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Safer Communities, Stronger Economies – in 3D

July 25, 2014

Outdated and inconsistent elevation data cost lives and hinder prosperity across our Nation. Current and precise 3D elevation data are essential to help communities cope with natural hazards, support infrastructure, ensure agricultural success, strengthen environmental decision making and bolster national security.

Welcome to the 2014 Briefing Series for Members of Congress and Staff

This year's theme is "Start with Science"

Previous Congressional Briefings

Third in the 2014 series

Safer Communities, Stronger Economies – in 3D — July 25, 2014

Outdated and inconsistent elevation data cost lives and hinder prosperity across our Nation. Current and precise 3D elevation data are essential to help communities cope with natural hazards, support infrastructure, ensure agricultural success, strengthen environmental decision making and bolster national security. Flood and landslide maps are just a few of the hundreds of benefits from enhanced lidar data. A coordinated effort among Federal, State, and local government and the private sector could meet our country's needs for high-quality, 3D elevation data in just 8 years. Come learn how the USGS and its partners are working to assemble better data to keep citizens safe and help America thrive.

Date: Friday, July 25, 2014
Time: 11:00 a.m.


2325 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.
 

Speakers:

Doug Bausch
Federal Emergency Management Agency Region VII

 

John Dorman
North Carolina Emergency Management

 

Jonathan Godt
U.S. Geological Survey

 

`PowerPoints:

Additional Information:


Partner Host: The following link leaves the USGS site.

 

Speaker Biographies

Doug Bausch

Doug Bausch is the FEMA Region VIII Earthquake Program Manager and Senior Physical Scientist in Denver, Colorado. He assists States and communities in developing sound risk assessments to support all hazard mitigation, recovery and preparedness planning. This includes the incorporation of FEMA’s HAZUS-MH earthquake, flood and hurricane loss estimation, including a broad range of U.S. and international HAZUS applications in Haiti and throughout the Mediterranean Region. He helps facilitate FEMA’s risk-based approach for implementing a range of FEMA programs, including grants and Risk MAP, as well as disaster response and recovery. He works closely with Federal, State and local partners in implementing the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program.

John Dorman

John Dorman, the North Carolina Assistant State Emergency Management Director for Geospatial and Technology Management, is responsible for the design, acquisition, analysis, and dissemination of data, models, analysis, systems and applications associated with all hazard / threat risk management. Following Hurricane Floyd in 1999, North Carolina petitioned FEMA and became the first State in the Nation to be designated a Cooperating Technical State. From this designation, the North Carolina Floodplain Mapping Program was created and placed under his supervision. Mr. Dorman has facilitated and managed the Statewide acquisition of lidar-derived topographic data, digital orthophotography, building footprints, and special flood hazard areas; he has also managed three national risk management demonstrations: Integrated Hazard Risk Management, Digital Flood Risk Management, and Sea Level Rise Impact Study. He is currently overseeing the Statewide acquisition of Quality Level 2 topographic data utilizing lidar technology.

Kevin Gallagher

Kevin Gallagher oversees the USGS Geologic Mapping, Geological and Geophysical Data Preservation, Geospatial, Biological Information, and Science Informatics Programs, as well as the world's largest earth science library. From 2002 to 2010, Mr. Gallagher served as the USGS Chief Information officer and Chief Technology Officer where he oversaw the operation of information technology systems and networks supporting bureau-wide computing and telecommunications. Before joining the USGS, Mr. Gallagher held a number of information technology and management positions at various Federal agencies, including Chief of the Operations Division of the U.S. Coast Guard Operations Systems Center and Software Developer with the Department of the Navy and Naval Research Laboratory. Mr. Gallagher holds a master's degree in information systems from Syracuse University, a Chief Information Officer Certificate from the National Defense University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Information Systems from James Madison University. He has also completed the Harvard Senior Executive Fellows Program at Harvard University.

Jonathan Godt

Jonathan Godt is the Coordinator of the USGS Landslide Hazards Program. He leads a team of Federal, academic, and international scientists who focus on understanding landslide occurrence, timing, and magnitude. This understanding is used to develop tools to assess landslide potential and hazard. As part of this work, Dr. Godt has provided technical assistance to Federal agencies, local governments, and others following landslide disasters both domestically and abroad. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from Purdue University, and a M.S. in Environmental Science and Ph.D. in Physical Geography from the University of Colorado. In his 17 years with the USGS he has co-authored 75 scientific papers and reports on landslide topics, including a recently published textbook on the subject.