Don Dittmar, Manager of Land Information Systems Division/LIO, Waukesha County
“[I] originally joined WLIA in 1996, when [I] became the manager of the Waukesha County Land Information System Division. [My] boss at that time, Register of Deeds Mike Hasslinger, was a member of the State Land Information Board and a strong supporter of the state program and valued the activities of WLIA.
WLIA members receive four main benefits including:
I believe that anyone in the Land Information field should join WLIA. It is important to understand that I am using an extremely broad definition of Land Information here. Beyond the people who work directly on mapping systems, I believe WLIA offers benefits to those working in related fields with a spatial foundation such as real estate, marketing trend analysis, and emergency response. The networking and knowledge exchange that occurs with a truly diverse group is extremely valuable to everyone.”
Michael Lefebvre, Vice President/Regional Office Manager, Graef-USA Inc.
“[I] originally joined the WLIA because of [my] interest in GIS, and have since benefited by the WLIA by having the opportunity to associate with knowledgeable and interesting GIS professionals; ability to stay current on GIS technology; and opportunity to help influence Land Record legislation. [I] urge others to join for the opportunity to work with and to serve the Land Records Community in Wisconsin.”
Barb Gibson, GIS Administrator/Land Information Officer, Vilas County
“[I] encourage others to join the WLIA because I felt a sense of belonging to something bigger than my job and really valuable to many people. I have built relationships with many people I would not have had an opportunity to meet during my usual work interactions. This is a way to learn through experience, and then give back to a broad group of people. [I] originally joined for networking opportunities to find employment and have since received numerous benefits such as: