Earlier this academic year, one of our software developers, Jon Marokhovsky, attended the Free and Open-Source Software for Geospatial: North America 2024 (FOSS4G NA Conference) in St. Louis, Missouri – a hub for geospatial innovation.

The three-day event included engaging discussions and hands on workshops, and Jon took full advantage by diving into sessions on real time geospatial tools like PostGIS and QGIS. The keynote speakers’ topics included open-source collaboration and the increased need for geospatial talent.

“Collaboration is what makes the open-source community so powerful“ was one of Jon’s takeaways from the event. Another key insight he noted was, “Change the world, because that change gives GIS people something to analyze.” This opportunity helped Jon to get more context on the current state of geospatial software and how his software development knowledge fits in to help Clark’s Center for Geospatial Analytics in understanding and advancing the field. Jon encourages software engineers and computer science students to participate and learn more about the geospatial industry, as this field is expanding and there is a huge opportunity for growth.  

At Clark CGA, we believe that continuous learning and professional development are integral to upholding our field. Conferences like FOSS4G NA provide a platform for the team to remain ahead of the game and think critically in the constantly evolving world of geospatial analytics.