The Missouri Geographic Information Systems Advisory Council (MGISAC) is a statewide committee consisting of GIS professionals and other interested persons. Members represent the broad use of GIS across all levels of government (local, state, regional and federal), academia, and private organizations. The Council meets monthly to discuss state-wide data collection needs, GIS standards and changes to the industry and technology that impact the GIS community. The Council has a focus on outreach and education, sponsoring a bi-annual Missouri GIS conference.

Our collective GIS assets are a valuable part of our economy and requires constant communication and cooperation to maintain. Accurate and current information is key. A key philosophy of GIS professionals is “build once, use many”. To meet this goal, it’s important to have input from all stakeholders, both to determine priorities, and to set standards.

MGISAC elects officers each year from its membership. The leadership position follows a Chair-Elect, Chair, Past-Chair model to ensure leadership continuity. Other elected positions include the Secretary and Treasurer.
 
MGISAC Past Chairs

• The Chair presides over meetings and establishes meeting agendas.
• The Secretary maintains the meeting minutes posted on our web site.
• The Treasurer tracks and reports on Council financial information.
• A variety of committees meet regularly, providing updates as part of the monthly agenda.
• A member of MGISAC represents Missouri on the National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC).

Meetings are open and attendees do not need to be voting members of the Council to participate in various Committees and activities. Additional information about the structure of MGISAC is found in the By-Laws section.

Missouri has utilized geospatial technology since the 1980s, with a statewide approach beginning in 1995. Adoption and capacity vary across the state. Many state agencies, along with larger counties and municipalities across Missouri, have in-house GIS capacity, while other governmental entities choose to outsource their GIS needs.

MGISAC was established under the State’s Chief Information Officer (CIO) and is the lead coordinating body for GIS in Missouri. GIS leadership for state agencies is provided by the Office of Geospatial Information, a part of the Office of Administration / Information Technology Services Division (OA/ITSD).

Missouri GIS Timeline   

The Missouri Spatial Data Information Service (MSDIS) functions as the GIS clearinghouse for Missouri. MSDIS (pronounced miz-diz) is housed in the Department of Geography at the University of Missouri. MGISAC offers support and guidance to MSDIS in their role of providing archival and distribution services for digital GIS data. MSDIS services include maintaining an open data portal for GIS data discovery and download, as well as hosting many years of streamed aerial imagery services.