On November 16, Forsyth County participated in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Day, part of the National Geographic Society's exciting new Geography Action initiative, a year-long program encompassing key educational achievements such as GIS Day and Geography Awareness Week.

A formal celebration was held in the Commissioners Meeting Room of the County Administration Building in which County Manager Jeff Quesenberry, GIS Manager John Kilgore, IT Director Dennis Barron and Vice President of Economic Development for the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce Brian Dill, gave speeches in support of GIS and GIS Day.

In the weeks leading up to GIS Day, the county’s GIS department placed displays in the foyer of the County Administration Building showcasing some of the department’s projects from the past year. County employees also had the opportunity to participate in special GIS training sessions familiarizing them with the various GIS applications within the county government.

At the November 7 Board of Commissioners meeting, a GIS Day proclamation was read by students from Central and North Forsyth High Schools. "The promotion of geography and geographic literacy in schools is recognized and celebrated in Forsyth County," the proclamation stated.

"I am really pleased and grateful for the chance to provide GIS services to the county," said Kilgore. The support our efforts have received has been tremendous, from the Board of Commissioners to the department heads and department personnel.

We will strive to continue providing quality and usable products, said Kilgore. This is decidedly a team effort, one that we enjoy doing, as was evident from the products that were on display.

Maps have fascinated people for thousands of years. They date back to the earliest forms of communication and have been found in primitive rock art and petroglyphs around the world. Now, as we have entered the new millennium in an electronic and interactive world, mapmaking tools are more sophisticated and maps are taking on new roles through GIS. These new digital, interactive maps loaded with information let us see and manage the world in entirely new ways.

In Forsyth County, emergency call takers use GIS to locate car accidents, fires or other emergency sites for rescue operations. Businesses employ GIS to locate new stores, offices and residential developments. The Sheriff's Office solves crimes by layering information such as crime locations with addresses of suspects on parole or with criminal histories. Both the Water and Sewer Department and Engineering Department use GIS for modeling of capacities of new and current water line and storm water drainage issues. GIS has become an integrated part of Forsyth County operations.

The technologies used by the GIS community are evolving rapidly, becoming more user-friendly each day. They will play a vital role in the future growth and security of Forsyth County including the use, management and exchange of geographic data. GIS Day serves to enhance awareness of GIS technology and the important contributions it is making in the fields of science, information and the humanities.