Kentucky GIS Conference 2026: Full Schedule

1:30pm EDT

Wednesday September 30, 2026 1:30pm - 2:00pm EDT

The GIS Certification Institute (GISCI) awards the GISP, the leading professional certification for GIS practitioners in the United States. Achieving the credential requires passing a rigorous exam, documenting at least four years of relevant experience, and signing a code of ethics.

To support emerging professionals, GISCI—together with the American Association of Geographers (AAG) and the University Consortium for Geographic Information Science (UCGIS)—has developed the PreGISP exam. This standardized assessment provides GIS students with an early credentialing opportunity that bridges academic study and professional certification, leading to the new GISP-E (Emerging GIS Professional) credential.

For academic institutions, the PreGISP serves as a nationally recognized external assessment tool. For students, it offers early professional recognition and a clear pathway toward full GISP certification.

This session will present the PreGISP exam blueprint, based on an industry-aligned body of knowledge, and discuss how the exam integrates into diverse academic programs. The PreGISP program / GISP-E certification officially launched in Spring 2025.

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 →

Wednesday September 30, 2026 1:30pm - 2:00pm EDT
The Barrel Room 1375 South Broadway, Lexington, KY, USA

Breakout Session

2:10pm EDT

A GIS Approach to RUSLE2 Sediment Erosion Modeling

Wednesday September 30, 2026 2:10pm - 2:40pm EDT

The Barrel Room

The RUSLE2 (Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation 2) is a modeling framework developed by the USDA to estimate soil erosion due to rainfall. It considers soil erodibility, slope, slope length, land cover, average rainfall, and erosion best management practices to calculate soil loss.

This presentation covers how Environmental Solutions and Innovations adapted the RUSLE2 model to be utilized spatially inside ArcGIS Pro to model the impacts of a proposed natural gas pipeline. These results were used to support environmental permitting, evaluate best management practices, and estimate potential turbidity impacts to nearby streams during construction. Attendees will learn how a traditional erosion model can be implemented inside GIS and watershed analysis, sediment modeling, LiDAR analysis, trace networks, and Python scripting will be covered.

Speakers

Adam Nolte, PG

GIS Analyst, Environmental Solutions and Innovations

Adam Nolte is a GIS Analyst at Environmental Solutions and Innovations (ESI) with nine years of experience helping clients with their GIS needs regarding permitting and regulatory compliance. Specializing in water resources, he commonly creates watershed models, analyzes LiDAR data... Read More →

Wednesday September 30, 2026 2:10pm - 2:40pm EDT
The Barrel Room 1375 South Broadway, Lexington, KY, USA

Breakout Session

global Y

2:50pm EDT

Maintenance and Enrichment of the Kentucky Geological Survey Landslide Inventory

Wednesday September 30, 2026 2:50pm - 3:20pm EDT

The Barrel Room

Geologic hazard databases can be powerful tools for data analysis and research, providing insight into high-hazard areas, infrastructure impact, risk reduction, and weather context associated with landslides. The strength of this research depends on data quality and consistency. To meet these needs, the Kentucky Geological Survey Landslide Inventory has recently undergone significant additions and updates, including utilization of outside data sources such as public reports and social media. The inventory now contains multiple GIS layers, including mapped landslide extents (polygons), additional points, and landslides associated with specific storms. We have standardized attributes across the datasets to facilitate and improve the inventory’s usability. Public access to the inventory supports the work of multiple stakeholders, such as emergency managers, planners, and researchers. Maintenance and growth of this inventory are crucial to support landslide research within Kentucky.

Speakers

Evelyn Bibbins

Geologist I, Kentucky Geological Survey

Evelyn is a Geologist I at the Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS), working on the Landslide and Engineering Geology Team. Her research centers around landslides within Kentucky, and on improvement and maintenance of the KGS Landslide Inventory. She has experience in GIS, landslide documentation... Read More →

Wednesday September 30, 2026 2:50pm - 3:20pm EDT
The Barrel Room 1375 South Broadway, Lexington, KY, USA

Breakout Session

4:00pm EDT

The "Definitive" Map of Ancient Mayapan

Wednesday September 30, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT

The Barrel Room

I present a new map of the ancient Mayan city of Mayapan and describe the process used from fieldwork in the forests of Mexico to the creation of a digital online map for scientific research. Mayapan is a preindustrial Mayan city founded in approximately AD 1220 and destroyed and abandoned around AD 1440. It was made famous, at least among archaeologists, in the 1950s with the publication of an amazing map of the entire walled portion of the city, drawn with tape and a compass.
In 2000, I began a long sequence of projects that gradually remapped the walled portion of the city and an additional 20 sq. km outside the defensive wall. The results include refining the accuracy of previously mapped features, locating thousands of new ruins, identifying a complex network of property walls and pathways cross-crossing the city, and hundreds of additional landscape features used by ancient people.
The work is not over, but the results are now available as an online database for scholars to study and explore an ancient Mayan urban society, better understand Postclassic Mayan people, and support and encourage a new generation of researchers to make new discoveries.

Speakers

Timothy Hare

Professor of Anthropology, Morehead State University

Timothy Hare has conducted archaeological and historical research in the northern Mayan lowlands of the Yucatan of Mexico for over 25 years. He specializes in mapping and analysis using geospatial technologies, including GIS, airborne and terrestrial laser scanning, photogrammetric... Read More →

Wednesday September 30, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
The Barrel Room 1375 South Broadway, Lexington, KY, USA

1-hour 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

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

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

Breakout Session

global Y

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

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

about <br>

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

Kentucky GIS Conference 2026

Success you have shared X tickets.

Kentucky GIS Conference 2026

1:30pm EDT

Tony Spicci CGMP GISP

2:10pm EDT

Adam Nolte, PG

2:50pm EDT

Evelyn Bibbins

4:00pm EDT

Timothy Hare

8:45am EDT

Dan Stone

9:25am EDT

Tony Spicci CGMP GISP

10:05am EDT

Mary Chambless

Trevor Harry

11:35am EDT

Savannah Heckman

12:15pm EDT

Monika Bhusal

Get help with the event