Jason Grueneberg, 2007 - 2008

It’s an exciting time to be involved with geospatial technology in the state of Wisconsin. With the recent completion of the State strategic plan for GIS, the creation of a geographic information coordinating council on the horizon, and numerous collaborative projects in the works, opportunities abound and the future is bright. In addition, the recent advent of online mapping, recreational GPS, and desktop GIS, has caused excitement and interest in the technology we use to spread at a rapid pace.

Wisconsin has taken a grassroots approach to modernizing land records and implementing geospatial technology. Although it has been challenging to coordinate at times, it has produced success stories all across the state. This approach has also contributed to the large number of knowledgeable professionals who share a passion for geospatial technology. Where do these professionals share ideas, learn about new technology, collaborate, and have fun? The WLIA!

If you are a member of the WLIA I encourage you to challenge yourself this year by getting involved with a standing committee of the Association, a task force, or presenting at a regional or annual conference. I also encourage you to take full advantage of the many opportunities that the association offers its members to learn and grow as professionals.

If you are currently not a member, I welcome you to attend a future regional or annual meeting to learn more about us, and how we are influencing positive change by working together. Regardless of your background or profession, we have a place for you in the Association. We pride ourselves in the diversity of our membership, because that is where we find our strength.

I feel privileged to serve as President of the WLIA, and look forward to the year ahead. Contact me at 715-421-8478 or jgrueneberg@co.wood.wi.us to get involved, share your ideas, or learn more about us.

Thanks, Jason Grueneberg

Fred Halfen, 2006 - 2007

Fred Halfen is the 2006-2007 president of the WLIA.   Fred is the vice president of the photogrammetry division of Ayres Associates and also manages the Madison office of the firm.  He has more than 30 years of experience in the mapping field and has been an active member of the land information community in Wisconsin for many years.  He served on the Wisconsin Land Information Board for five years and co-chaired the Wisconsin Land Information System (WLIS) project team.  He has also served on the WLIA Board, chaired association task forces, and served on several committees. 
Statement from Fred,

I have a deep appreciation for land information in Wisconsin.  Working in the mapping business for many years has instilled in me a foundational belief in the importance of detail and accuracy, and of understanding users' needs.  Being active in the formation of the Land Information Program has demonstrated the power of a grass roots effort.  I am honored to work with and call friends many of the founders of this program and am dedicated to continuing their vision.  I am also excited by the energy our membership exhibits everyday through board, committee, and task force activities.  The Land Information Program and the WLIA have gone through many changes over the years yet remain models for the nation.

The WLIA has an ambitious year ahead of us.  Strategic planning, emergency management, data sharing, a new state budget – these and many other issues will keep us challenged.   As an association, we have the strength of many to meet these challenges, and I am sure we'll succeed.  And the key word here is we.  Individually, the tasks are much harder, but by working together, we create a tremendous advantage.  I look forward to working with all of you on our many goals, and to those of you that are not members, I encourage you to try us out.  I think you'll be impressed with the benefits of membership, the educational opportunities, and the high level of commitment and professionalism of our members. 

Ken Pabich, 2005 - 2006

Welcome to the new WLIA web site. We hope re-design makes the site more valuable. I would like to thank Ron Voight, from Ozaukee County, who as been the Association past web master since its inception. Without his help and dedication, we would not have been able to make this next step. If you have any suggestions to improve the site please let us know.

For new visitors, I would encourage visitors to review our web site content to learn about our organization. Our organization is made up of professionals from many different sectors and regions of the state. All of the content in this site has been developed by the work of the membership. If you are interested in joining our organization please see our membership section.

For our members, I am very excited with progress of the Association. This web site represents a small part of the countless hours of time put in by our membership. I hope that we can continue to rely on the technology to purse idea sharing and standard development.

It has been an honor to serve has your President for 2005-06. If you have any questions, comments, or ideas please feel free to contact any of the board members or myself.

Thanks

Ken Pabich
2005-06 WLIA President

Alissa Bails, 2004 - 2005

Alissa Bails is the GIS Division Manager at R.A. Smith & Associates, Inc located in Brookfield. Alissa brings over 10 years experience in both the public and private sector to this position. She has been an active member in WLIA since moving to Wisconsin in 1999. She is also a member of URISA and several other states' GIS professional organizations. She has recently earned her GISP certification as well.

I am looking forward to making 2004-2005 an exciting time for WLIA members. Last year's conference was quite successful and the entire Board hopes to see you all again in Green Bay in 2005 and at our regional meetings.

Obviously, the technology we have available continues to re-invent itself and improve from year to year. The Land Information Program has evolves over the years as well. It is our grassroots beginnings and cooperative efforts that have made this organization successful and unique.

I am truly excited about serving as this organization's President. My efforts over the next year will be to continue to expand our membership to include all those whom have an interest in land information. While we all struggle with dwindling budgets and tough economies, it becomes more and more important that we go to back to the basics and seek ways to improve efficiencies, share information and educate others.

Jeff Bluske, 2003 - 2004

Jeff Bluske is Director of the Zoning, Planning and Land Information Department for La Crosse County. His responsibilities include real property listing, zoning, planning, GIS, and land information. Jeff brings 27 years of experience in county government and 5 years of town government as a town clerk to this position. He is a past President and Credit Union Board Member. He is also past President of the Wisconsin Real Property Listers and past Board Member of the Wisconsin County Code Administrators.

Jeff was a Charter Member of the WLIA in 1987 and has been a contributor at annual meetings and has been published in the Land Records Quarterly. He has served on the WLIA Board of Directors from 1988 to 1990, and most recently continuously since 1998. He has served as Chair of the little known Membership Committee for the last two years.

In serving La Crosse County, he has taken land records from the addressograph, to key punch cards, to computer mainframe; to open networked PC's with every type of conversion imaginable in between. His department started with no mapping system, generated a few manually drawn ones, and finally ended up three years ago with whole county digital mapping, with coverage's including aerial, soils, hydro, highways, addresses, census, redistricting, and more overlay districts than you care to know about. If I told you more I'd have to hire you because you'd know too much.

With the revenue sharing restrictions and political atmosphere surrounding all of us, the challenge before us will be more than keeping positions and programs. The challenge will be proving what we do is essential to saving lives and protecting property, as well as our enhancing our health, safety and the welfare of the public as mentioned in the state statutes. Our Association is doing so well in fact, that we have outpaced our original goals set in legislation. We have taken our modernized records and land information to schools of higher learning to create informal arrangements to share data for better learning and testing of products. We have aided 911 systems with address, owner and parcel attribute data. The Health and Land Conservation services have realized new tracking and data collection techniques for permitting and site viewing. GPS has been introduced to many departments such as Health, Highway and Emergency Government with help from our County Surveyor partners. The Register of Deed's Offices have been modernized allowing access to recordings and filings with public access locations beyond anyone's expectations. Of late, Zoning, Planning, Health and Land Conservation Offices are realizing cooperation between agencies to create shared permitting processes that use similar data elements. To look at any narrowly focused statewide completion of any coverage would be great and indicate a success of its own; but the greater success of the Wisconsin Land Information Program has taken us all by surprise. It's spreading faster than we can generate personnel and ordinances to handle it. This is success!