The UVM Spatial Analysis Lab has a long history of high quality and high impact GIS work. In the last year alone the SAL has performed emergency response to multiple major flood events, taught numerous workshops for first responders, state/federal employees, and highschol students and produced tens of thousands of square miles of high resolution land cover data, mapping areas that contain more than 9% of the total US population. In addition to producing these high quality services and datasets the SAL has employed upwards of 350 students/recent graduates/new GIS professionals in the past 15 years and currently has a robust work force of 40 technicians/GIS operators.
The SAL would like to share some lessons learned and insights gained from decades of work in the geospatial field and running such a complex, flexible and high achieving organization in the rapidly changing technological landscape.