As the Geo Week 2022 program was coming together, the effort to define how a session that would explore what it meant to accurately locate and map underground infrastructure saw numerous ideas and angles thrown out by members of our team. Thankfully, we had Geoff Zeiss as a member of the Advisory Board, and he was able to outline how the session could explore best practices with mobile mapping platforms to accurately locate and assess issues just under the surface before they become problems. The news of his passing had us thinking about his incredible feedback, as it’s just a tiny example of the sort of thing that so many people will miss. He had so much to offer on so many levels.
Widely recognized as one of Canada's geospatial technology trailblazers, Geoff has been called a pioneer of the modern GIS deployment philosophy. His career in the geospatial industry began at TYDAC Technologies and continued on to Autodesk, where he was responsible for thought leadership for the utility industry program. He would eventually create Between the Poles, an industry resource where he would address infrastructure issues and updates.
As mentioned by Juan Plaza, when everyone was using proprietary formats to store geographical data, Geoff developed a unique way for enterprises to store all of their information in the same place. Others were struck by his curiosity to learn and willingness to teach everyone in the industry with great patience and focus. His passion to manage underground infrastructure was as deep as it was contagious.
His obituary mentioned that Geoff was interested in the world at large and the people he met. That’s an interest everyone and everyone who has the pleasure to connect with him as part of a project, at an event or simply in passing can speak to on multiple levels. You can read more about him here.
In lieu of flowers, the family has asked to give to a charity of your choice.
