Program Agenda | GeoGov Summit 2026

Wednesday, September 09, 2026

Plenary

0830-0900 hrs.

Opening Keynote: The Age of Geospatial and AI in Governance: Advancements and Cautions

Session Highlight

Geospatial technologies and artificial intelligence are reshaping how governments understand complex challenges, develop policy, and deliver public services. This keynote will examine emerging opportunities while addressing the need for responsible adoption, trusted data, transparency, human oversight, and safeguards that protect the public interest.

Welcome

Ananyaa Narain

Vice President - Consulting
Geospatial World

Video

Jack Dangermond

President
Esri

Keynote

Timothy R. Petty

Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Deputy Administrator
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

0900-1000 hrs.

Plenary 1: Geospatial in Public Policy and Decision Making

Session Highlight

Leaders from government and industry will discuss how spatial computing helps communities formulate policy, engage the public, and make informed infrastructure decisions involving energy generation, transmission, data centers, and critical supply chains. The session will also explore coordination across federal, state, local, and tribal governments and industry to align policy priorities with operational planning, investment, and public service delivery.

Moderator

Mark Reichardt

Senior Consultant
Geospatial World

Vince R. Williams

Mayor
Union City, Georgia

Tanya M. Washington

Director of Planning
Prince William County Planning Office, Virginia

Ana Hiraldo-Gomez

Assistant Chief Information Officer and Geographic Information Systems
Westchester County, New York

Thomaz Kobayashi-Carvalhaes

R&D Staff Scientist, Critical Infrastructure Resilience Group, Geospatial Science & Engineering Division
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

1000-1100 hrs.

Plenary 2: Beyond the Hype: GeoAI in Practice

Session Highlight

This session highlights real-world applications of GeoAI in government, including operational deployments supporting infrastructure monitoring, transportation, and emergency and disaster management. Panelists will examine how agencies are integrating AI into workflows, improving situational awareness, and enabling more timely decisions through trusted and scalable geospatial systems.

Moderator

John P. Wilson

Professor and Founding Director
Spatial Sciences Institute, USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Ryan Bank

Global Managing Director
Vexcel

Jeremy Malczyk

Cloud Geographer
Google

Amar Nayegandhi

Executive Vice President, Geospatial Global Head of Technology and Innovation
Woolpert

Dawn Blanchard

Deputy Geographic Information Officer
State of Maryland

Andrea Grace Johnson

Acting Chief, Geography Division
U.S. Census Bureau

1100-1130 hrs.

Networking / Coffee

1130-1230 hrs.

Plenary 3: Powering the Economy: How the Government's Open Geospatial Ecosystem Is Fueling the Economy

Session Highlight

Industry leaders will examine how freely available government geospatial data and services create value beyond their original missions and support commercial applications, services, and economic growth. The discussion will address authoritative public datasets, open-data modernization, innovation, workforce development, and economic competitiveness.

Moderator

Deirdre Dalpiaz Bishop

Associate Director for Economic Programs
U.S. Census Bureau

Srinath Ravulaparthy

Senior Director, Geospatial Science
Cotality

Katie Baynes

Earth Data Officer
NASA

Patty Mims

Director - Global National Government
Esri

Bret Allphin

Associate Director, Data & Research National Association of Development Organizations (NADO)
National Association of Development Organizations (NADO)

1230-1330 hrs.

Networking Lunch

1330-1430 hrs.

Plenary 4: The Everchanging Roles of Government and Industry

Session Highlight

As industry-led space, aerial, and ground-based imaging expands, government and industry must reconsider their roles in data creation, maintenance, access, and long-term stewardship. The discussion will address trust, licensing, public-private partnerships, standards, interoperability, secure data sharing, procurement, and shared responsibility for critical geospatial infrastructure.

