The business of the Network shall be managed by a Steering Committee consisting of 18 members. Steering Committee members may serve for a maximum of two consecutive three-year terms. In any given year, one-third of the Steering Committee members shall be approved by acclamation at the Annual Meeting except when vacancies may require more than one-third be approved. Individual Steering Committee members shall be selected to represent the following groups: state government, regional planning organizations, municipal government, public utilities, nonprofit non-governmental organizations, academia, private businesses, and 11 members-at-large. View past steering committee members here.
Executive Committee
President
- Aaron Nash (UConn)
Vice President
- Cary Chadwick (UConn)
Secretary
- Zachary Giron (CTDOT)
Past President
- Kavon Harris (CTDOT)
Committee Members
| Municipal rep | David Anton |
| Private | Sarah Morse |
| Member At large | Aaron Nash |
| Member At large | Zach Giron |
| Member At large | Nick McNamara |
| Member At large | Ashley Benitez |
| Education | Katie Fiducia |
| Non Profit | Cary Chadwick |
| Utility | Marc Rabideau |
| State Rep | Kavon Harris |
| Member At large | Richard Crowther Jr. |
| Member At large | Thad Dymkowski |
| Member At large | Jackie Claver |
| Member At large | Jenna Rudewicz |
| Member At large | Nicholas Trabka |
| Member At large | Jerrid Christoff |
| Member At large | Juliana Holcomb |
| Member At Large | Alexis Freudenberg |
Zachary Giron – CT DOT
Zachary.Giron@ct.gov
Zach received his M.S. in Environmental Science from the University of New Haven. He is currently a Transportation Planner at the Connecticut Department of Transportation within the Environmental Planning Department. Previously, Zach worked at the CT Metropolitan Council of Governments where he undertook many GIS related tasks/projects including updating and maintaining parcel datasets for the six municipalities within the MetroCOG region, developing methodology for MS4 mapping, and creating 3D scenarios utilizing ArcGIS Urban.
Richard Crowther – NVCOG
rcrowther@nvcogct.gov
Richard Crowther Jr is the GIS Program Coordinator at the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments. He completes spatial analyses and creates mapping tools to assist all efforts in regional and municipal transportation planning, environmental planning, housing and land use planning, and economic development. Richard has a Master of Science in Geographic Information Science and Technology from the University of Southern California and is a GISP.
Ashley G. Benitez Ou – OPM
ashley.benitez@ct.gov
Ashley Benitez is a GIS Coordinator for the GIS Office at the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management (CT-OPM). Her work focuses on broadband mapping, parcel and CAMA data, and geospatial analysis for public policy. Ashley is also a Ph.D. student researching climate change governance in urban areas of the Global South, with a focus on environmental justice. Passionate about leveraging geospatial data for informed decision-making, she is dedicated to advancing equitable and sustainable solutions to address climate vulnerabilities. Outside of work she enjoys photography and languages!
Sarah Morse – Tighe & Bond
smmorse@tighebond.com
Sarah graduated Westfield State University and received her BS degree in both Environmental Science and Regional Planning with GIS and Applied Geography minors. She previously worked at Springfield Water & Sewer and has been at Tighe & Bond for 7 years. Sarah has a strong background in water, sewer, stormwater, and energy utility mapping. She also has worked on a variety of transportation, solar, environmental and municipal projects throughout her time at Tighe & Bond.
Nick McNamara – UConn
nicholas.mcnamara@uconn.edu
Nick is the GIS/CAD Administrator for UCONN Telecommunications. Prior, he was the IT Manager at South Norwalk Electric and Water for 1.5 years, and the GIS Coordinator for 11.5 years. He has worked in a GIS software startup (Trade Area Systems), and for Osmose on an Eversource project. He earned a MS in Management of Technology from Fairfield University, a MA in Geography from UCONN, and a BA in Geography and English from UCONN. He earned his GISP in 2012.
Aaron Nash – UConn
aaron.nash@uconn.edu
Aaron is the GIS Project Manager for the Connecticut Transportation Research Safety Center (CTSRC). Prior to working at CTSRC, he served the public sector for over 12 years working as the GIS Project Leader for the Department of Public Works in the City of Hartford, and as the GIS Coordinator for the Town of Vernon. Aaron has earned his graduate degree in Geography from Central Connecticut State University focusing on GIS and Urban Planning, his bachelors from the University of Connecticut in Political Science, and was GISP certified in 2010.
Kavon Harris – CTDOT
kavon.e.harris@ct.gov
Kavon is a resolute and well-rounded professional who served as a U.S. Army veteran. With eight years of firsthand experience as a data analyst, he has produced creditable, written, and oral reports to aid in the planning process for the Department of Defense and Military decision-makers. The individual is passionate about geospatial integrated systems (GIS) and software development, with an ability to computationally think and work with multiple programming languages. Currently, the individual holds the position of Transportation Planner at the State of Connecticut’s Department of Transportation (DOT) and is a volunteer youth basketball coach. Additionally, he is seeking to earn an international certification in data management while earning a B.S. in Computer Technology.
