2025 Big Sky GeoCon - Mapping the Future: Innovations in Geospatial Technology: Full Schedule

The Montana Association of Geographic Information Professionals (MAGIP) looks forward to your participation at this year’s 2025 Big Sky GeoCon!

8:25am MDT

Montana Cadastral Application: What's New and the Year Ahead

Wednesday April 16, 2025 8:25am - 8:55am MDT

Governor Room

This talk will cover updates to the Montana Cadastral application since its launch a year ago, and it will look ahead at new features that are planned. There will be time for questions and feedback.

Presenters

Kenny Ketner

Information Products Lead, Montana State Library

Kenny Ketner is the Information Products Lead at the Montana State Library (MSL), where he has worked since 2016. His team is responsible for application development and systems administration, frequently in collaboration with the GIS professionals at MSL.

Wednesday April 16, 2025 8:25am - 8:55am MDT
Governor Room

Government

9:00am MDT

BIA-Rocky Mountain Region (RMR)Regional Geospatial Coordinator Program Update

Wednesday April 16, 2025 9:00am - 9:30am MDT

Lewis Room

Regional Geospatial Coordinators Program:
The purpose of the Regional Geospatial Coordinators (RGCs) is to establish a partnership of the roles and responsibilities of the respective partners in the twelve Regions.
Within this presentation, RMR RGC will give an outline of how RMR RGC has worked to limit data silos and explores the critical aspects of GIS data management, focusing on the effective organization, storage, and manipulation of geographically referenced data within the BIA’s planning context. This emphasizes the importance of data validation and quality checks to ensure the accuracy and consistency of spatial data throughout the BIA’s geospatial system.

Presenters

Ken Bixby

Regional Geospatial Coordinator, Department of Interior- Rocky Mountain Regional Office

I like to hunt, fish, and other outdoor activities. I really like talking about my 49ers, Celtics, and San Fran Giants. With work related, I like talking about AGOL, Collector, SDE Server (learning), parcel data, Metes and Bounds (COGO), and spatial analysis.

Wednesday April 16, 2025 9:00am - 9:30am MDT
Lewis Room

Government

9:00am MDT

Getting Started with ArcGIS Workflow Manager

Wednesday April 16, 2025 9:00am - 9:30am MDT

Governor Room

ArcGIS Workflow Manager is a scalable enterprise workflow management system that automates and simplifies many aspects of performing and managing GIS and non-GIS work in an organization. It optimizes GIS operations by providing real-time tools for managing people, processes, and products required to complete work. Come to this session to learn how you can get started with this technology.

Presenters

Scott Moore

Solution Engineer, Esri

Scott Moore is a Solution Engineer Team Lead with Esri in Olympia, WA. He focuses on assisting Esri software users with architecture design, application development and technical advice for deploying ArcGIS. Mr. Moore’s areas of expertise include web mapping, server based GIS... Read More →

Wednesday April 16, 2025 9:00am - 9:30am MDT
Governor Room

Government, Utilities/Asset Management/Engineering Design

11:10am MDT

ArcGIS Experience Builder Custom Widgets: Value and Development

Wednesday April 16, 2025 11:10am - 12:10pm MDT

Governor Room

Using ArcGIS Experience Builder, GIS-related web applications can be created by arranging and configuring components known as widgets. Core capabilities are provided by out-of-the-box widgets, while custom widgets can be added to allow for workflows and operations that may not otherwise be accommodated. In this session, the value of custom widgets will be discussed and the process of creating widgets will be explained. A range of audience interests will be served, from offering a general appreciation of the possibilities through to guidance for those who may wish to develop widgets themselves.

Presenters

David Howes

David Howes, LLC

David Howes is a geospatial information scientist and the sole owner at David Howes, LLC (dhowes.com [dhowes.com]) in Seattle, WA, specializing in the development of GIS tools, processes, and supporting infrastructure for a variety of clients from small operations to multinational corporations. David has over 30 years of academic and private sector experience in both the United Kingdom and the Uni... Read More →

Wednesday April 16, 2025 11:10am - 12:10pm MDT
Governor Room

Government, Utilities/Asset Management/Engineering Design

11:10am MDT

The Modernized National Spatial Reference System is almost here!

