Jake Lovell is a GIS specialist at Metro, where he supports Metro’s transportation planners with GIS analysis, solutions, and cartography. Prior to Metro, he worked as a GIS specialist in the Cultural Resources Management field and in a variety of GIS internships around the region. He completed his GIS certificate at Portland Community College in 2019, after working in management consulting prior to making the career jump to GIS. His first exposure to GIS was during his undergrad experience, mapping polling places and analyzing voter behavior as part of his B.A. in Political Science from Reed College.

When he’s not writing python scripts or making maps, you can find Jake watching the Portland Trail Blazers, playing disc golf, backpacking in the North Cascades, or laughing ominously while running games of Dungeons & Dragons for friends.

Catherine Green is the Geospatial Lab Coordinator at Portland Community College. She is especially interested in UAS data collection, web mapping, accessible design, and using GIS tools to promote social equity. She completed a GIS Certificate at Portland Community College (PCC) in 2020, and was also the President of PCC’s Student Chapter of ASPRS. She has a MA in Geography with emphasis in Energy Resources and Climatology, as well as a BA in Environmental Studies; both from California State University, East Bay.  She enjoys hiking, snowshoeing, gardening, botanizing, tide pooling, and amateur astronomy.

Miranda Wood is a Business Systems Analyst currently employed with the City of Portland. She graduated from University of Colorado, Boulder with a degree in Geography and has spent the last twenty years of her professional career working with GIS in the public sector. GIS has served as a vehicle to work in several different disciplines, including environmental conservation and wildlife management, public safety, and sewer and stormwater management. She has an interest in the use of GIS and data analytics to communicate information for policy and decision makers, as well as exploring new technology to streamline and improve data management and access. She has served as an Emerging Professional Mentor for three years and enjoys assisting individuals in exploring their options, skills, and building their professional connections. Outside of work, she enjoys camping, board games, live music, and taking trips with the family.

Leah Bollin is a GIS analyst interested in transit, urban planning, and using spatial tools as an agent for local change. She recently completed a GIS certificate at Portland Community College (PCC) and has a BA in Environmental Studies & Sociology from CU Boulder. Leah currently works at Jarrett Walker & Associates as an Associate, where she is on the Analyst team helping redesign transit networks for agencies across the US and internationally. In her free time Leah finds her passion in making cities safe and accessible for all and spends her time volunteering for programs that support this mission in Portland.

Leah Thompson is currently a GIS Tutor at Portland Community College helping students understand geospatial concepts ranging from basic analysis, data management, and developing research questions. She recently earned her GIS Certificate from Portland Community College and has a MSc in Botany from the University of Hawaii and BS in Biology from the University of Oregon. She recently finished a GIS internship with The Nature Conservancy and hopes to continue combining her newly gained skills in GIS with her knowledge in ecology for a career in conservation. In her free time Leah enjoys spending quality time with friends/family, walking and hiking locally, botanizing, crafting, playing games, watching shows and movies, and reading.

Zack discovered GIS during his sophomore year of college while studying biology at The Ohio State University. After earning his degree, Zack worked with the National Park Service and nonprofit organizations on environmental restoration projects, where he found GIS to be a great way to expand his biological expertise and support conservation efforts. Zack works as a GIS Developer/Analyst at SLIC Network Solutions, developing custom automation tools. Outside of GIS, Zack enjoys climbing, surfing, hiking, and yoga.