I'm working with a colleague to set up a local meetup for women in Spatial Science on GIS Day this year.

It's not just for women. If you're a male GIS professional interested in promoting gender balance in the industry, please join us. The reason I'm inspired to give this meetup a women-in-GIS focus is because our industry isn't particularly gender-balanced. Depending on which survey you read, women make up about ~45% of the industry. In developer and managerial roles, it's more like 20%.

I’m fortunate to be one of that 20%, and I’d like to do what I can support and encourage the 45%.

So please, if you're in the area, come join us. Let’s talk about our research and our projects, troubleshoot some problems, make some connections. In this current political climate, I feel more and more that we need to support each other, and encourage healthy professional communities.

Hope to see you there.