1375 South Broadway, Lexington, KY, USA

1-hour Breakout Session

global Y

10:05am EDT

Safe Routes to Common Spaces: Network Analysis

Thursday October 1, 2026 10:05am - 11:05am EDT

The Carriage Room

This project engages students and multiple organizations to digitize sidewalks and pathways in Cincinnati neighborhoods, starting with Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) areas. Using network-based walkshed analysis, we identify the safest routes for students to walk to school, highlighting gaps in pedestrian infrastructure. After the CPS phase, the project will expand regionally, providing data-driven insights to support safer, more accessible walking routes across the Cincinnati area.

Speakers

David Shuey

Director of Information Systems and Analytics, OKI Regional Council of Governments

We will submit later

Rachel Stuckey

GIS Analyst, OKI Regional Council of Governments

We will submit later

Thursday October 1, 2026 10:05am - 11:05am EDT
The Carriage Room 1375 South Broadway, Lexington, KY, USA

1-hour Breakout Session

10:05am EDT

Kentucky State University Poster Session / Education & Student SIG

Thursday October 1, 2026 10:05am - 11:05am EDT

The Stillroom

Speakers

Laura Krauser

Geospatial Research Associate, University of Louisville

Thursday October 1, 2026 10:05am - 11:05am EDT
The Stillroom 1375 South Broadway, Lexington, KY, USA

Special Interest Group (SIG)

11:05am EDT

Break and Networking

Thursday October 1, 2026 11:05am - 11:35am EDT

Break

11:35am EDT

Don’t Let Your Next GIS Upgrade or Migration Become a Horror Story

Thursday October 1, 2026 11:35am - 12:05pm EDT

The Barrel Room

Planning for ArcGIS upgrades or migrations doesn’t have to be scary. From compatibility issues and database changes to minimizing downtime and avoiding common pitfalls, this session will walk through practical strategies for planning a smooth migration. Drawing on lessons learned from recent projects, attendees will leave with a checklist of key considerations and proven approaches to help their next upgrade succeed.

Speakers

Savannah Heckman

Business Development Manager (GIS), Avineon

Savannah Heckman is a Business Development Manager at Avineon, with 5 years of experience in the GIS industry. She earned a B.S. in Environmental Science and a GIS Certificate from Western Kentucky University. In her role, she partners with state and local government agencies and... Read More →

Thursday October 1, 2026 11:35am - 12:05pm EDT
The Barrel Room 1375 South Broadway, Lexington, KY, USA

Breakout Session

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11:35am EDT

Geoprocessing on Demand: Using KyFromAbove in the Field

Thursday October 1, 2026 11:35am - 12:05pm EDT

The Rockbridge Reserve

KyFromAbove hosts statewide aerial imagery and elevation data. Many users consume KyFromAbove as a basemap, but the data can do far more when wrapped behind a geoprocessing service.

This presentation looks at how the Division of Geographic Information is exposing this content through RESTful geoprocessing services, both on-premises and in the cloud, accessible via a URL from any device or application. With a simple request, a field user can pull the closest oblique images for their location, identify the highest and lowest points, or measure land cover change over time.

We will walk through a few examples of the backend architecture, demo a few tools and URLs, and share our plans for the future of geoprocessing on demand.

Speakers

Boyd Shearer

Assistant Director, Kentucky Division of Geographic Information

Mapping and analyzing the hills and hollers of Kentucky

Thursday October 1, 2026 11:35am - 12:05pm EDT
The Rockbridge Reserve 1375 South Broadway, Lexington, KY, USA

Breakout Session

global Y

11:35am EDT

How GIS is the foundation for 9-1-1 Emergency Response

Thursday October 1, 2026 11:35am - 12:05pm EDT

The Carriage Room

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are the backbone of accurate location information in 9-1-1, and they are essential at the call-taking level because every decision starts with “where.” 9-1-1 Telecommunicators rely on mapping screens all day, every day to validate caller locations, visualize wireless Phase II/NG9-1-1 location data, and confirm the correct address or landmark when callers are confused, panicked, or unable to speak. These maps help call takers quickly see jurisdictional boundaries, hydrants, access points, and routing information so they can send the right units to the right place with minimal delay, which directly impacts response times and outcomes. As Next Generation 9-1-1 continues to evolve, high‑quality GIS data and reliable mapping are not optional extras; they are mission‑critical tools that support life‑safety and reduce the chance of misrouted calls or responders going to the wrong location.

Speakers

Paul Nave

9-1-1 Director, Owensboro-Daviess County 9-1-1

Paul Nave is the Owensboro-Daviess County 9-1-1 Director for the City of Owensboro. He has successfully passed the National Emergency Number Association; Emergency Number Professional Exam. In 2017, he received his 9-1-1 Center Managers Certification. He has received his bachelor’s... Read More →

Thursday October 1, 2026 11:35am - 12:05pm EDT
The Carriage Room 1375 South Broadway, Lexington, KY, USA

Breakout Session

global Y

11:35am EDT

Smarter Construction Prints: Practical Wins with the ArcGIS for AutoCAD Plugin

Thursday October 1, 2026 11:35am - 12:05pm EDT

The Bluegrass Ballroom - A

Discover how the ArcGIS for AutoCAD plugin can transform your construction workflows by bridging GIS and CAD. This session will demonstrate practical techniques to integrate spatial data directly into AutoCAD, improving accuracy, reducing rework, and maximizing the potential of your construction prints. Whether you’re a CAD technician, GIS specialist, or project manager, you’ll learn actionable tips to streamline design processes and deliver smarter, more reliable plans.

