Other than my incredible colleagues at Esri, and our distributors and partners, here are 16 amazing reasons to attend the 2026 Esri GIS Leadership Summit. These are the remarkable speakers that will be sharing their 300+ years of knowledge and guidance with a select number of attendees. ... View more

The Esri GIS Managers Summit returns as the Esri GIS Leadership Summit on July 12, 2026, building on the strong foundation of recent years with an even greater focus on interaction, leadership, and meaningful conversation. Held on-site the day before the Esri User Conference, the Summit brings together GIS leaders, IT professionals, and business and executive stakeholders who are guiding GIS as a critical organizational capability. A Leadership Summit—Designed for Engagement The 2026 Summit prioritizes dialogue, collaboration, and shared learning through on-stage conversations, leadership panels, facilitated discussions, and peer exchange. The goal is to provide practical insight you can apply immediately while connecting with others leading GIS programs today. Leadership Voices—From the Executive Level and Beyond This year’s Summit features an expanded lineup of leadership professionals on stage, including executive-level speakers and senior Esri leadership. These perspectives highlight how GIS leadership today is about influence, communication, and outcomes—across all parts of an organization. Registration Information The GIS Leadership Summit includes a nominal registration fee of $149, which includes a full day of the summit with food, drinks, and the social, but space is limited – find out more and register in advance online.  As a thank you to those who have supported the growth of the summit, returning attendees from the last two years are eligible for a registration discount – check your emails for an invitation. Hope to see you there! ... View more

Great article on the importance of what I call "essential skills", commonly known as "soft skills". Bottom line: if you want to advance your career, work on non-technical skills. They are harder to find & master. Mesa, Ariz.’s CIO on the Importance of ‘Soft Skills’ in IT   ... View more

With the growth of those leading the impact of GIS in their organizations, this group has seen many people joining in, with titles outside of the realm of "GIS Manager".  To reflect this, we're updating how we talk about this community, to focus on GIS Leadership more broadly. ... View more

One of the best things you can do to get executive sponsorship for your public sector GIS program is to get your IT director to attend the Esri Public Sector CIO Summit. All IT leaders need at a minimum an annual briefing on the latest trends in GIS. The event is Mar. 25-26 at Esri HQ in Redlands. There is no charge to attend. I have personally seen how this one event changed the attitude of IT directors and they became enthusiastic sponsors of enterprise GIS. Please forward along this info to your IT directors. There will be powerful presentations and lots of time to network with their peers. In addition to Esri leadership, this year’s featured speakers include: Rob Burke, Business Services Manager & Enterprise GIS Program Lead, Manatee Co., FL Chris Carter, GIS Manager, Anaheim, CA Brendan Cleary, GIS Manager, Chattanooga, TN Elizabeth Crowe, Director of Urban Analytics & Innovation, Cleveland, OH Heather Danforth, VP of US State, Local & Education, Microsoft Ed Jin, Info. Systems Manager, Anaheim, CA Aaron Judy, Chief of Innovation & Emerging Technologies, Maricopa Co., AZ Bill Kehoe, Director & State CIO, Washington John Matelski, CIO, National Association of Counties (NACo) Richard McHattie, CIO, Maricopa Co., AZ Jerele Neeld, CIO, Chattanooga, TN Ryan Ritualo, IT Manager, East Valley Water District Doug Robinson, Executive Director, NASCIO Teryn Zmuda, Chief Economist & Chief Research Officer, NACo More info here: https://www.esri.com/en-us/about/events/cio-summit/overview   ... View more