Recognition for the Emerging Spatial Professionals Committee

Last week the NZ Emerging Spatial Professionals Committee received a prestigious NZ Spatial Excellence Award for their sterling efforts and contribution to the industry, winning the Workforce Development and Inclusion Award at a special event in Wellington.

The NZESP Group is a professional networking group that supports geospatial students and graduates as they take their first steps in a geospatial career. Something that is not immediately apparent is that the committee are all volunteers who devote their own time to supporting their peers in their early careers by organising these networking events.

I wanted to take a moment to express my own heartfelt gratitude for the time, effort, and energy you have invested as volunteers on the committee organizing professional networking events for students and recent graduates. I have been assisting from the sidelines and have seen first hand the amount of effort that the committee puts into these events.

In the last couple of years alone the NZESP Group has organised:

• A conference at the University of Canterbury (80 attendees)

• Careers event at the University of Waikato (30 attendees)

• Careers evening at the University of Canterbury (70attendees)

• NZESP representatives speaking at the AUT Geospatial Connect Conference

• Quiz night at the AUT Geospatial Connect Conference

• Geospatial social event (bowling) in Auckland

• GIS Day Social Events in several cities (in conjunction with NZEUG and Women in Spatial and Survey (WIS+S))

• NZESP representatives were heavily involved in the GISS Committee which produced the NZ Geospatial Industry Profile Report.

• A social gathering alongside the NZEUC Conference in Wellington

• The NZESP Chairperson spoke at the MIGARS (Machine Intelligence for GeoAnalytics and Remote Sensing)conference as a panel speaker for emerging professionals.

Their dedication to creating opportunities for others to connect, learn, and grow professionally is truly inspiring. These events are more than just gatherings—they are bridges to future careers, platforms for mentorship, and sources of encouragement for those taking their first steps into the professional world.

Your efforts not only help build invaluable networks but also instill confidence and inspiration in the next generation of professionals. Some of the feedback from the attendees has included these comments:

"Lots of opportunities for networking! I also really enjoyed the short talks because they gave a good, quick understanding of what is happening in the industry"

"I really enjoyed it! There was a great mix of students, emerging professionals and industry leaders. Talks were great, could see how much hard work had gone into the organising so well done :)"

"As I finish my master’s degree and embark on the process of seeking employment in the geospatial sector, attending the conference focused on professional development, various career paths, and job opportunities was highly informative and inspiring. The keynote speakers and enlightening talks were particularly insightful. Additionally, I am grateful for the networking opportunities and the feedback provided after the conference, which summarized all the key information discussed."

... and many more similar comments.

To the committee past and present: thank you for your passion, creativity, and commitment to this cause. It does not go unnoticed, and it is deeply appreciated.

The current ESP Committee is: Wali Uz-Zaman, PhD , Sonja Lukaszewicz , Anaïs Schänzel , Luke Sussex , Samir Shrestha , Omid Khazaeian , Kay Mak , Mia Horton , Rebecca Hanna , Josiah Millar , Reuben Painter and Jessica Rodwell , with additional committee members recently joining: Caleb Chan , Angus Loader, Jane McMecking , Lucy Dunshea, Matt Pegman, Rachael Nilsson, Venista christopher. A special shout out to recent committee member Kaz McGregor for her fantastic work on the NZ Industry Profile.

Many thanks also to the organisations that have kindly sponsored ESP events over the years and to the many 'senior' industry professionals who have volunteered their time to come and speak with the group.

More pictures follow from the more than 50 events that ESP has organised in the last 9.5 years.