Herndon, Virginia (September 17, 2019)—The United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) will host a robust series of events Oct. 7-9 in St. Louis, Mo., highlighting the region’s vibrant and growing geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) community.
In the past decade, the St. Louis area has evolved into a hub of geospatial innovation. With the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s (NGA) Next NGA West (N2W) campus in development and more industry partners making their mark in the city, GEOINT has catapulted forward, putting St. Louis on the map for geospatial excellence.
“We are so excited to host this expanded event,” said USGIF Vice President of Programs Ronda Schrenk. “The St. Louis area geospatial community is growing by leaps and bounds. You can’t help but feel the energy. The Geospatial Gateway Forum will feature much of the work that is being done in this region by people who live and work here. And we’ll endeavor to highlight the depth and breadth of the ever-expanding GEOINT discipline.”
USGIF’s Geospatial Gateway Forum will kick off Oct. 7 with the first St. Louis GEOINT Community Job Fair at the America’s Center Convention Complex. This event is free for jobseekers to find the employers that match their skills and dedication to the GEOINT Community.
Later that day, the Foundation’s Young Professionals Group (YPG) will host a panel discussion on growing opportunities for young professionals in the St. Louis area at the T-REX technology incubator downtown.
On Oct. 8, USGIF will host an unclassified workshop titled “Show me the Geospatial Tradecraft” at the convention center, featuring keynote addresses by NGA Director Vice Adm. Robert Sharp and St. Louis Cardinals President William DeWitt III. The program will also include panel discussions on AI applications in GEOINT, geospatial practitioners in academia, and more. The day will close with a networking reception at the Globe Building.
On Oct. 9, the Foundation, in partnership with NGA, will hold a Classified Tech Day at the agency’s western campus in St. Louis. The agenda will include additional remarks by Sharp as well as a presentation on data-driven analysis led by NGA’s Melissa Planert, more than 30 technology demonstrations, and tours of the NGA Operations Center and museum. Attendance Oct. 9 requires a TS//SI//TK//NOFORN clearance, which must be passed no later than Oct. 2 at 3 p.m. Complete agenda and registration information for the Geospatial Gateway Forum may be found here.
USGIF will conclude the three-day series with STEMulate St. Louis, a free K-12 STEM event to take place from 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 9 at Saint Louis University (SLU). STEMulate will feature the Portable Planet giant map of North America supplied by USGIF, a flight simulator from SLU’s Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology, and exhibitions from organizations based in St. Louis including BAE Systems, Boeing Intelligence & Analytics, CEdge, L3Harris, LaunchCode, NGA, Planet Federal, and more.
About USGIF
USGIF is a nonprofit educational foundation dedicated to promoting the geospatial intelligence tradecraft and developing a stronger GEOINT Community among government, industry, academia, professional organizations, and individuals who develop and apply GEOINT to address global security challenges. USGIF achieves its mission via its strategic pillars: Build the Community | Advance the Tradecraft | Accelerate Innovation. For more information, please visit www.USGIF.org and follow USGIF on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.