Moderator

Michael Halem

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)

Will Mortenson

Executive Director
Overture Maps Foundation

Mike Tischler

Acting Associate Director, Core Science Systems Mission Area
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)

Jerry Johnston

Managing Director
Deloitte

Craig Weinschenk

Director of Research
UL Research Institutes

Kate Hickey

Chief Strategy Officer
Sanborn

1430-1530 hrs.

Plenary 5: It Starts Here: Infrastructure, Resilience, and Community Sustainability

Session Highlight

Communities need strong geospatial capabilities to support resilience, preparedness, and informed decision-making. Representatives from across the public and private sectors will discuss topics such as land-use pressures, disaster and climate resilience while balancing economic development, sustainability, and long-term community priorities.

Moderator

Tim Johnson

Board Chair
National Geospatial Collaborative (NGC)

John Dorman

Vice President, Global Disaster Resilience
AECOM

Mike Falkowski

Lead Scientist
Earth Fire Alliance

Catherine Bohn

Vice President and Senior Project Manager
Dewberry

Tari Martin

Chief Geospatial Information Officer
National Alliance for Public Safety GIS (NAPSG) Foundation

Ryan Freed

Climate Action Officer
City of Alexandria, Virginia

1530-1600 hrs.

Networking / Coffee

1600-1700 hrs.

Plenary 6: Public Safety and National Security in the AI Age

Session Highlight

This plenary explores how spatial computing, GeoAI, and digital twins are transforming public safety, emergency management, disaster response, and national security. The conversation will also address cybersecurity, critical infrastructure protection, cyber-physical resilience, secure data sharing, and trusted real-time operational intelligence

Moderator

Susan Kalweit

Vice President of Programs
United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF)

John Morrison

Data Analytics Strategy Manager
Fairfax County Fire & Rescue, Fairfax County, Virginia

Scott Pace

Director, Space Policy Institute Elliott School of International Affairs
George Washington University

Chris Ocasio

Foundation Digital Twin Mission Owner
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA)

Blake Pierson

Senior Project Manager
Langan Engineering & Environmental Services

Dan Cotter

Former Acting Under Secretary for Science and Technology
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (Retired)

Thursday, September 10, 2026

Deep Dive

0800-0900 hrs.

Aligning for NSDI Action: Forging Partner Commitments and Shared Leadership

Session Highlight

With the NSDI Implementation Plan nearing its formal public comment phase, this session shifts the focus from passive review to active participation. We are assembling the community to prepare for immediate execution. Participants are encouraged to bring their ideas for organizational commitment, help identify key implementation partners, and nominate leaders to drive specific initiatives. This session is designed for all sectors and stakeholders who want to transition from planning to shared, community-driven action.

Moderator

Megan Compton

Senior NSDI Advisor and NGAC Manager
Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC)

Moderator

Joy Pochatila

NSDI Geospatial Data Coordinator
Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC)

Hall - Cirrus A 0900-1530 hrs.

Governance, Partnerships & Value Track

Session Highlight

This track focuses on governance, coordination, partnerships, stewardship, and ecosystem alignment, complementing the operational and deployment-focused conversations taking place in the Technology and Implementation Track.

0900-1030 hrs. From Strategy to Requirements: Shaping the Next-Generation U.S. NSDI in a Global Context

Session Highlight

The next-generation spatial data infrastructure must support APIs, AI systems, automated pipelines, and traditional users. OGC will share early findings from its global requirements-gathering effort, connect U.S. specific needs to the FGDC NSDI Implementation Plan, and show how stakeholder input can shape future standards, prototypes, and interoperability.

Moderator

Darcee Killpack

Acting Executive Director
Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC)

Moderator

Frank Pichel

Partner - Global Field Operations
Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC)

1030-1100 hrs. Networking Break

1100-1230 hrs. Local Needs and Community Context: What Do Local Governments Need?

Session Highlight

Local governments maintain foundational geospatial data that support public services, infrastructure planning, emergency response, and community development. This session will examine workforce and funding constraints, data stewardship, technology requirements, partnerships, and ways to ensure local contributions are supported and integrated into regional and national initiatives.

