GoGeomatics Community Manager Profile: Deanna Sokoloski, Ottawa
It’s with great pleasure that we share Deanna Sokoloski’s profile with the community. She has been working with us since May 2012 as the GoGeomatics Canada Community Manager. Deanna has proven instrumental in helping to create the new GoGeomatics Canada, both online and in the real world. Deanna is both hardworking and disciplined. She is the winner of numerous awards for her studies in geomatics as well as leadership for her work as a competitive synchronized swim coach.
After completing an Honours B.A. in Geography at the University of Ottawa in 2011, with a minor in Geomatics & Spatial Analysis, Deanna went on to further pursue her interest in the field by recently completing a Post-Graduate Certificate in GIS at the Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology. Deanna was was honoured by receiving the 2013 ESRI Canada Scholarship Award based on collegiality, academic excellence and a passion for GIS.
Beyond her interest in swimming and showing her leadership skills through her various coaching experiences with the Nepean Synchronized Swimming Club, Deanna has also worked on numerous GIS projects for GoGeomatics Canada. Sometimes the community forgets that we still do consulting work on geomatics and GIS projects. Deanna has done her fair share of these for us. In 2012, Deanna also worked as a GIS Consultant with Crestview Strategy where she prepared maps and worked on ad-hoc projects with Map Info Professional, digitized shape-files with photo interpretation to demonstrate provincial and territorial electoral districts, and maintained the quality of data.
During her two summers spent working for the City of Hamilton in 2008 and 2009 as a GIS Student Technician, Deanna was also able to apply new concepts with GeoMedia Professional and Microsoft Office, update the Ecological Land Classification database, provide maps, assist with site inspections, update datasets, and maintain error logs and procedure documentation. In 2008, Deanna’s head supervisor at the City of Hamilton also nominated her to be sent to the RYLA conference at Brock University to further build on her leadership skills.
With her desire to expand within the field of geomatics, her educational and work background in the field and her enthusiasm for geomatics, Deanna has recently accepted an internship position with the Canadian Hydrographic Services. Deanna remains part of the GoGeomatics community and you can say hi to her at the Ottawa Socials and read her GoGeomatics articles (especially the ‘Relying on Technology for EMS in Canada – Pros and Cons‘, and her ‘Kincardine to Ottawa, Ontario Drive: Testing Google Earth vs. ArcGIS 10 GPS Capabilities‘. Or stay connected with her virtually using her Twitter.
“Deanna is a truly exceptional person. She is an asset to every project she works on and has continually shown initiative and passion for geomatics and the GoGeomatics Canada community. It is that drive and dedication she puts into every part of her life that I know will see her become a key leader in the Canadian geomatics community and successful at any goal she put her mind too.”
-Jonathan Murphy GoGeomatics Canada
