John Boos

About John Boos

Greetings,Here’s my GIS 20 years of GIS experience in a sentence. I have institutionalized GIS systems; built GIS capacity; and developed data collection tools, surveys, geospatial analyses, and visualizations in Afghanistan, Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Haiti, Iraq, Kenya, Malawi, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Timor L’este, Uganda, the United States, and Zambia.Now that that’s out of the way.I am motivated by Service. I find fulfillment in helping others do their jobs better. The notion of service also plays a role in my choice of GIS jobs which tend to cluster around international development, natural resource management, and public health and safety. My service is Clarity. I use GIS to bring my clients Clarity. I help them find the confidence to decide on a course of action. Some days I only raise additional questions, which are another step on the road to Clarity. On the good days, my clients reach a decision or bring closure to deliverables. On the great days, my clients find insight or epiphany. Those are the ones that keep my coming back for more.Why GIS? GIS speaks to my strengths and blends three things that I enjoy - people, math, and art. GIS starts as a conversation, uncovering client needs. Whether it’s a decision to inform or an organization to change, it’s fulfilling to listen to clients open up and help them find Clarity. Next, I work with data and develop analyses. I enjoy the focus that this requires and find it relaxing. After geeking out, I get to design maps and tell stories with it. It\'s very creative and I find it very fulfilling. I also get to institutionalize GIS in my client’s organizations. This is part therapist, part systems developer, and part trainer and allows me to \"teach a person to fish.\" I enjoy this because it allows people to generate their own Clarity. First, I help people define there challenges and needs, then I work with them to identify everything they need, from hardware, to data, to training to use GIS to help bring them Clarity. Then I get to to train them on how to use it all. It\'s awesome.At a deeper level GIS and geography speak to something much more fundamental and primal in me. I have always lived to explore the world. Whether it is taking a drive around home, going on trips to different parts of the U.S. or the world, or moving to a new country for years at a time; life has always been an exploration for me. In that sense, geography is at my core. Many people take pictures on vacation; I take a GPS. GIS allows me to see the world without leaving my desk.

Experience

1. Gis Analyst

   Smith Gardner, Inc.

   Dec 2024 — Present · Raleigh, NC, US

   Lead GIS Analyst at Smith Gardner, an environmental and civil engineering firm specializing in landfill infrastructure, solid waste planning, and environmental permitting. I manage geospatial workflows using ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, and Field Maps, developing maps, figures, and interactive web products that support regulatory exhibits, site development, and environmental assessments.Collaborate with project managers and engineers to define spatial analysis and mapping needs. Design customized GIS workflows, data schemas, and visualization products to support project goals. Develop drafts and refine deliverables iteratively based on client feedback to ensure accuracy and alignment. Create data collection tools using ArcGIS Field Maps and provide guidance on GIS data limits, proposing alternative sources or methods as needed. Manage multiple projects and assign GIS tasks to ensure timely, quality delivery.Convert and prepare data from AutoCAD and Civil 3D outputs for GIS integration. Perform quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) on GIS deliverables, including those from remote staff, and designed a digital task management system that streamlines workflows and ensures timely completion. Conduct routing, site suitability, and demographic analyses to support solid waste strategies.Support drone-based data collection through GIS route and checkpoint planning and developing DEM deliverables. Assist in field operations, including drone flights, GPS checkpoint collection using and RTK GNSS receiver, and as-built survey data acquisition. Process drone-derived LiDAR and orthographic imagery using DJI Terra, LP360, and Trimble Business Center to support volumetric tracking and topographic modeling of landfills and project sites.

Education

• Birkbeck, University of London

  MSc, Geographic Information Science

  2006 — 2009

• The Johns Hopkins University

  MPH, Epidemiology, International Health

  1995 — 1998

• Ohio Wesleyan University

  BA, Economics Management, Geography

  1985 — 1991

Skills

• Climate Change
• Python
• Remote Sensing
• Ngos
• Global Health
• Community Development
• Capacity Building
• Public Health
• International Health
• Program Management
• Sustainable Development
• International Development
• Environmental Science
• Program Development
• Proposal Writing
• Data Analysis
• Data Collection
• Technical Assistance
• Databases
• Geomatics
• Geography
• Project Management
• Microsoft Office
• Government
• Training
• Analysis
• Integration
• Program Evaluation
• Policy Analysis
• Spatial Analysis
• Global Positioning System (Gps)
• Gis
• Visual Basic for Applications (Vba)
• Spatial Databases
• Cartography
• Arcgis
• Esri
• Information Design
• Research
• Microsoft Excel