Speakers

Charles Altendorf

Specialist, GIS (Kentucky), American Water (OneGIS)

Charles Altendorf is passionate about connecting GIS and CAD to create smarter workflows for construction and infrastructure projects. With over a decade of hands-on experience across regional, government, oil, fiber, and water sectors—and a Master’s in Digital Mapping from the... Read More →

Thursday October 1, 2026 11:35am - 12:05pm EDT
The Bluegrass Ballroom - A 1375 South Broadway, Lexington, KY, USA

Breakout Session

11:35am EDT

Understanding and Utilizing User ArcGIS User Types

Thursday October 1, 2026 11:35am - 12:05pm EDT

The Bluegrass Ballroom - B

Esri users have the opportunity to re-imagine how organizational users interact with their authoritative data utilizing ArcGIS user types. This session will review the ArcGIS user types and their capabilities to provide a model for creating functional systems which support geo-spatial capabilities and data access to users across their organizations. This session will review resources which can assist an organization in determining approaches that will support existing processes and enable new capabilities.

Speakers

John Borisenko

Account Manager, Esri

John is a member of Esri’s State and Local Government team located in Esri’s St Louis regional office. He has worked with clients across the Midwest for more than 25 years supporting GIS enablement applied to a variety of business in customer organizations. In his spare time... Read More →

Thursday October 1, 2026 11:35am - 12:05pm EDT
The Bluegrass Ballroom - B

Breakout Session

11:35am EDT

Natural Resources & Urban Forestry SIG

Thursday October 1, 2026 11:35am - 12:05pm EDT

The Stillroom

Speakers

Mary Chambless

GIS Analyst, Louisville Parks and Recreation: Division of Urban Forestry

Thursday October 1, 2026 11:35am - 12:05pm EDT
The Stillroom 1375 South Broadway, Lexington, KY, USA

Special Interest Group (SIG)

12:05pm EDT

Break and Transition

Thursday October 1, 2026 12:05pm - 12:15pm EDT

Break

12:15pm EDT

GNIS Meets KentukyFromAbove Lidar

Thursday October 1, 2026 12:15pm - 12:45pm EDT

The Rockbridge Reserve

The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is the official and authoritative repository for U.S. place names and their geolocations, commonly used in topographic maps. Two feature classes are assigned to landforms which rise prominently above the surrounding landscape: pillars and summits (https://www.usgs.gov/us-board-on-geographic-names/gnis-domestic-names-feature-classes). By using the KentuckyFromAbove lidar data holdings, this presentation will examine evidence in support for the need to reassign geolocation and possibly re-classify some of these Kentucky features.

Speakers

Demetrio Zourarakis

GIS Specialist, Kentucky Association of Mapping Professionals

Demetrio has three decades of GIS experience, which include working for different agencies in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. He has been a GISP since 2007, and re-certified multiple times. He is a Certified Mapping Scientist (GIS/LIS, Lidar, and Remote Sensing), re-certified multiple... Read More →

Thursday October 1, 2026 12:15pm - 12:45pm EDT
The Rockbridge Reserve 1375 South Broadway, Lexington, KY, USA

Breakout Session

12:15pm EDT

Kentucky Geological Survey Story Maps and the Kentucky Arch Trail

Thursday October 1, 2026 12:15pm - 12:45pm EDT

The Bluegrass Ballroom - B

The Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS) has developed interactive story maps covering geologic tours of natural areas, KGS collections, projects, and annual reports, and geologic features across the state. This presentation showcases these digital products and provides a deep dive into KGS’s Kentucky Arch Trail story map.
Kentucky has more natural arches than any other state in the Eastern United States (>3,000). The Kentucky Arch Trail highlights 40 accessible natural arches across the state and includes arches in popular destinations like Carter Caves State Resort Park, the Red River Gorge Geological Area, and the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. The associated story map provides geologic context on arch formation and serves as a digital trail guide.
Attendees will learn best practices for creating accessible, engaging geoscience web applications serving public education and scientific research.

