Save the dates for our GIS and AI: 4-Part Webinar Series!

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Join CGIA at the 2026 California Native American Tribal GIS Summit!

"Mapping Resilience: GIS for Climate, Culture, and Community"May 21 and 22, 2026, At University of Redlands. FREE Event (Registration OPEN)Registration Required to get Planning updatesCLICK HERE TO REGISTER ===> or NOW - Accepting SponsorshipJoin in on the sponsorship for this summit - CLICK HERE - or Core Topic Categories for the Summit 2026Tribal Data Governance, Sovereignty, and Ethical PracticesCultural Preservation, Indigenous Knowledge, and Land StewardshipEnvironmental, Natural Resource, and Public Health ApplicationsGIS Technology, Tools, [...]

3D Hydrography Forum – Notes, Slides, Recording – Feb. 12, 2026

On February 12, 2026, the CGIA Community Forum event focused on the Development of Statewide Elevation-Derived Hydrography Data for California: A Federal-State-Regional-Local-Public-Private Community Effort. CGIA is pleased to share with the California GIS Community the notes, slides, and recording of the presentations. We thank all who presented, who attended the live stream, and who are visiting this website.Questions about the 3D Hydrography for California program may be directed to . (Click on the bolded text below to open each linked file.)Link to the recording posted on YouTube - [...]

Member Spotlight: Dr. Reis Thomas

Dr. Reis Thomas is a Senior Geospatial Architect and Developer at the California Department of Transportation, where he is a technical lead for ArcGIS Enterprise solution development and system enhancements. Reis was an academic for over a decade before beginning his professional career as a Physical Scientist at the Department of Homeland Security, specializing in GIS projects aimed at analyzing impacts to our nation’s critical infrastructure from natural hazards.Reis discovered his interest in GIS early in his undergraduate work in Environmental Science and Meteorology. He continued to develop [...]

Career Opportunity at East Bay Municipal Utility District

East Bay Municipal Utility District is now accepting applications for the following position(s):Geographic Information Systems SpecialistClick on a job title to view the complete job posting of any position listed. After you have reviewed the job posting, you can apply for the position by clicking on the 'Apply' button and completing the online application. [...]

Member Spotlight: Jane Schafer-Kramer

Jane Schafer-Kramer is a Geographic Data Specialist with the California Department of Water Resources, where she leads the national hydrography data stewardship program. Her journey into GIS wasn’t exactly linear—she began her career at DWR in a clerical role and, driven by curiosity and determination, took night classes at American River College to learn GIS. In midlife she pivoted from a role as an Executive Secretary to a Research Data Analyst, processing geospatial data for the hydrologic engineers. Jane is an active member of the geospatial community. She’s been involved with the Geospatial Professional Network (formerly URISA), served on CalGIS planning committees, and […]

Sustaining Member Spotlight: Shasta College GIS

Shasta College's GIS Program is the state’s longest running community college program north of Sacramento. The foundation courses were developed to support the retraining of laid off timber workers in the mid-1990s. By the end of the decade the addition of several courses allowed for the creation of a GIS Certificate, which has been continuously offered for almost 30 years. Over the years, of course, there have been many changes. The program transitioned from ArcView to ArcMap and later to ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, Field Maps and peripheral apps. The GIS Program has always worked closely with government, industry and […]

CGIA Awards Winners 2025

Thank you to everyone who joined CGIA at our annual Awards celebration at the Esri User Conference last week! It was a pleasure to spend time with so many members and friends. We collected on Tuesday evening at Revel Revel with an evening of snacks, drinks, awards, and networking, with thanks to ParcelQuest for their additional sponsorship. This year, we presented awards to four lucky winners: Next year is a long way off, but we'll look forward to seeing everybody again! We've shared some pictures from the event below.

New CGIA Publication – Cautions to Geospatial Professionals

CGIA is proud to announce the publication of a document to help protect the California geospatial community, Cautions to Geospatial Professionals, in context of California statutes defining the Practice of Surveying.

This document provides carefully researched guidance and insight for geospatial professionals navigating the complex landscape of California statutes defining the practice of surveying.

Introducing the CGIA Shop

Have you been at an event recently where you bumped into CGIA board members wearing beautiful CGIA t-shirts? There's a picture below of our outgoing and incoming Chairs, Roland and Tracy, sporting them at the Los Angeles Geospatial Summit a few months back. They're a bargain, made with thick cotton, and starting at just $15 including shipping. As you can see, they're currently available in blue or green. Black (not shown) is also an option. Do you want your own? Of course you do! We're hoping to be able to offer them on sale at future in-person events, but for […]

CGIA on Film

We recently showcased the CGIA YouTube channel, but have you seen our wonderful video showcasing the good work done by CGIA? Maybe you saw it on the front page of our website already? It should give you a bit of a feel for what CGIA does and why you might want to consider joining as a member or contributing to the work that we do. Here's a longer version, if you have a minute or so more to spend: https://youtu.be/9eFF5WTfyTg.

About CGIA

California Geographic Information Association (CGIA) is a non-profit, statewide association formed in 1994 to facilitate coordination, collaboration, and advocacy for California’s Geographic Information System (GIS) community. CGIA promotes the creation and maintenance of the best practices in the governance and application of geographic information within the State of California that can become a model for the nation.

Learn more…

Save the dates for our GIS and AI: 4-Part Webinar Series!

March 10, 2026

Join CGIA at the 2026 California Native American Tribal GIS Summit!

“Mapping Resilience: GIS for Climate, Culture, and Community” May 21 and 22, 2026, At University of Redlands. FREE Event (Registration…

February 19, 2026

3D Hydrography Forum – Notes, Slides, Recording – Feb. 12, 2026

On February 12, 2026, the CGIA Community Forum event focused on the Development of Statewide Elevation-Derived Hydrography Data for California: A…

February 19, 2026

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Sustaining Members

Initiatives

Spatial Data Infrastructure Map

CGIA has launched an initiative to provide California with a comprehensive picture of our state's Spatial Data Infrastructure

CGIA Awards

CGIA recognizes outstanding achievements in various aspects of geospatial technologies within California through its annual awards program, commemorating excellence in Geographic Information across the Golden State.

Events

CGIA hosts webinars, brown bag lunch series and general membership meetings.

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California GIS Contact Map

View a map of GIS contacts throughout California. Perfect for networking!

Become a CGIA Member

We are GIS professionals, students, educators and nonprofits. Join CGIA and gain access to job updates, networking events, annual awards programs, discounted conference registrations and more. As a CGIA member you have the opportunity to participate in the shaping of GIS industry standards, best practices and legislation affecting California and the nation.