“You can't use an old map to explore a new world.” – attributed to Albert Einstein
No one understands this better than the professionals who have dedicated their careers to geography and geospatial sciences. The members of the Minnesota Geospatial Advisory Council's 3D Geomatics Committee (3DGeo)—which includes Widseth’s Mark Reineke—received a 2021 Geospatial Excellence Catalyst Award for their work in establishing a statewide lidar collect that is available to the public. The award, presented by the National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC), recognizes the group’s efforts to educate stakeholders, collect data, and foster the momentum that will sustain this effort.
NSGIC had this to say:
The hard work of 3DGeo serves as a model for collaboration in promotion and collection of high-quality statewide lidar, to create free and open datasets and derivative products, for better understanding of our environment and improving business processes across that state.
Mark Reineke, CMS, GISP, represents the private sector of the 3DGeo Steering Committee and is a member of the 3DGeo Acquisition Workgroup, which is working on getting a new statewide lidar collect for Minnesota. As Widseth’s GIS Manager, Reineke coordinates projects across the firm’s nine locations in Minnesota and North Dakota.