The one-day conference was hosted by Pennsylvania Speaker of the House Dennis M. O'Brien (R-169th District-Philadelphia), sponsored by the Pennsylvania legislature's Legislative Office for Research Liaison (LORL), and convened by Pennsylvania State University's Center for Geospatial Information Services, in Harrisburg.

The symposium was organized to discuss issues and gather information for the legislature's consideration of H.B. 1304, a bill to establish the Pennsylvania Geospatial Coordinating Council.

PA-MAPPS President Ashis Pal (geographIT, Lancaster, PA), who was a witness at an August 29 hearing before a legislative committee of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on H.B. 1304, was among those making welcoming remarks at the October 4 symposium.  He said, "PA-MAPPS believes geospatial technologies can help improve the delivery of government services to its citizens and wishes to work with the General Assembly and the Executive Branch to expand the application of geo technologies in the Commonwealth, and to create policies and procedures to assure its efficient application, utilization and deployment."

The symposium featured speakers from government at the state and local levels, universities, non-profit organizations and the private sector, who discussed the role of geospatial data and services in Pennsylvania's economy and in the delivery of government services.

"We are pleased that PA-MAPPS is making an immediate impact on behalf of private geospatial firms in Pennsylvania," said Marvin E. Miller, PLS, PPS, CP (AERO-METRIC, Maple Grove, MN), the President of MAPPS.

"This symposium was an excellent opportunity for the Pennsylvania Legislature to learn about the geospatial community and discuss legislation that can help the Commonwealth fully utilize the talents of private geospatial firms and employ the technology to make government more efficient and enhance the quality of life for all citizens of Pennsylvania," said MAPPS Executive Director John Palatiello.

About PA-MAPPS and MAPPS
MAPPS is the only national association exclusively comprised of private firms in the spatial data and geographic information system field in the United States. Formed in 1982, MAPPS has expanded in size and scope to become the voice of private U.S geospatial firms. PA-MAPPS is the first state chapter in the MAPPS organization, formed in May, 2007 to represent private sector geospatial firms based in or with offices in Pennsylvania, or firms doing business in or with an interest in Pennsylvania. Firms are jointly members of MAPPS and PA-MAPPS. For information and membership application, visit www.mapps.org or www.mapps.org/PAChapter.