The GIO Academy working group is pleased to announce a two-part GIO Academy:
“Advancing State Interests by Developing Relationships at the Federal Level”
Part 1: December, 19, 2023 from 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm ET (virtual) – Advocacy and Relationship Building
Description:
Building relationships at the Federal level is an important part of your position as a GIO or equivalent. Relationships with Federal agency staff may seem more obviously plausible and relevant: visiting with your Congressional delegation or their staff (“Hill Visits”), not so much. Hill Visits may seem at best daunting and at worst well outside your “swim lane”. However, it may help if you think of these visits as an opportunity to educate your audience about your office and the capabilities of GIS for supporting/enabling use of federal funds for infrastructure planning, broadband rollout, NextGen 9-1-1, floodplain mapping, and making communities and infrastructure more resilient in your state.
The December Academy will help you understand why developing Federal relationships, especially Hill Visits, can benefit your office and, most importantly, your state. We have assembled a great panel featuring Shelby Johnson (AR), Cy Smith (MA), and Tony Spici (GISCI) to prepare state representatives for the Hill Visits that will be part of next March’s Midyear meeting in Crystal City, Virginia. Our panelists all have experience with these visits and will respond to questions covering how Federal relationships are a legitimate part of your role; developing relationships with Federal agency managers and staff; preparing for “Hill Visits” (e.g., coordination/approval in your state, who to meet with, how to set up the meetings, what to bring); and their experience of Hill Visits and their benefits.
Part 2: March 2024 (in-person at the Midyear Meeting) – Federal grants: who, what, why, when, where, and how.
Register for the December GIO Academy
Participation in this event is limited to GIOs, Deputy GIOs, NSGIC State Representatives and by GIO or State Representative invitation only. Invitations should be communicated to Emily Ruetz for registration.