Speakers

Doug Curl

Director of Information Management, Kentucky Geological Survey

Doug Curl is the director of the Information Management Division at the Kentucky Geological Survey, University of Kentucky, where he has served for over 25 years leading IT operations, web development, and building systems for delivering geologic data to researchers and the public... Read More →

Steve Martin

Geologist III, Kentucky Geological Survey

Steve Martin has been with the Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS) since 1998. Prior to KGS, Steve was at the Arkansas Geological Survey from 1997 to 1998. Steve has MS and BS degrees in geological science from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and a BS degree in business administration... Read More →

Thursday October 1, 2026 12:15pm - 12:45pm EDT
The Bluegrass Ballroom - B

Breakout Session

12:15pm EDT

Permits to Pixels: Building a Multi-Jurisdictional ArcGIS Hub Site for Development Transparency

Thursday October 1, 2026 12:15pm - 12:45pm EDT

The Carriage Room

As communities grow and evolve, residents, planners, and elected officials deserve transparent, real-time access to the development activity shaping their neighborhoods. This presentation introduces the Development Hub — an ArcGIS Hub Site designed to streamline access to development data across Kenton County

At the heart of the Development Hub is the Kenton County Development Tracker, an ArcGIS Experience Builder App that enables users to search, filter, and explore active development projects. Complementing the map is a suite of highlight dashboards that break down residential and non-residential activity into clear, actionable insights — alongside key performance indicators that help illustrate the development narrative through departmental metrics regarding service and volume.

This presentation will walk through the vision, decisions, and technical components behind the Hub, illustrating how a well-structured open data platform can bridge the gap between government and the communities it serves. Attendees will come away with a deeper understanding of how ArcGIS Hub can be leveraged to transform raw permitting and development data into a compelling, accessible public resource that builds trust and drives informed decision-making.

Speakers

Cole Waymeyer

Geospatial Solutions Analyst, LINK-GIS/PDS

Thursday October 1, 2026 12:15pm - 12:45pm EDT
The Carriage Room 1375 South Broadway, Lexington, KY, USA

Breakout Session

12:15pm EDT

Prediction of Soil Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity using CoGTF Framework for Kentucky

Thursday October 1, 2026 12:15pm - 12:45pm EDT

The Barrel Room

Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) is a critical soil hydraulic parameter governing water flow and solute transport, yet its direct measurement is time consuming and spatially sparse. This study develops and evaluates a geotransfer function using a Random Forest (RF) model trained on a global compilation of Ksat measurements to predict Ksat across Kentucky, with external validation against field- sample soils from three land cover types; agriculture, grassland, and deciduous forest. The RF model was trained on 19 environmental covariates derived from remote sensing and global soil maps (SoilGrids, MERIT DEM, WorldClim, MODIS, PROBA-V, JRC Global Surface Water). Then the Ksat value was log transformed so that a standardized comparison can be made. Internal validation was performed on a 20% test set with Ksat of all depths and through spatial block cross validation (blockCV). The model was then applied to Ksat at 19 field across Kentucky, where laboratory measured Ksat from the different depths of horizons are available for independent validation. The internal validation showed that global model performed well on internal test set (R² = 0.816, RMSE = 0.409 log₁₀ units). Variable importance indicated that sand content (15.5% IncMSE), mean annual temperature (14.8%), clay (13.8%) and temperature seasonality (13.2%) were the dominant predictors. However, external validation for Kentucky sites will help to confirm the strong systemic performance of the model. Further depth‑stratified modelling from multiple depths within the profile will be conducted to capture depth‑related variability.

Speakers

Monika Bhusal

Graduate Student, Murray State University

Monika Bhusal is a current graduate student in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences with a concentration in Geoinformatics at Murray State University. She received her Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from Tribhuvan University, Nepal. After her undergraduate studies... Read More →

Thursday October 1, 2026 12:15pm - 12:45pm EDT
The Barrel Room 1375 South Broadway, Lexington, KY, USA

Breakout Session

12:15pm EDT

Ways to maximize Your ArcGIS Enterprise: Performance Tuning & Load Balancing

Thursday October 1, 2026 12:15pm - 12:45pm EDT

The Bluegrass Ballroom - A

As organizational reliance on spatial data grows, maintaining a fast, resilient, and responsive ArcGIS Enterprise environment becomes vital. This session discusses practical strategies and advanced techniques designed to optimize performance. We will explore configuration tuning, identifying performance bottlenecks, and key system optimizations—to eliminate bottlenecks and reclaim computing resources to handle high user demand smoothly.

Speakers

Lee Baxter

Client Success Manager, ROK Technologies

Lee Baxter is a Client Success Manager with over 8 years of experience specializing in Orthophotography, Production, and Project Management. At ROK Technologies he has focused on assisting clients with workflows, problem-solving, and troubleshooting issues with Cloud based ArcGIS... Read More →

Thursday October 1, 2026 12:15pm - 12:45pm EDT
The Bluegrass Ballroom - A 1375 South Broadway, Lexington, KY, USA

Breakout Session

12:15pm EDT

Streets & Stormwater SIG

Thursday October 1, 2026 12:15pm - 12:45pm EDT

The Stillroom

Speakers

Scott Stepro

Thursday October 1, 2026 12:15pm - 12:45pm EDT
The Stillroom 1375 South Broadway, Lexington, KY, USA

Special Interest Group (SIG)

12:45pm EDT

Transition to Lunch

Thursday October 1, 2026 12:45pm - 1:00pm EDT

Break

1:00pm EDT

Lunch in the Barn

Thursday October 1, 2026 1:00pm - 2:30pm EDT

The Barn

Thursday October 1, 2026 1:00pm - 2:30pm EDT
The Barn

General Session

Kentucky GIS Conference 2026

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