Three Questions With: GIS Technician Emily Mainville
Q: As a GIS Technician in the Building Services business line, what are your favorite aspects of what you do?
I love that I am constantly learning new things. I work with people in different departments, and I learn about what they do while still being able to do my GIS work. Because of that, I have a greater understanding of the natural and built environment, such as our energy grid and how it connects to other utilities.
Q: How do you collaborate with other professionals, such as other people within the GIS group and other business lines, to achieve your goals?
I collaborate across the firm’s different business lines to complete GIS-specific tasks on projects. It’s important for me to get to know each individual project, and to ask clarifying questions to ensure I’m on the same page with the project team and client to ensure the GIS solution I present best fits their needs. Meeting with the project managers and teams to double-check their specific needs is also helpful.
Q: How do you ensure that your work is sustainable and environmentally responsible?
A lot of our GIS work enables clients to go digital and reduce the use of paper copies. For example, with the use of field maps, we’ve been working on increasing the efficiency of web maps so that tour clients can use those versus having to use paper copies when out in the field. Having an organized copy of the data online is helpful because paper copies can get damaged, wet, or lost.