Jim Sparks retired June 30 as Polis Center Director of Geoinformatics. Marianne Cardwell assumes the position July 1.

Polis Center Executive Director David Bodenhamer says, “Jim has been masterful in helping The Polis Center develop effective university-government-community partnerships to use spatial information to improve and enhance the quality of life for Hoosiers. His vision, drive, and commitment to Polis and its partners leave the center well-placed to continue collaborating with community experts to understand the complex problems of today’s world and finding potential solutions. His contributions to our work have been invaluable and will continue to pay dividends to Indiana for many years to come.

We are pleased to appoint Marianne as his successor. She brings significant experience and expertise to her new leadership role. Earlier in her career, she quickly moved into management positions in some of the nation’s leading GIS firms, and she has continued this record of success at The Polis Center. She recently assumed the presidency of the Indiana Geographic Information Council (IGIC), the state’s largest association of GIS professionals, and works with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), and many of Indiana’s counties on issues related to natural disasters and crisis informatics. We are fortunate to benefit from her experience and skills as we continue to help the state respond to the demands of a changing environment.”

Jim will continue to lend his expertise to our work as a consultant, with an initial assignment to complete a strategic plan for the Indiana Geographic Information Office (GIO).