April 01, 2010 -- The Pennsylvania Chapter of MAPPS ( www.mapps.org), the association of private geospatial firms, will host two gubernatorial campaigns on Tuesday, April 6 in Harrisburg, PA. Auditor General Jack Wagner (D) and Nick DiFrancesco, campaign representative for Attorney General Tom Corbett (R) will speak to geospatial business leaders from throughout the Commonwealth.

In the forum, private geospatial firm representatives will meet with the candidates in a roundtable session to discuss their campaigns. The members of PA-MAPPS are interested in the utilization of geospatial technology to aid the citizens of the Commonwealth.

"We are appreciative of the time that the candidates will spend to talk with us as our firms represent constituents from across the Commonwealth. Geospatial technology - computer aided maps and geographic information data bases -- can have a positive impact on the operations of government and the quality of life of all citizens in the Commonwealth," said Michael Shillenn, CP (Photo Science, Inc., West Chester, PA), PA-MAPPS President.

The event will be taped by the Pennsylvania Cable Network, a broadcast date has not been announced.

Currently, PA-MAPPS is working with other stakeholders to form a State Geospatial Coordination council that would advise the Governor on the utilization of geospatial technology to help eliminate duplication and provide greater understanding to the number of applications and resource the technology can provide to agencies from the State level down to local townships. Legislation to establish such a council, HB 2300, is being introduced in the Pennsylvania General Assembly by Representative Russ Fairchild (R-85th)

For information on geospatial technologies, view a video produced by Penn State University, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdQjc30YPOk" target="_NewWindow1">click here.

About PA-MAPPS and MAPPS

PA-MAPPS, the first state chapter of MAPPS, is open to private firms in the geospatial community including those in photogrammetry, satellite and airborne remote sensing, hydrography, aerial and satellite image processing, surveying, GPS, and GIS data collection and conversion services in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. PA-MAPPS has two membership categories; Member Firms: geospatial service firms with offices and employees based in Pennsylvania and Associate Members: companies that do business in but not having a physical office or businesses in the Commonwealth, or those that provide hardware, software, products and services to the geospatial profession in the Keystone State.Firms in PA-MAPPS are also members of MAPPS.

About MAPPS

Formed in 1982, MAPPS is the only national association exclusively comprised of private firms in the remote sensing, spatial data and geographic information systems field in the United States. Current MAPPS memberships span the entire spectrum of the geospatial community, including Member Firms engaged in satellite and airborne remote sensing, surveying, photogrammetry, aerial photography, LIDAR, hydrography, bathymetry, charting, aerial and satellite image processing, GPS, and GIS data collection and conversion services. MAPPS also includes Associate Member Firms, which are companies that provide hardware, software, products and services to the geospatial profession in the United States and other firms from around the world. MAPPS provides its 180+ member firms opportunities for networking and developing business-to-business relationships, information sharing, education, public policy advocacy, market growth, and professional development and image enhancement.

For more information on MAPPS, please visit www.MAPPS.org.