April 17, 2020
The Department of the Interior has appointed 13 individuals to serve as members of the National Geospatial Advisory Committee (NGAC). The NGAC provides advice and recommendations on national geospatial policy and management issues, the development of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI), and the implementation of the Geospatial Data Act of 2018. The NSDI promotes geospatial data sharing across all levels of government, the private and non-profit sectors, and the academic community.
Interior has also appointed a new NGAC Chair, Mark Reichardt, who is former President and Chief Executive Officer for the Open Geospatial Consortium and currently serves with the board of directors. Interior also appointed a new NGAC Vice-Chair, Dr. Sarah Battersby, who is Lead Research Staff at Tableau Research. Mr. Reichardt and Dr. Battersby are current members of the NGAC.
The NGAC includes up to 30 members, selected to achieve a balanced representation of the varied interests associated with geospatial programs and technology. NGAC members serve staggered three-year terms on the committee. The new appointees to the NGAC are:
- Douglas Adams, Baltimore County, MD
- Chad Baker, California Department of Transportation
- Gar Clarke, State of New Mexico (reappointed to a second term)
- Garet Couch, National Tribal Geographic Information Support Center (reappointed to a second term)
- Jack Dangermond, ESRI
- William Haneberg, Kentucky Geological Survey
- Roberta Lenczowski, Roberta E. Lenczowski Consulting (reappointed to a second term)
- Mark Meade, Quantum Spatial
- Siva Ravada, Oracle Corporation
- Felicia Retiz, Texas Water Development Board
- Vasit Sagan, St. Louis University
- Cy Smith, State of Oregon (reappointed to a second term)
- Tim Trainor, Trainor Consultants
The NGAC meets three to four times per year. The public is invited to comment and make suggestions at all committee meetings, which will be announced by publication in the Federal Register at least 15 days before the meeting date. The U.S. Geological Survey, a bureau of the Department of the Interior, provides support services for the NGAC.
The NGAC was authorized under the Geospatial Data Act of 2018. The NGAC operates under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, enacted by Congress in 1972 to ensure that advice rendered to the executive branch by advisory committees, task forces, boards, and commissions formed by Congress and the President, be objective and accessible to the public. The Act formalizes a process for establishing, operating, overseeing, and terminating these advisory bodies.
Additional information about the NGAC, including a complete list of the committee members, is available at www.fgdc.gov/ngac.
A PDF version of this release is available here.