MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: JOHN WATTERSON, GISP, CFE
What do you do for the PA?
I am the GIS (Geographic Information Systems) Specialist for the
Martin County Property Appraiser‟s Office. I support Office de-
partments with various GIS products, such as maps, custom data-
sets and geographic analysis. These tools aid in making informed
decisions and working efficiently. I often provide GIS training to
staff.
How long have you been employed with the PA?
I have been employed by the PA for ten years.
While a geography
student at FSU, I also worked as an intern for Tallahassee-Leon
County GIS in a large parcel mapping project for the Leon County Property Appraiser‟s Office
until I graduated in 1999.
What do you like most about your job?
My job is so varied, and I have regular opportunities to apply the GIS skills I have learned
over the years to projects. The GIS field is dynamic and always changing. When the opportu-
nity presents itself, I also like writing programming scripts to automate my GIS workflows; it‟s
like solving a puzzle.
Where were you born?
I was born in West Palm Beach, Florida, where I also grew up.
Where was your best vacation ever?
My best vacation ever was a trip with a friend to the Grand Canyon and Southern Utah in
2005. We visited Grand Canyon, Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks. We made many
strenuous hikes. The beauty of these places can‟t be put into words and pictures can never do
justice.
The Grand Canyon is so immense and
magnificent that you could just stare at it
for hours, and it‟s mind-bending to learn
that the Colorado River and surface uplift
created it over 17 million years ago. It‟s
over a mile in depth, over 270 miles long
and, in some places, 18 miles wide. We
hiked about a fourth of the way down into
the canyon, but then the heat became a
problem and we turned around. In fact,
there were park rangers all over the place
telling people to turn around.
(Continued on page 13)
John Watterson, GISP, CFE
Winter 2014 Newsletter of the FCIAAO
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