Member Spotlight: Kristen Vincent
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Kristen Vincent is a current WLIA board member and is the GIS Manager for the City of De Pere. She is a 2014 recipient of our Damon Anderson Memorial Scholarship and in the last few years has really become a champion herself with growing and supporting the scholarship program. We’re so happy to have her cheering on WLIA!
How did you come to your current profession or job?
Like many, I didn’t go to college thinking I would have a career in GIS. My initial career path was forensic chemistry. Anything science-related always intrigued me, so I thought chemistry was the right fit. Thanks to my Liberal Arts education at St. Norbert College, I was able to take a variety of general education classes, though I always seemed to gravitate towards the geography classes (probably because I was fortunate enough to have a geography class in high school that sparked my interest). In my senior year of college, I learned of this thing called GIS and didn’t look back. I went to UW-Madison for the one-year GIS Capstone Certificate program (as it was called at the time) thinking I would get a job that mixed the natural sciences with spatial data science. One year turned into three with the addition of a master’s degree. After a few short stints in the freelance/consulting worlds, I made my way to municipal government here at the City of De Pere, and I’ve been here ever since. I have also been fortunate enough to grow and advance here at the City, which is something I’m grateful for. As for that chemistry degree, in a roundabout way, it has been very helpful for my GIS career. If I could go back, I wouldn’t change anything that got me to this point.
I am a bit curious for examples on how your chemistry degree has been helpful in your GIS career! I also have a science background but in biology, which still does come into play for my work. Chemistry was fascinating but more of a challenge for me, so kudos to you!
It’s so interesting thinking of ways chemistry has helped my GIS career. The big thing is scientific thinking. GIS is still a science, so the ideas of analyzing, problem solving, and critical thinking apply. One funny story goes back to my General Chemistry class in college. The professor had us number every page in our lab notebook as an assignment so we could create a table of contents to organize our labs. When I started with the City of De Pere, I bought the same type of composition notebook, numbered all the pages just like we did in Gen Chem, and started taking notes about projects I was working on. That notebook has come in so handy over the years, and the page numbers/table of contents are a lifesaver! I’ve been trying to transfer those notes over to a more digital format recently, so I don’t use it so much anymore, but I try to make my organization system similar.
What’s your most favorite part and least favorite part of your job?
My favorite part of my job is seeing people light up when they gather new insight, see something a different way, or solve a problem all because of, and with, the maps and geospatial tools we create. Geography is part of everything we do, and it makes me so happy that what I do can help make something a little easier for someone else. From a simple map to a complex data analysis, it truly never gets old seeing someone get excited about what we can do for them. In addition to being the GIS Manager for the City, I also serve as the Drone Program Administrator. We have nearly 20 pilots and 4 drones with more pilots being onboarded each year. Whether that’s public safety using the drones to assist in their emergency operations, the marketing team collecting imagery of our city, or other applications in between, drones are such amazing tools that have had a positive impact. I’m happy to be able to contribute to the GIS operations and drone operations for the City, and I’m glad that both allow me to work with different people to accomplish the same goal – using the technology to make something better.
My least favorite part of my job is balancing all of the different work requests that come in. I’m grateful that GIS is so widely adopted in our organization, but it can get tricky determining priority when work comes in from multiple departments! Having open communication has been key to ensuring the deadlines and needs are met.
Wow, nearly 20 pilots?!
It has grown to be quite the program, and I’m very proud of everything we have accomplished so far. We have Part 107 pilots from GIS, Police, Fire, and Marketing. We also have a tethered drone with pilots from those same departments as well as Engineering.
What’s the best advice someone has ever given you?
This isn’t necessarily advice, but a quote I heard recently that really resonated was, “Be where your feet are.” In a world with busy schedules, mobile devices calling our attention, and just a lot going on in general, I find it easy to get overwhelmed, spend too much time planning for the future, and too much time dwelling on the past. The quote serves as good advice to slow down and connect your mind to what’s going on in the moment.
What do you like to do for fun? (Hobbies, volunteer work, etc.)
Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a huge Green Bay Packer fan. Vacations are planned around the team’s schedule so we don’t miss a game, gamedays reveal my unhealthy obsession with collecting player jerseys to wear, and almost any hobby turns into something Packer related. My most recent example of that was last football season when I decided to practice my baking skills on Packer-themed cookies and a football shaped cake. It was fun spending time in the kitchen seeing what I could create. Go Pack Go!
Another thing I really enjoy is riding on the ATV/UTV trails in Wisconsin’s Northwoods. I’ve been riding for as long as I can remember. It’s fun being outside and exploring the trails. Plus, a little mud and dust never hurt anyone!
I had seen that you kicked a field goal at Lambeau (as well as another board member, Nik) - that must have been awesome! And you may need to open a bakery in Green Bay with those cookies and cake… just sayin’! A food truck of Packer treats near the stadium… now that’s a winning idea (I will ask for half of your profits when you strike it big, of course)!
Yeah, Nik Anderson and I kicked a field goal on Lambeau Field during the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay this past April. Neither one of us knew the other was going to be there, and we happened to be in line right next to each other (and didn’t even notice for the longest time)! We both made our kicks! It was a pretty cool experience. As for the Packer treats – thanks! It’s fun experimenting with different things to create. I like that food truck idea. Do you want to be my business manager? Then, we can discuss profit sharing. 😉
What’s something most people wouldn’t guess about you?
Most people wouldn’t guess that even though I’m a geographer, I refuse to use a GPS/navigation system when driving alone! If I’m driving somewhere new, I memorize the routes, exit numbers, etc. It’s weird, I know. There’s just something comforting about knowing where I’m going.
Good for you and not weird considering that folks like us have that spatial picture mindset, if you will. I still love the atlas/gazetteers for exploring around. However, coming from country living myself I am so happy for GPS navigation systems while in a larger city (tell me where to turn and get me through this!!!). Have you ever made an error on a route and it turned into a fun story?
I can’t think of a good “getting lost” story, but here’s a related fun story. In November 2024, I went to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour concert in Indianapolis (Indy Night 3). This was not a solo trip (I went on a road trip with my mom and aunt), so all forms of navigation were on the table. Knowing most of the navigating would still default to me, I bought a road atlas so I didn’t get a headache staring at maps on my phone. We had just made our way through Chicago when we started seeing cars with sayings painted on them like “Getaway Car” (referencing Taylor’s song), “Taylor Swift Bound,” “Next Stop Indy,” etc. We were about to turn to go south to Indianapolis when traffic got backed up. We were pretty sure our exit was coming up, but didn’t know which lane we needed to be in. Then, one of those Swiftie cars passed us, and we all said, “Let’s follow that car, we’re going to the same place!.” It was indeed the correct lane to be in! Though we would have been fine without seeing that car, it was still a fun, different way to navigate ourselves to Indy.
Where would you most like to travel to and why?
I would like to travel to a Packer away game someday. I don’t have a particular place in mind, just as long as it’s a non-division game in a city with a friendly fanbase! Also, though I have a passport, I’ve never traveled outside of the country! Someday I’d like to explore various places in Canada. I’ve thought about a road trip to Sault Ste. Marie, but that hasn’t panned out yet. I’ve also heard of a fall colors train ride in Ontario that sounds amazing. As for outside of this continent, Iceland would be fun to explore, and finally, an ancestry exploration trip in Poland. I think I need to start making some plans…