Kenny Ratliff, Past President 

Kenny Ratliff, Past President, 

"It is with gratitude that I introduce myself, Kenny Ratliff – as candidate for the office of President-Elect, Kentucky Association of Mapping Professionals. As a 1990 graduate of Morehead State University with a major in Geography and minor in Geology, I couldn’t have dreamed of where those courses of study would take me. It wasn’t until 1997, while working in Public Health that I was able to make GIS the focus of my career. There were many successes that followed with the efforts of a great team, resulting in an Esri Special Achievement in Geography award in 2007. Since that time my GIS experiences have included the different industries of Emergency Management, Military/Defense, State GIS and Environmental Planning. Bringing me to my current position as GIS Manager for the Oldham County Water District. It doesn’t seem like 24 years of GIS experience has passed that quickly!

In looking back, I’ve attended 12 State GIS Conferences during those years. The official records show I’ve been a member of KAMP for the past 5 years since rejoining following a brief time away. Prior to that, I served as KAMP director from 2006 to 2008. Since re-engaging with KAMP in 2016, I’ve worked to increase the participation of public utility GIS organizations. It’s been encouraging to see growth from this industry group. Additionally, I always attempt to engage in each quarterly meeting. When not presenting at the conferences, I’ve made sure to volunteer to moderate. For last year’s event, I created and hosted a pre-conference webinar on Esri Story Maps.

My goal in seeking the role of President-Elect is pretty simple. To continue to build on the successes of those leaders before me. The adage ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ applies to a certain extent. However, we can always seek to improve in our membership, outreach, relevance, and visibility. The evolvement of culture, how we interact with each other, and technologies – demand that KAMP seek innovative opportunities to push boundaries. Specifically, I think we must seek increased engagement with high school and collegiate level students. They are the future of the GIS industry. Overall, it is my desire to listen to and leverage the ideas of members while contributing my experience to KAMP’s continued growth. In doing so, we can contribute to the future of Kentucky GIS!

Thank you for the privilege of being a candidate for this role and your consideration!"

Demetrio Zourarakis, Ph.D., President Elect

Kelly Wright, MS, GISP, Secretary

Kelly Wright, MS, GISP is the GIS Analyst for the City of Monroe, Ohio, and coordinates GIS initiatives for Public Works, Engineering, Utilities, Public Safety, and Planning and Development departments. Previously, she worked as the GIS Program Manager at an AE Consulting firm in Dayton, Ohio, managing asset management, web GIS and transportation GIS projects for local, state, and federal governments. Ms. Wright holds a Bachelor of Arts in Geography from the University of Texas at Austin (2004) and began her career in GIS at the Ohio Department of Transportation while completing a Master of Science in Geographic Information Science from the University of Southern California’s Spatial Sciences Institute (2017), attaining her GISP certification in 2018 and her Part 107 sUAS pilot certification in 2022. Ms. Wright regularly presents at conferences and workshops about GIS career development, negotiating better salaries and working conditions, the GISP certification, and technical topics, and is passionate about encouraging young people, women, and minorities to consider careers in GIS and tech and find opportunity through networking and participation in professional organizations. Until recently, Ms. Wright was the President of the Southwestern Ohio GIS User Group (SWOGIS) and regularly offers professional development and GIS technology sessions at industry events, also participating in local and statewide event and conference planning in Ohio and Kentucky. She has been a member of KAMP since 2019 and sits on the Education and Professional Development committee, and as KAMP Secretary is an ex-officio member of the Communications Committee.

Ray Rush, Treasurer

Ray Rush, Treasurer, works with Stantec Consulting Services in client focused role, leading teams to design and implement digital solutions for complex problems. His work is focused in the water and environmental fields. He serves as a trusted advisor, working with clients to understand their needs, clearly define the work, and deliver. These solutions often involve GIS as a component. For 24 years, he has enjoyed the variety of work from serving as a consultant. Ray’s background includes engineering, geographic information systems, system integration, and application development. He is both a licensed Professional Engineer and certified GIS Professional. He has been a member of KAMP for 10 years and has presented at several annual conferences. When he’s not in the office, Ray enjoys spending time with family and friends. When weather is good, he likes getting outside to run, bike, paddle, or hike. Although recently Ray has been picking up the guitar, don’t look for him on a stage anytime soon.

Kim Morrow,  Director

Kim Morrow, Director, is an experienced Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Manager with over two decades of involvement in her field. She has been a member of KAMP for eleven years and previously served as a KAMP Board Director from 2020-2022. Ms. Morrow earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Geography from Western Kentucky University in 1999. For the last sixteen years, Ms. Morrow has held the position of GIS Manager for the Barren River Area Development District in Bowling Green. In 2022, Ms. Morrow was appointed as the Kentucky Council of Area Development Districts (KCADD) representative to the Geographic Information Advisory Council (GIAC) and is currently serving in her first term. In her spare time, Ms. Morrow enjoys serving in the music ministry at her church, traveling with her family, and attending her children’s sporting and musical events.

Daren Jones,  Director

Laura Krauser, Director

Nic Braune,  Director

Annemarie Sacra,  Director

Annemarie Cason Sacra, Director, has over 11 years of GIS experience, and has been a member of KAMP for 8. Currently she is the GIS Specialist for Kentuckiana Regional Planning and Development Agency (KIPDA). Annemarie is primarily responsible for the Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP) and Water Resources Information System (WRIS) contracts as well as assisting with our Transportation Planning projects as needed. Annemarie served as Communications Chair from 2016 – 2019, earned the Service to KAMP Award in 2017, became Awards Chair in 2021 and earned the President’s Award in 2021 as well.

Her goals include encouraging modernization and streamlining of KAMP’s web presence as well as reviving robust quarterly meetings with a full slate of peer presentations and off-conference Professional Development opportunities like workshops throughout the year.

Chris Lyons, Director