Drew Stephens

About Drew Stephens

Working in the GIS Industry since 1991, primarily in Natural Resource applications of Esri products. Supported a wide variety of projects in forestry, conservation, and maritime applications. Significant experience in start-up services and database design, as well as training and consulting services. Authored or co-authored many instructor-led GIS training courses. Professional industry experience has led from software manufacturing companies (Intergraph, Huntsville, AL and Esri, Boulder, CO) to the creation of an independent consulting and training firm (AllPoints GIS, Denver, CO), and on to the founding of the conservation GIS non-profit, The GIS Institute (now Puente Institute), Asheville, NC. In various roles, I have supported a wide range of GIS projects and programs in the Natural Resources sector, maintaining leadership in corporate structure, finance, personnel, and operations. Returned to Esri in 2012, serving as Industry Manager for Ocean and Coastal Environments, expanding to Science and Research Manager on the Education Outreach team. There, I leveraged my experience and passion for ocean science and conservation to support the successful application and use of GIS in Research and Exploration, Marine Ecosystems, Aquaculture and Fisheries, Coastal Protection, and Ocean Use Planning. Now with CPC, Inc, we are deploying new technologies with ocean drone data collection, and tools in the ArcGIS family of products to better understand and manage our ocean assets. Many of our project areas are hard to reach, and include modeled and multi-dimensional data, for which Esri has recently developed tools help us visualize and unlock. We help bring together the data, tools, and people for a lasting value in ocean GIS. Specialties: Ocean, coastal and maritime GIS application support. GIS Training and database design, GPS data collection in incorporation to GIS, field, maritime, and conservation applications of GIS

Experience

1. Vice President, Geosciences

   Cardinal Point Captains, Inc

   Jul 2020 — Present · Asheville, NC, US

   Integrating years of ocean GIS experience with state-of-the-art geospatial technology to enhance offerings in the maritime and ocean technology sector. We work with our customers and staff to grow the CPC geospatial blueprint in marine environments, building and delivering a lasting business value. Whether developing new ocean service methodologies, or enhancing our existing programs, we enable a better understanding of our oceans, and improve time to (and quality of) planning and decision making. As Esri Business Partners, we configure and deploy ArcGIS tools in ocean applications for monitoring, mapping, analysis, and science communication.

Education

• Appalachian State University

  MA, Geography and Planning

  1989 — 1991

• Warren Wilson College

  BA, Environmental Studies

  1983 — 1988