All System Go – The Plane Has Left the Runway
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By Fay Young, TAGITM Education Committee Chair
The theme for the 2023 TAGITM Annual Conference is "All Systems Go," but the "education plane" has already left the runway. Two trips have been made through the "cloud," and the big ride of the year, the annual conference, is preparing for take-off. Our first "Ride through the Cloud" was on Dec. 6, 2022, when we traveled to Grand Prairie, TX, for the TAGITM North Texas Regional Summit. Our second "Ride Through the Cloud" was on Feb. 8, when we traveled to The Woodlands, TX, for the TAGITM South Texas Regional Summit.
If you missed the trips to the first two destinations, don't worry. There are two more destinations scheduled for this year. Our next stop will be in San Antonio, TX, from April 11-14, 2023, for the TAGITM Annual Conference. TAGITM will celebrate 45 years, and you will want to take advantage of this trip. Registration opened on Feb. 13. Secure your seat now!
On Feb. 9, the education committee reviewed the abstracts submitted for possible educational sessions for the annual conference. Historically the committee receives 35-50 abstracts for consideration. This year the committee received a record 100 abstracts. The thought of narrowing the proposals down from 100 to 15 was daunting, but the education committee buckled in and accomplished the task. There are some great sessions planned for this year’s conference.
TAGITM is constantly working to provide relevant content to its members. The 2023 conference is reflective of that effort. In addition to incredible keynote speakers, team building, networking, and quality technical sessions, we are partnering with ICMA to present a leadership track. We also recognize the growth in the use of GIS and will have a full day of sessions that focus on GIS.
TAGITM has a very diverse membership. This year we will have events that embrace our diversity. Don't think you will only need to attend the conference's middle days for the best stuff. We are teaming up with Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on the first day to facilitate a cybersecurity tabletop exercise. The first time we offered a cybersecurity tabletop, the room was packed. If everything goes as expected for the last day and session of the conference, you will want to be there. This is TAGITM's 45th anniversary. Take advantage of all the conference has to offer.
After the conference, the "education plane" plans to make one more flight this year. We will make a formal announcement once the itinerary is finalized. Before I close the gate, I want to give a shout-out to the members of the education committee: James Lewis (Committee Co-Chair, Deer Park), William Pham (Board, The Woodlands), Steve Leblond (Frisco), Keshnel Penny (Grand Prairie), Chad Williamson (TML Health), Angela Wright (Beaumont), David Bunch (Gulf Coast Water Authority), Fay Young (Committee Chair, Port Arthur). If you want to serve on the education committee, submit your name through the TAGITM website.