Moderator

Christine Baker-Smith

Director of Research and Data Analysis
National League of Cities (NLC)

Keynote

Matthew McLamb

Geographic Information Officer Executive Director, Center for Geographic Information and Analysis
North Carolina Department of Information Technology

Cy Smith

State GIO and MassGIS Director
Bureau of Geographic Information, Massachusetts

Kim Valentine

Geospatial Information Officer
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Jenna Leveille

VP State & Local Government | Business Development & Strategy
Sanborn Geospatial

1230-1330 hrs. Geospatial Information Officer and Chief Data Officer Roundtable Luncheon Aligning Priorities and Building Partnerships (*Invite Only)

1230-1330 hrs. Lunch

1330-1530 hrs. Local to National Impact: How Local Data Drives Broader Outcomes

Session Highlight

Locally developed geospatial data informs decisions at every level, from infrastructure and emergency management to economic development and public service delivery. Through practical examples, this session will examine how local contributions, standards, data integration, and industry collaboration strengthen interoperability and deliver broader regional and national value.

Moderator

Jonathan Duran

Deputy Director
Arkansas GIS Office

Brian Sowa

Vice President, Business Development and Sales
Government - North America, Vexcel Data Program, Vexcel Group

Nathan Jones

Assistant Division Chief, Business Administration, Geography Division
U.S. Census Bureau

Sarah Cooley

Executive Director
Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP)

Srinath Ravulaparthy

Senior Director, Geospatial Science
Cotality

Susan Miller

Geospatial Information Officer
State of Georgia

Hall - Cirrus B 0900-1530 hrs.

Technology & Implementation Track

Session Highlight

This track focuses on operational deployment, implementation, integration, and enterprise adoption of geospatial technologies and AI-enabled systems.

0900-1030 hrs. Deploying GeoAI in Government: From Pilot to Program

Session Highlight

AI assistants, embeddings, large language models, and agent-based architectures are creating new opportunities to operationalize geospatial intelligence at scale. This session will explore how government organizations can move beyond pilots and build sustainable programs through practical use cases, implementation strategies, governance, and enterprise integration.

Moderator

Hamed Alemohammad

Associate Professor, Graduate School of Geography Director
Clark Center for Geospatial Analytics School of Climate, Environment and Society Clark University

Ting Ma

Analytics, Asset, and Performance Manager | Acting GIS Manager, Office of the Director
DC Department of Transportation

Russell Provost

GIS Manager
Montgomery County Government, Maryland

Dustyn Palmer

Geospatial Technologist
Deloitte

Vattem Narendra Babu

CEO
iSpatial Techno Solutions Inc

Chris Albert

Head of Solution Engineering, National Government Group
Esri

1030-1100 hrs. Networking Break

1100-1230 hrs. Trustworthy GeoAI: Validation, Risk, and Human Oversight

Session Highlight

As GeoAI becomes embedded in government operations, agencies must evaluate reliability, understand how outputs are produced, and establish safeguards for mission-critical use. This session will focus on validation, explainability, auditability, accountability, human oversight, risk management, standards, interoperability, and secure data sharing.

Moderator

Hamed Alemohammad

Associate Professor, Graduate School of Geography Director
Clark Center for Geospatial Analytics School of Climate, Environment and Society Clark University

Jill Saligoe-Simmel

Sr. Principal Product Manager
Esri

Nadine Alameh

Founder & CEO
Lunate AI

Ryan Gupta

Applications & Program Operations Lead and Systems Engineering
AIVE AI Systems

Becci Anderson

Acting Director, National Geospatial Program
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)

Ingo Simonis

Chief Technology and Innovation Officer
Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC)

Garth Hoxsie-Quinn

Supervising GIS Specialist and RIGIS Coordinator
Rhode Island Division of Statewide Planning

1230-1330 hrs. Lunch

1330-1530 hrs. Emerging Geospatial Capabilities in Operation

Session Highlight

Digital twins, advanced spatial processing, next-generation positioning, robotics, and real-time analytics are moving from research into operational use. This session will feature implementation examples and lessons learned, showing how organizations integrate emerging capabilities into existing workflows to improve decisions, efficiency, resilience, and coordination.

