Organizational Member Spotlights, Spotlights

I Am USGIF

Foundation restructures membership in response to expanding GEOINT Community

By: USGIF | February 17, 2016

In June 2015, USGIF revamped its membership program to better align with member needs and the expanding GEOINT Community. The Foundation revised its Strategic, Associate, and Sustaining Partner Organizational Membership levels to show more value and engagement as well as added Small Business and Academic Partner levels. Additionally, USGIF launched a new Individual Membership, offering more benefits at an affordable price.

USGIF’s new Individual Membership offerings include options for government/military, academia, young professionals, law enforcement/first responders, and industry. The annual cost of membership is $35 for all membership levels except industry, whose annual cost is $99. USGIF is also offering discounts on three- or five-year memberships in addition to lifetime memberships.

Trajectory spoke with Bill Allder III, USGIF’s membership development manager, and Jeff Ley, USGIF’s vice president of business development and exhibitions, to learn more about the Foundation’s new Individual Membership program.

What is new with USGIF’s Individual Membership program?

Bill Allder III, USGIF Membership Development Manager

Bill: We have totally changed our Individual Membership program, eliminating the old levels of membership and instating many new versions at better price points. The new membership program offers greater benefits at a lower cost. We strive to get more people involved as USGIF continues to evolve into the professional association for GEOINT practitioners. We want to enable individuals to become a part of the Foundation, become a part of our mission, and become an active member of the larger GEOINT Community.

Who should become a USGIF Individual Member?

Bill: At the core of USGIF to date, we’ve supported the national security, intelligence, defense, and homeland security communities, but the Foundation’s mission goes beyond that. Anyone who uses, produces, or develops geospatial technology to the betterment of their respective community or industry is invited to become a USGIF Individual Member. USGIF is a thought leader in the geospatial intelligence space, and our members stay far ahead of trends and abreast of the latest tools, technologies, and concepts in the GEOINT Community.

What are the benefits to becoming a USGIF Individual Member?

Jeff Ley, USGIF Vice President of Business Development & Exhibitions

Jeff: Benefits include access to the greater GEOINT Community by way of USGIF’s volunteer committees and working groups. You’ll get exposure to a number of topics as well as the organizations and individuals working with those technologies and trends. You get to be at the forefront of technological change and discussions among the influencing members of our Community that represent the GEOINT tradecraft.

New Individual Members receive a USGIF lapel pin, a welcome letter, and a membership card. The membership card will grant members access to USGIF’s new Affinity Program, through which members receive discounts with Westway Development Services, EZGovOpps, Miller’s Office Products, Dell, and Walker’s Grille and Embassy Suites in Springfield, Va.—in close proximity to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s Campus East.

Additional membership benefits include significant discounts at USGIF events, access to members-only events, a subscription to trajectory magazine, early notification of USGIF events and activities, and the ability to submit proposals for presentation at USGIF events.

How do I manage my relationship with the Foundation?

Bill: As part of the USGIF membership restructure, USGIF has implemented a new tool called USGIF Connect to help Individual Members manage their engagement with USGIF. All members may log in to USGIF Connect at connect.usgif.org and update their member information at any time, register for USGIF events, renew membership, and manage email preferences.

Why is USGIF’s new Individual Membership important to the GEOINT Community?

Jeff: During the past decade, USGIF member needs have changed and the Foundation has changed along with them to offer new networking events, business opportunities, professional development, and working groups and committees. GEOINT Community members have also asked for more ways to engage with the Foundation. Doctors have the American Medical Association, lawyers have the American Bar Association; geospatial intelligence practitioners deserve and need a similar community—USGIF—which they can join as individuals to enhance personal networks and further professional development.

With the coming launch of USGIF’s Universal GEOINT Credentialing program, there has never been a more appropriate time for the Foundation to offer a relatively inexpensive Individual Membership with added benefits for all.

Testimonials

Stewart Bruce

GIS Program Coordinator, The Center for Environment and Society, Washington College

“USGIF Individual Membership means I am part of a community of professionals dedicated to promoting the GEOINT tradecraft. It also means I need to do my best to contribute back to that community, especially by promoting GEOINT to my numerous college student interns, to not only educate them in the tradecraft, but also to help them make their own connections for possible future careers in GEOINT.”

Dr. Suzanne Sincavage

CEO, IDIQ Inc.

“USGIF membership offers me the incredible opportunity to participate in working groups that provide a venue to collaborate with industry, government, academia, and nonprofits to solve real problems in real time. The benefits of receiving invitations to participate in symposia, roundtables, and other members-only events have supported my business by helping me understand what I need to do to support the Intelligence Community.”

John W. Desmarais, Sr.

Director of Operations, Civil Air Patrol, U.S. Air Force Auxiliary

“The main benefit [of USGIF Individual Membership], to me personally, is educational opportunities. Civil Air Patrol collects imagery in support of other federal, state, and local agencies responding to emergencies, and it is helpful to know how our products are going to be used in order to deliver the best product possible. By doing so, we aid responders that need timely and accurate information.”

Bruce Molnia

Former Senior Science Advisor, National Civil Applications Program, United States Geological Survey

“USGIF is my window to a much broader cross-section of the GEOINT Community than I have access to through my normal day-to-day activities. USGIF provides me a forum to quickly learn what is happening in GEOINT at the corporate, academic, agency, and individual levels. This is a relationship I hope to cultivate through the remainder of my GEOINT career.”

Charlotte Shabarekh

Advanced Analytics Division Director, Aptima Inc.

“As a research scientist in the field of advanced analytics, it is critical for me to stay informed of trends, emergent technologies, and evolving tradecraft in the GEOINT Community. USGIF provides a forum to connect me with other researchers and organizations to foster collaboration and further the common goal of advancing analytic tradecraft.”

Gabe Chang

Federal CTO Architect, IBM

“With the ongoing great relationship with the constituency of the [National System for Geospatial Intelligence], USGIF membership allows additional access to our agency partners and clients via another informative channel. Benefits to me personally include educational workshops, networking with mission and business partners at relevant events, awareness of innovation in the tradecraft through collaboration, and continued insight into our nation’s upcoming challenges through active participation.”