Wednesday April 16, 2025 11:10am - 12:10pm MDT

Lewis Room

NOAA's National Geodetic Survey (NGS) defines, maintains, and provides access to the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS), which is a common foundation for geospatial data that serves as the basis for civilian surveying and mapping in the United States. Changes in technology and a better understanding of the dynamic earth have made it necessary to improve the NSRS to be of better use for modern applications. Currently, NGS is in the process of modernizing the NSRS, updating the existing horizontal datums with a suite of geometric reference frames and the vertical datums with a gravimetrically-derived geopotential datum.

Presenters

Brian Shaw

Rocky Mountain Regional Geodetic Advisor, NOAA's National Geodetic Survey

Brian Shaw is NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey Rocky Mountain Regional Advisor. He began his career at NGS in 2002 and has a BS in Computer Science and an MS in Geographic Information Systems which made him the NGS geospatial go-to person. Brian emphasizes how GIS depends on geodesy... Read More →

Wednesday April 16, 2025 11:10am - 12:10pm MDT
Lewis Room

Government

1:45pm MDT

Cartography Tips & Tricks with ArcGIS Pro

Wednesday April 16, 2025 1:45pm - 2:50pm MDT

Governor Room

Good map design helps the viewer navigate information effortlessly, turning complexity into clarity. This presentation will review selected cartographic design concepts, such as figure-ground contrast, visual hierarchy, harmony, and legibility, and provide practical examples of applying them in ArcGIS Pro. The practical tips will cover topics like selecting the right label halos, defining your color scheme, and applying blending modes. Examples will be focused on print and static maps created in ArcGIS Pro, but the concepts could be applied to any type of map or software.

Presenters

Liz Juers

GIS Analyst, Montana Department of Transportation

Wednesday April 16, 2025 1:45pm - 2:50pm MDT
Governor Room

Government

2:20pm MDT

Creating Web Applications with ArcGIS Components

Wednesday April 16, 2025 2:20pm - 2:50pm MDT

Clark Room

Learn how you can use the ArcGIS JavaScript SDK's map and widgets wrapped as web components to kickstart your journey in building web mapping applications.

Presenters

Scott Moore

Solution Engineer, Esri

Wednesday April 16, 2025 2:20pm - 2:50pm MDT
Clark Room

Government, Utilities/Asset Management/Engineering Design

3:20pm MDT

Leveraging ArcGIS Solutions in your Organization

Wednesday April 16, 2025 3:20pm - 4:25pm MDT

Governor Room

This presentation explores how organizations can leverage ArcGIS Solutions to optimize operations, improve decision-making, and enhance collaboration. By integrating GIS tools into daily workflows, state and local governments can better manage resources, analyze spatial data, and gain valuable insights across sectors like urban planning, transportation, and public safety. We’ll demonstrate how ArcGIS enables real-time data analysis, streamlined processes, and smarter, data-driven decisions. Attendees will learn how to effectively implement ArcGIS Solutions to solve challenges, improve efficiency, and drive innovation, all while maximizing the value of geographic data within their organization.

Presenters

Scott Oppmann

ArcGIS Solutions Director, Esri

Scott Oppmann is Esri’s ArcGIS Solutions Director and has over 25 years of experience in the planning, development, and implementation of technology solutions. After pioneering GIS in several government organizations, Scott joined Esri with the mission to bridge the gap between... Read More →

Wednesday April 16, 2025 3:20pm - 4:25pm MDT
Governor Room

Government, Utilities/Asset Management/Engineering Design

3:55pm MDT

Essentials for a Successful GIS Cloud Migration

Wednesday April 16, 2025 3:55pm - 4:25pm MDT

Clark Room

Imagery, big data, analytics, and the always expanding capabilities of the Enterprise stack make migrating from on-premise to a GIS Managed Cloud Services solution an ideal choice. During this session, we will review the top questions and concerns our clients have around making this move, how they prepared to migrate, and the benefits they have realized since.

Presenters

Jay Young

Sr. Account Executive, ROK Technologies

I'm a Sr. Account Executive with ROK Technologies located in Charleston, SC. ROK's sole focus is to take the day-to-day management of your Esri software and its supporting infrastructure to the cloud and off your plate, so you can focus on GIS. Swing by our booth to chat about our... Read More →

Wednesday April 16, 2025 3:55pm - 4:25pm MDT
Clark Room

Government, Utilities/Asset Management/Engineering Design

4:30pm MDT

Power Automate for ArcGIS Workflows

Wednesday April 16, 2025 4:30pm - 5:00pm MDT

Lewis Room

Microsoft’s Power Automate is a low-code/no-code automation platform that integrates seamlessly with Microsoft 365 and a host of third-party applications and services, including ArcGIS. In this session, we’ll explore a real-world example as an overview of requirements, capabilities, and limitations of this integration. Key topics will include authentication methods, deployment patterns, common pitfalls, quirks, practical tips and tricks, and lessons learned.