Marc Rabideau – Norwich Public Utilities
marcrabideau@npumail.com
Marc is currently the GIS Analyst at Norwich Public Utilities. He graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 2014 with a B.S. in Environmental Science and Management, and received his GIS certificate from the University of Cincinnati. He recently completed his GISP Certification in 2023. Previously, Marc worked at Liberty Utilities in Massachusetts and EN Engineering in Ohio, and has been in the utility industry for the majority of his career.
Cary Chadwick – UConn CLEAR
cary.chadwick@uconn.edu
Cary is a Geospatial Extension Educator at the Center for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR) at the University of Connecticut. As the coordinator of the Geospatial Training Program, her role is to provide training and technical assistance to local land use decision makers and other audiences, including NGOs and non-profits, in support of better land use decisions, healthier natural resources, and more resilient communities. Cary is also actively involved in collaborative research projects that integrate geospatial technologies to better manage and understand natural resource systems.
Katie Fiducia
kathryn.fiducia@uconn.edu
Katie is the Research Services Librarian for Geospatial Services at the University of Connecticut Library. She is the coordinator of the library’s vast collection of physical and digitized historical maps and geospatial data, provided through the library’s Map and Geographic Information Center (MAGIC). She is also the subject librarian for Geography and Earth Sciences and works with instructors across the university to integrate GIS and other data visualization tools into their courses. In addition to classroom visits and GIS workshops, she provides consultation services to researchers using GIS and geospatial methods, develops GIS educational materials, and provides general research and reference services.
Juliana Holcomb – CTDOT
juliana.holcomb@ct.gov
Juliana Holcomb received her M.A. in Environmental Science from Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) and a B.S. in Marine Biology from the University of New Hampshire. She has a strong background in water quality and a love for limnology. She is currently a Transportation Planner at the Connecticut Department of Transportation. Juliana started her GIS journey taking Thad Dymkowski’s GIS certificate program at CCSU and has strived to continue learning and apply that knowledge to her job at the DOT.
Jenna Rudewicz – CTDOT
jenna.rudewicz@ct.gov
Jenna works at the Connecticut Department of Transportation within the Enterprise GIS, Visualization, and Analytics Unit. She received her B.S. in Environmental Science and a G.I.S. certification from Central Connecticut State University. Committed to lifelong learning, Jenna continuously seeks to expand her knowledge and skills in both art and technology. By integrating these fields, she aims to find creative solutions to the challenges that affect our communities and environments.
Jerrid Christoff – City of Middletown
jerrid.christoff@middletownct.gov
Jerrid is currently the GIS Technician for the City of Middletown CT. He was hired in Middletown in their first GIS focused position in 2024. His main focus is cleaning data and building their ArcGIS Enterprise platform to create a solid foundation where the city can maximize their efficiency with integrated GIS applications. To start his career, Jerrid spent 7 years in the U.S. Air Force as an Aerospace Ground Equipment Mechanic. He then pivoted his career to GIS and earned his B.S. in Geography with a specialization in GIS at Central Connecticut State University. He then spent 8 years with New England Geosystems where he grew to a GIS Analyst II. While there, he completed parcel updates, created emergency management data, created municipal maps, and built and maintained municipal GIS websites for municipalities across CT, RI, MA, and NY.
Alexis Freudenberg – Tighe & Bond
afreudenberg@tighebond.com
Alexis received her M.S. in Energy and Environmental Management from the University of Connecticut, as well as a GIS Graduate Certificate in 2020. Since then, she has worked at Tighe & Bond as a GIS Technician and now currently as a GIS Analyst. She actively works with a variety of different backgrounds including water, sewer, stormwater, and energy utility mapping and enjoys providing GIS-based solutions to clients.
Nick Trabka- WestCOG
ntrabka@westcog.og
Nick Trabka is a Senior Data Scientist at the Western Connecticut Council of Governments, where he has worked for six years. He is passionate about advancing GIS standards and enhancing efficiency. Nick actively contributes to the CAMA Standards Working Group and plays a key role in the Parcel Improvement Process. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Geography from the University of Connecticut, where he focused on urban planning and GIS.
Jackie Claver – GZA GeoEnvironmental Inc.
jacquelyn.claver@gza.com
Jackie Claver is an Assistant Project Manager at GZA, and a member of the company’s GIS leadership team. She contributes to projects in coastal resiliency, powerline rights of way, public parks, solar development, residential/commercial development, and airport redevelopment. Jackie specializes in GIS, including cartographic design and production, database management, spatial analysis, as well as field data collection for asset management and ecological/environmental assessments. She holds a B.S. in Wildlife Biology and M.S. in Environmental Science from the University of Rhode Island, along with a Graduate Certificate in GIS. Jackie earned her GISP certification in 2024.