Functioning and Policy

About GISMO

GISMO has been in existence since May 1990. GISMO meetings are held 8-10 times annually and serve professionals interested in GIS and computerized mapping in the context of the City of New York. GISMO is user-oriented and run on a completely volunteer basis by our members. GISMO has neither a formal budget nor a formal mandate from any other organization of branch of government. We are supported by the labor and services donated by our members and the organizations that employ them.

Membership

• Membership is free and open to those with interests above.
• Members may represent public sector, private sector, academic, or personal interests.
• Membership is conferred on those who attend on meeting, state their interests, and fill out a membership database form.
• All GISMO members are asked to contribute voluntarily to its functioning as a professional organization.
• Ex officio members have not met membership requirements, but receive GISMO newsletters. Typically these are agency MIS directors or leaders of organizations related to GISMO who can inform others of GISMO activites.

Leadership

• Coordination: Ken Reid and Dorothy Nash preside at meetings, ovrsees newsletter production and handle requests for information. Ken and Dorothy meet regularly with GISMO projet, committee and subgroup leaders to establish functioning and policy.
• Committees and projects: GISMO committees, projects and subgroups are detailed in this document. They are coordinated and steered by the listed volunteers.
• Tenure: The coordinators have voluntarily assumed their positions. GISMO has no elected offices.
• Policy: GISMO policies have evolved with the experience of the organization and its coordinators. The coordinators regularly discuss issues with each other and the membership at large. Annually, a revised version of GISMO Functioning and Policy is published inthe newsletter and a subsequent meeting is devoted to discussion of these items.

Networking Functions

GISMO encourages communication among members. Much of this activity takes place at meetings.

• Meetings allow time for casual interaction and introduction of new members.
• Membership contact lists and other documents are distributed.
• Other professional meetings are discussed.
• Vendors and users exhibit GIS software and applications.
• New users get guidance; experienced users share data and software tips.
• Special interest gorups meet separately.
• GISMO maintains a web page and a message board/community site on Yahoo! Groups.

Long Range Goals

GISMO has discussed a number of objectives for GIS in New York City. Some of these goals are actively addressed by active committees and projects. Others are lobbied for at the federal, state and local level. Some are being addressed by government.

• Developing common electronic base maps for GIS users in NYC.
• Facilitating the data distribution among city agencies and between the public and private sector.
• Coordinating local information systems for synergy, economy, and accuracy.
• Providing GIS resources to technologically isolated organizations.

Liaisons to Related Groups

• NYPC Statistics, Mapping and Demography SIG: Zvia and Len Naphtali (212) 877-1475
• DOT GIS Users: Fred Cohn (212) 442-7480
• MTA GIS Users: Jeffrey Erlitz (718) 694-4284
• DEP GIS Users: Al Leidner (718) 595-3996
• DCAS Users: Thomas Lunke (212) 669-8362
• Metropolitan Data Processing Council: Steve Terry (212) 442-8742
• Hunter College Geography: Sean Ahearn (212) 772-5327
• NYC GIS Steering Committee: Jack Eichenbaum (212) 669-4563
• NYC Council Task Force on Technology in Government: Councilman Andrew Eristoff, Jeffrey Laner (212) 818-0580
• NYS GIS Initiative: Chair-Bruce Oswald (518) 473-5622; NYC reps: Bruce Cahan (212) 399-9700, Jack Eichenbaum (212) 669-4563
• NJ State Mapping Commission: Karen Adams (201)262-7000
• LIGIS (Long Island): Joe Jones (516) 571-4096 (Nassua); Ron Green (516) 853-5512 (Suffolk)
• Westchester County GIS: Laura McGinty (914) 285-3888, Xiaobo Chu (914) 285-3781
• MYC Metro ESRI Users: Jules Loweff (212) 465-5413