Last month, Alison Slaats, a program manager of the Geospatial Information Office (MnGeo) for Minnesota IT Services (MNIT), received the Polaris Leadership Award for her contributions to the geospatial community in Minnesota. Alison is a collaborative leader at the State, using her expertise in geospatial information systems (GIS) to help people solve real world problems, and has been a part of many successful projects across the executive government. We sat down with Alison to learn a little about her work here at MNIT, what the award means to her, and to hear some of her favorite projects that have used geo-enabled technology to make Minnesota better.

What is GIS and why is it so important that we celebrate leaders in the field?

Alison: Maps are used every day in all sort of ways, whether you are figuring out how to get to work fastest or looking for a nearby park. In government, geography and its applications in GIS play an important role in helping stakeholders make better decisions around public safety, transportation planning, access to health services, preservation of resources, and more. GIS helps by using maps and analysis to present information that helps us make better decisions and use resources more wisely.

Tell us about what you do at MNIT.

Alison: As a part of the Geospatial Information Office, we use spatial data to make digital maps and perform analysis often using different data sets from different state agencies. The work we do is essential to supporting the work of many state agencies. For example, during the height of the avian flu outbreak in 2015, the GIS team and I worked with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health, and the USDA to map and report on turkey farms and quarantine areas in Minnesota, which helped the state manage the situation more efficiently and effectively, resulting in better coordination between agencies.

What does this award mean to you?

Alison: It’s a real honor because it’s recognition by my peers and recognition of service that is so important for the citizens of Minnesota. The geospatial community provides services that promote better decision-making for all levels of government, and we take seriously the ability that GIS has to improve the lives of the people in our state.

What does this award mean for MNIT?

Alison: There have been at least 15 MNIT staff that have also been recognized with this award, meaning that we are hiring and keeping great people within the GIS industry. MNIT is a great place to work in the GIS field, and I believe MNIT employees can have substantial impact on improving government services and lives in Minnesota. MNIT is an environment where innovation and individual problem-solving is encouraged. As MNIT GIS employees, we come up with maps, analysis, and processes that bring people together to solve problems and support better decision making.

Are there any accomplishments or projects that define some of the work you have done at MNIT?

Alison: One of the most recent projects that really exemplifies how we work with so many different parts of the state to problem solve is for a multi-agency project called MNCrash, that supports the effort to reduce traffic injuries and deaths. By supporting a crash records database and electronic crash report interface using GIS, law enforcement officers can click on a map to capture the location of a crash, rather than manually typing in the information that can vary from officer to officer. By coordinating this project with the Minnesota Department of Public safety and the Minnesota Department of Transportation, we can support the work that both agencies do so that they can allocate resources effectively to make Minnesota roads safer for all travelers.

Find a few more projects that Alison has contributed to on the GIS/LIS Polaris Award Winner website.

What is a fun GIS project you’ve worked on?

Alison: A few years ago, I helped to make maps for local Girl Scouts to use when selling cookies. The maps helped divide up the region into different sales territories for Girl Scout troops. The maps helped the girls to know where they should focus their efforts to be more successful in their annual cookie sales.