July 2018

232 233 significant advantages in efficiency and cost-ef- fectiveness for the company. People saw the technology’s potential, and in 1978, they decided to hold the first “Keystone Conference,” which attracted 32 attendees. In 1982, a formal, not-for- profit organization was chartered to serve this growing industry with an educational forum to exchange ideas and evaluate changing technolo- gies. The association was named Automated Map- ping/Facilities Management International (AM/ FM International), reflecting a revolutionary new technology that was sweeping the utility industry. AM/FM International provided vision and lead- ership in educating individuals interested in implementing AM/FM/GIS technology. In 1998, AM/FM International changed its name to the Geospatial Information & Technology Associa- tion, in order to better reflect the association’s focus. GITA’s mission at the time was to provide geospatial solutions via education, information exchange, and applied research on the use and benefits of geospatial information and technolo- gy for infrastructure. The evolution of the association and its mission has changed over the years. Initially, in the AM/ FM days, and the early years of GITA, there was a strong emphasis on the research of technolo- gy and finding the right technology that would accomplish our membership’s goal of creating efficient mapping departments while providing proper analysis of data. As the industry matured, GITA redirected its GEOSPATIAL INFORMATION & TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION focus from a technology analysis and recom- mendation mission to one providing educational services and training opportunities to the broader GIS community. Primarily, educational services are delivered via conferences, both national and regional, and via online services. GITA has main- tained that outreach to the present day. Vision and Mission: Recognizing that geospa- tial technologies have spread well beyond infra- structure based industries, the board of directors in 2017 refreshed the association’s vision and mission statements.Where previously, the orga- nization was focused on technology research and analysis for an infrastructure focused member- AT A GLANCE GEOSPATIAL INFORMATION & TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION WHAT: A professional trade association WHERE: St. Paul, Minnesota WEBSITE: www.gita.org