2020 GIS Champion

The GIS Champion award is given to the person that has enthusiastic support of spreading the use of GIS throughout the state. 

Kristen took a non-traditional path to find her home in GIS. Growing up in rural Mississippi she was not exposed to GIS until her first year of college in a Land Surveying class.  After working for a local surveyor she returned to the University of North Alabama, majoring in Environmental Biology. This is where she came across the Geography / GIS Department and decided GIS would be in her future.

Shortly after graduation in 2006, she relocated to Chattanooga to work with Hamilton County GIS. She worked in the department 13 years. During her early GIS career, she was involved in data procurement, utility asset management, and map creation. In 2014, Kristen became the GIS Manager of Hamilton County. The department oversaw a Regional Addressing Study, several county-wide data acquisitions, helped other Hamilton County offices learn to use GIS in everyday tasks, and made a strong effort to promote GIS in local schools.  In 2019, Kristen had the opportunity to move to Catoosa Utility District Authority in neighboring Georgia to help start a GIS program.  She is enjoying the chance to design and build something new.

Kristen has been a TNGIC member since 2007. She was the Annual TNGIC Conference Chair in 2016 and 2019.  She led the conference planning for the 2009, 2013, and 2017 Eastern Regional TNGIC forums.

Kristen has a way of taking very difficult assignments and making them look easy.  She is incredibly talented in sound decision making.  Her co-workers and fellow TNGIC Board Members will tell you she is very consistent and valued as a team member and leader.

In addition to all of her “Day Job” responsibilities, Kristen is a mother of a young daughter, and a small business owner.  It is impressive to see Kristen work at such a high level and manage her massive responsibilities.  One of her most memorable statements at a TNGIC BOD meeting was, “By the way – since our last meeting I now have a new Baby Girl”.  This is just another example of how she takes things in stride and never seems to miss a beat.

Congratulations Kristen! Thanks for all you do to support and promote TNGIC and GIS!

David Light 
TNGIC President 2019-2020