Trimble’s Southard Elected to MAPPS Board

MAPPS, an association of private-sector geospatial firms, has elected George Southard of Trimble Navigation Limited to the MAPPS Board of Directors, representing the association’s associate members.

At its winter conference in January, the MAPPS membership approved a change to the association’s bylaws to create a non-voting, ex officio seat on the board, to be elected by and from associate member firms. Southard is the first to hold the seat, having been elected by his fellow associate members earlier this month.

MAPPS is the a national association of firms in the surveying, spatial data and geographic information systems field in the United States. MAPPS member firms are engaged in surveying, photogrammetry, satellite and airborne remote sensing, aerial photography, hydrography, aerial and satellite image processing, GPS and GIS data collection and conversion services. Associate members include firms that provide products and services to member firms, as well as other firms worldwide.

Southard has been an active participant in MAPPS since 1993. He’s served on various committees and presented at MAPPS conferences. He has served on the MAPPS Membership, Aerial Acquisition, Program and Associate Members Committees. He has been chair of the Associate Members Committee and most recently as the chair of the UAS Sub-committee to the Aerial Acquisition Forum. Southard has been on the association’s Nominations Committee for several MAPPS Board elections and was the MAPPS representative to the ASPRS Frank Moffitt Memorial Scholarship Committee.  

“We’re pleased to have George join the board,” said MAPPS President Jeff Lower (Precision Aerial Reconnaissance, LLC). “He is a recognized leader in our profession and will bring a valued and respected voice to MAPPS and our board.”