My name is Mary Chambless. I have been using GIS professionally since 2012 and gained initial exposure to the software while studying Zoology at Ohio Wesleyan University starting in 2009. I have held various positions within the wildlife and GIS career fields including GIS Technician, Field Mapping Technician, Wildlife Technician, Planner/GIS Analyst, GIS Analyst, and Independent GIS Contractor. I am currently employed with Louisville Metro Government Parks and Recreation Division of Urban Forestry as a GIS Analyst. Our team inventories, maintains, generates, and processes all data associated with the trees located within public parks and public right-of-way spaces which are maintained by the Urban Forestry team.

I joined the Kentucky Association of Mapping Professionals (KAMP) in April of 2023. At the time, I was still living and working in the Black Hills of South Dakota, but when I attempted to broaden my professional network, I quickly realized that there was not an active GIS Professional group in the region. I could have joined an organization a few states away in the Western U.S. region, but I had no personal ties to those states or areas. This is when I found KAMP. I couldn’t think of a better way to keep my roots alive than to join a fabulous group of mapping enthusiasts in the Commonwealth.

This past year, I have become increasingly active within the Communications Board of KAMP. I began creating social media content and designs for KAMP in the fall of 2025, and was asked to take on more responsibilities, which I gladly accepted. Most recently, I volunteered to host and lead the Q2 Women in GIS meeting, where we discussed being overly apologetic in (and out of) the workplace.

Being a director on the KAMP Executive Board would be an amazing opportunity. To serve the greater mapping community of the Commonwealth of Kentucky would be a great honor for me, both professionally and personally. Kentucky is my home, and I cannot imagine a better way to give back to the community. As a member of the board, I would strive to make sure KAMP continues to grow and evolve in a positive and progressive manner, stay connected regionally and locally with other like-minded organizations, and would put forth efforts to reach larger audiences through young professional networking resources across the Commonwealth to increase memberships. Through thoughtful communication, meaningful work, and dedication, I will do everything in my power to serve KAMP and its members to the best of my abilities.

View my video here.