About the Reviewers

Alissa Bickar is a GIS Analyst and instructor who has a large interest in geospatial technologies and projects. She has developed various courses as an instructor for GeoSpatial Training Services and has been appointed as the ArcGIS Desktop Training Program Manager with GTS. She is responsible for developing and updating course materials for the program, as well as assisting clients with their course and annual subscriptions.

She has extensive experience in the GIS field as a consultant to federal and local governments, environmental engineering firms, and many clients in the Oil and Gas industry. She also has experience as a college professor and has helped develop GIS and Geography courses for higher education.

Alissa has both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Geography from California University of Pennsylvania.

Ann Stark, a GISP since 2005, has been active in the GIS profession for 15 years. She is passionate about GIS and is an active and engaging member of the GIS community in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, coordinating local user groups and serving as the President of the region’s GIS professional group. She is an enthusiastic teacher who explains how to effectively use Python with ArcGIS and maintains a blog devoted to the topic at GISStudio.wordpress.com. She co-owns a GIS consulting business, called Salish Coast Sciences, which provides strategic planning, process automation, and GIS development services.

To unwind from technology, Ann enjoys spending time with her husband and son at their urban farm in the heart of a city where they seek to live sustainably and as self-sufficiently as an urban farm allows.

Tripp Corbin, CFM, GISP is the CEO and a Co-founder of eGIS Associates, Inc. He has over 20 years of surveying, mapping, and GIS-related experience. Tripp is recognized as an industry expert with a variety of geospatial software packages including Esri, Autodesk, and Trimble products. He holds multiple certifications including Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP), Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM), Certified GIS Professional (GISP), Comptia Certified Technical Trainer (CTT+), and Esri Certified Trainer.

As a GIS Instructor, Tripp has taught students from around the world the power of GIS. He has authored many classes on topics ranging from the beginner level, such as Introduction to GIS, GIS Fundamentals to more advanced topics such as ArcGIS Server Installation, Configurations and Tweaks. Tripp recently helped the University of North Alabama Continuing Studies Center develop an online GIS Analyst Certificate Program.

Tripp believes in giving back to the profession that has given him so much. As a result, he is heavily active in multiple GIS-oriented professional organizations. He is a past President of Georgia, URISA, and was recently the Keynote Speaker for the Georgia Geospatial Conference. Tripp also serves on the URISA International Board of Directors, in addition to being a member of the GISP Application Review committee and an At-Large GITA Southeast Board Member.

Other contributions Tripp has made to the GIS Profession include helping to draft the new Geospatial Technology Competency Model that was adopted by the US Department of Labor, presenting at various conferences and workshops around the US, and providing help to other GIS professionals around the world on various blogs, lists, and forums.