Moderator

Peter Griffin

Geospatial Project Manager
Dewberry

Kim Mantey

Director, National Geospatial Technical Operations Center
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)

Igor Starkov

CEO
Teleworker AI

Rishi Madhok

CEO & Co-Founder
TerraByte

Brian Hadley

Geospatial Program Director, Government Solutions
Woolpert

Dawn Zoldi

CEO & Founder
P3 Tech Consulting

Luis Sentis

CEO and Co-Founder
AIVE AI

Hall - Cirrus C 0900-1530 hrs.

Infrastructure, AEC & Operations Track

0900-1030 hrs. From Policy to Permitting: Operationalizing Infrastructure Decisions

Session Highlight

Geospatial data is increasingly essential for navigating policy requirements, regulatory processes, environmental considerations, community interests, and economic development goals. This session will examine infrastructure planning, siting, and permitting; project delays; stakeholder coordination; and emerging challenges involving energy, transmission, and data-center development.

Moderator

Hope Morgan

AVP, GIS Specialist/ Project Manager
AECOM

Lakisha Lewis

Senior Advisor to the Chief Information Officer
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)

Refael Lav

Strategy & Analytics, Geospatial & AI
Deloitte

Derald Dudley

Transportation Theme Lead
National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI), Bureau of Transportation Statistics, U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)

Norine W. Bagate

Founder and Managing Member
MIND-i LLC

1030-1100 hrs. Networking Break

1100-1230 hrs. Integrated Infrastructure and Asset Management: Connecting Systems, Data, and Decisions

Session Highlight

Effective infrastructure management depends on accurate, integrated, and timely information across transportation, utilities, public facilities, land use, and other critical assets. This session will explore data integration, real-time operational insight, interoperability, lifecycle planning, trusted data environments, and collaboration that improves safety, resilience, efficiency, and performance.

Moderator

Hope Morgan

AVP, GIS Specialist/ Project Manager
AECOM

Amr Raafat

Chief Innovation Officer
Windover Construction

Cherin Abdelsamie

Senior Manager of Applications and GIS
City of Pittsburgh, Department of Innovation and Performance

Craig Daly

Deputy Chief of Engineering and Asset Management
Howard County Department of Public Works
State of Maryland

Ben Levine

Director of Infrastructure Strategy
CivilGrid

Nicholas Porter

Co-Founder
BDITS

Prem Radhakrishnan

Chief Executive Officer
geoConvergence, LLC

1230-1330 hrs. Lunch

1330-1530 hrs. Implementation of the Modernized National Spatial Reference System (NSRS)

Session Highlight

With beta products for the modernized NSRS approaching release, this session will outline the steps organizations should take to prepare for a timely transition. NGS representatives will review available tools, testing and feedback opportunities, migration considerations, timelines, and practical approaches for evaluating impacts on data and workflows.

Moderator

Dan Roman

Senior Advisor - Geodesy
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Dan Gillins

Chief, Observations and Analysis Division
National Geodetic Survey (NGS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Marian Westley

Director, Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) and Acting Director
National Geodetic Survey (NGS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Dru Smith

NSRS Modernization Manager
National Geodetic Survey (NGS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Linda Foster

Director, Land Records and Cadastre Solutions
Esri

Kim Valentine

Geospatial Information Officer
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Dana J. Caccamise II

Regional Geodetic Advisor, Geospatial Infrastructure & National Spatial Reference System (NSRS) Modernization
National Geodetic Survey (NGS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)