EarthData appoints new General Manager of GIS Operations

December 10, 2004

Washington, DC - Anne Hale Miglarese, CEO of EarthData, a leading mapping and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) company, announced the appointment of Martin Roche to head the company's GIS operations in Orlando, Florida and New York, New York. Roche, who has over 16 years experience in GIS, information technology, and urban planning, will develop EarthData's GIS service offerings and lead the company's expansion into new GIS markets nationwide. "One of my goals when I joined EarthData was to develop the company's GIS capabilities to match its already powerful mapping and remote sensing portfolio," explains Miglarese, who joined EarthData in April. "I have known Martin Roche for over a decade and have always been impressed with his ability to apply GIS and IT solutions in both government and commercial settings."

To position EarthData for GIS growth, Miglarese earlier this year combined EarthData's Florida and New York GIS offices under the EarthData Solutions banner. "The name 'EarthData Solutions' epitomizes the turning of spatial data into knowledge that helps our customers solve problems," said Miglarese. Roche, a Florida resident, will relocate the company's current Florida office from Miami to Orlando, where he will continue to focus on the Florida GIS market, as well as promote the use of GIS as a business tool for EarthData and its customers nationwide. Roche will also lead EarthData's New York office which specializes in web-enabled 3D solutions and the SIMmetry system.

Prior to joining EarthData, Roche served as Director of the GIS Services Division of Canin Associates, an urban planning and landscape architecture firm located in Orlando. Roche's career includes a 13-year tenure with the South Carolina Department of Commerce where he spearheaded GIS and IT programs statewide, most recently as Director of the Information Management and Technology Division. "The opportunity to lead EarthData's expansion into new GIS markets, and build upon its reputation as a leader in mapping and GIS, is incredibly exciting for me," said Roche. "I'm eager to share my experiences in both state and local government and the commercial sector, where GIS business practices made a tremendous difference in terms of workforce productivity, planning and forecasting, and decision support."

Roche, whose educational background includes a BA in urban affairs from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and a MA in city and regional planning from Clemson University, is a Certified Economic Developer and Registered Land Surveyor. He is also a recipient of the Significant Accomplishment in GIS commendation awarded by GIS giant, ESRI.

Contact:
Mary Hiatt
301-948-8550, ext. 111
mhiatt@earthdata.com