OCC GIS Specialist Shellie Willoughby called "GIS Super Hero"

Shellie Willoughby, Oklahoma Conservation Commission GIS specialist, was recently recognized in ArcNews, an ESRI International GIS User Group publication, as a GIS Day "Super" Hero." The story is also featured on www.gisday.com on its GIS Day Heroes page.

Willoughby is no stranger to GIS Day. She has been involved in GIS events at the Capitol in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for nine of the past 11 years. Participating in the first two events as an Oklahoma State University graduate student, Willoughby began taking on more responsibility and has been organizing GIS Day since 2002. Her coordination tasks include choosing and setting up displays, contacting exhibitors, and inviting dignitaries.

Sponsored by the State Geographic Information Council, the event is held on the 4th floor of the state capitol rotunda in Oklahoma City and features more than 30 exhibits representing not only state agencies but also cities, county assessors' offices, health departments, and federal agencies. GIS Compatibility: Coordination Through Cooperation served as the 2004 theme with GIS demonstrations highlighting a variety of disciplines.

The number one goal of the event each year is to educate local legislators about GIS and showcase the fact that GIS can help everyone throughout the state to make better-informed decisions. Participant Charles Brady from the City of Ardmore commented on the wonderful success of the event saying, "Overall, the attendance was up this year and the participants were a much more diverse group than ever before."

"Coordinating GIS Day at the Capitol is one of the highlights of my year," said Willoughby, "Not only do I get to see the wonderful GIS work that is going on throughout the state, it also gives me the opportunity to work with some fabulous people who I might not have the chance to work with otherwise."

ArcNews describes GIS Super Heroes as GIS Day participants known for dedicating countless hours of time and innumerable resources to planning presentations and demonstrations that allow everyday people to experience the extraordinary power of GIS technology.