URISA Leadership Academy (ULA)
Five Days of Targeted GIS Leadership Training...Taught by GIS Leaders
In today's work environment, it doesn't pay to sit still. Keeping your skills sharp can make the difference between moving ahead and becoming stale or even obsolete. Learn from the best minds in the profession and take your skills to the next level by attending the URISA Leadership Academy.
The entire five day program, the only leadership training program of its type, is tailored to industry leaders and practitioners faced with unique challenges of GIS leadership and management and who want to make an impact leveraging the power of GIS. .
Take advantage of one of these two offerings in 2014:
- May 5-9, 2014: Calgary, Alberta
- October 13-17, 2014: Louisville, Kentucky
“I would highly recommend the ULA event; it helped to broaden my organizational awareness and perspective regarding leadership roles within a GIS context. I walked away from this experience feeling invigorated and, thanks to a daily learning journal, empowered to implement tailor-made action items within my daily work routine. After almost a year I still find myself referencing the material and my course notes. The ULA team-based exercises allowed participants to learn from each other, to analyze their own issues and challenges, and to thoroughly explore leadership strategies throughout the five day event.” - Laura Holmes B.Sc., GISP, GIS Lead - Associate, TERA Environmental Consultants, Calgary, Alberta (ULA 2012 Graduate - Savannah, Georgia)
GISP® Points for attending the full ULA = 1.25 EDU Points.
May 2013 Graduates - San Antonio
What they had to say:
"I learned so much in one week, it's a miracle. I have immediately started work on a GIS Strategic Plan."
"This was the best week of training I have ever had, and you can quote me on that."
“Leadership has no title."
“Even though I am not the manager, I can be a leader for my organization in GIS and be an agent of change.”
Developing Strong GIS Leadership Skills
The success of any GIS program is largely tied to the capabilities of its leader. Strong leadership is necessary to establish a solid GIS program, operate efficiently and effectively, coordinate participants, adapt to change, and move a program forward. Leadership, however, is a skill that must be developed.
The URISA Leadership Academy was established to meet this need. Learn key GIS leadership and management factors and techniques, successful team development, organizational capacity building, program investment and justification, GIS politics, change management, situation assessment, and problem solving. Courses are taught by proven leaders in the profession (all are GISPs and accomplished in the field). Each course will include numerous interactive exercises, team-building tools, and opportunities to delve into topics in a way you cannot do at a large conference. (Note that course attendance is limited in size to encourage such interaction...so register early to reserve your spot.)
2014 ULA Schedule & Course Details
The ULA will be offered twice in 2014:
- Calgary, Alberta, Canada on May 5-9, 2014 at the Delta Bow Valley Hotel (hotel room rates $189 CDN... reservation instructions coming soon.)
- Louisville, Kentucky on October 13-17, 2014 at the Seelbach Hilton (hotel room rates $145... reservation instructions coming soon.
Downloadable Registration Form.
Quick Links
- Who should attend the ULA?
- Hear from recent ULA Graduates
- Faculty Listing
- Training in Tough Times - The URISA Leadership Academy Experience
- View the GIS-Pro 2011 Ignite Presentation on Leadership by ULA Chair, Claudia Paskauskas, GISP
- View the archived presentation of the ULA Virtual Information Session
- Greg Babinski, talks to Cadalyst about what it means to be a good GIS Leader.
ULA History:
December 2007 - New Orleans, Louisiana
June 2008 - Chicago, Illinois
December 2008 - Seattle, Washington
December 2009 - Seattle, Washington
June 2010 - Baltimore, Maryland
June 2011 - St Louis, Missouri
June 2012 - Savannah, Georgia
May 2013 - San Antonio, Texas