Presenters

Joe Rhodes

Principal/Developer, CivicLens

Full-service Missoula-based GIS professional services and software provider offering affordable GIS development and solutions, ArcGIS Enterprise deployments and upgrades (cloud or on-prem), ArcGIS Online/Portal backup solutions, custom widgets, Python/JavaScript development, and more... Read More →

Wednesday April 16, 2025 4:30pm - 5:00pm MDT
Lewis Room

Government, Utilities/Asset Management/Engineering Design

9:20am MDT

MSDI Administrative Boundaries, Geo-Enabled Elections and Census Data

Thursday April 17, 2025 9:20am - 10:20am MDT

Governor Room

This presentation will provide an update on the MSDI Administrative Boundaries, Geo-Enabled Elections, and the U.S. Census Bureau Programs. The panelists will demonstrate their role in the election process and answer questions from the audience.

The panelists include:
• Meghan Burns, GIS Analyst / Administrative Boundary Theme Lead | Montana State Library
• Stuart Fuller, Elections & Voter Services Manager | Montana Secretary of State
• Dave Ritts, GIS Analyst | Census & Economic Information Center / Montana Department of Commerce
• Eric Spangenberg, GISP, GIS Coordinator | City of Helena / Lewis and Clark County

Presenters

Meghan Burns

GIS Analyst, Montana State Library

Meghan Burns has been a GIS Analyst and the Administrative Boundary Theme Steward with the Montana State Library since 2015. As part of the Water Information Team, she helps manage data for the Elevation and Hydrography themes. She has served on the MAGIP Board of Directors as a Member-at-Large/Secretary... Read More →

Dave Ritts

GIS Analyst, Montana Department of Commerce

Dave Ritts is a GIS Analyst with the Montana Department of Commerce. He primarily works with demographic and economic data and maintains dashboards, web pages and databases for the Census and Economic Information Center (CEIC). He has previously worked as a GIS Analyst for Oregon... Read More →

Stuart Fuller

Montana Secretary of State

Eric Spangenberg

Connor Fitzpatrick

Caroline Psaltis

2025BigSkyGeoCon AdminBoundaryPanelPresentation pdf

BigSkyGeoCon 2025 AdminBoundaries Ritts pdf

Thursday April 17, 2025 9:20am - 10:20am MDT
Governor Room

Government

9:55am MDT

Base Map Editing: Enhancing Great Falls’ City Parks with ESRI’s Community Maps Editor

Thursday April 17, 2025 9:55am - 10:25am MDT

Clark Room

Paris Gibson envisioned parks as essential to Great Falls’ urban identity. This presentation showcases how ESRI's Community Maps Editor has been leveraged to update city park layers in ESRI's Base maps, creating detailed and accurate information for both residents and visitors. Inspired by efforts to update the City Parks webpage, this project merges historical appreciation with GIS tools, ensuring that green spaces remain central to city planning. Attendees will explore the technical process of basemap editing, navigate the challenges of data integration and decision making, and discover how these updates honor Gibson's vision.

Presenters

Nathaniel Williams

GIS Specialist, City of Great Falls

Thursday April 17, 2025 9:55am - 10:25am MDT
Clark Room

Government

11:30am MDT

School Districts in Carbon County. Holy Grail or Holy Hell?

Thursday April 17, 2025 11:30am - 12:00pm MDT

Clark Room

The number of school districts in Carbon County has shrunk from 70 to 7 over the last 50 years. Years of abandonments, consolidations, annexations and transfers have significantly re-configured the boundaries of these commonly referenced districts. Is it important to track these changes? Considering that several other special improvement districts including fire, ambulance and cemetery districts referenced school district boundaries during their formation, the answer may be yes. This presentation describes the way in which GIS was used to track school district transactions over time and explores the challenges that were encountered while attempting to modernize school district boundaries.

Presenters

Tom Kohley

GIS Coordinator / Fire Warden, Carbon County

Thursday April 17, 2025 11:30am - 12:00pm MDT
Clark Room

Government