MORGANTOWN - Robb Shaffer, mapping supervisor for the Wood County Assessor's Office, presided over the 2012 Geographic Information System Mapping Association Conference last week at West Virginia University.
Shaffer is president of The West Virginia Association of Geospatial Professionals, which hosted the conference.
More than 200 members participated as well as guests who included a representatives of the governor's staff, state Sen. Dave Sypolt , R-Preston, who is a licensed surveyor and mapping consultant; a number of county assessors, the executive director of the GIS Certification Institute in Oklahoma and numerous professors.
"I felt extremely honored to have been given this opportunity," Shaffer said of his leadership role at the state level. "In today's world of ever changing technology it is paramount that technically oriented professionals meet, train, and share information. "Having a leadership position means Wood County is able to get our views expressed to these committees on what we'd like to see happen," Shaffer noted.
Shaffer has been mapping supervisor and GIS manager for the assessor's office for more than 14 years. He served on the committee which established bylaws for the state mapping association in 2005.
The board consists of 11 members.
This will be Shaffer's third consecutive term on the board. Ase president, his duties include serving on the GIS Policy Council, which was created by a legislative act and is made up of the Governor's Cabinet, with Keith Burdette serving as chairman.
He is also working closely with the state GIS coordinator and GIS Steering Committee to recommend new Digital Mapping Standards to the State Property Valuation Commission. The position is volunteer.
"Many hardworking, dedicated people with a passion for what they do and willingness to work with, share, help, teach, train and mentor others in this highly technical and ever changing field of computerized mapping and Geographic Information Systems. I look forward to the opportunities that I will be offered in the upcoming year at the helm of the WVAGP," Shaffer said.
