Des Plaines, IL (November 21, 2023) URISA is pleased to announce the induction of  Michael J. Kevany into its GIS Hall of Fame. 

URISA's GIS Hall of Fame honors persons and organizations that have made significant and original contributions to the development and application of GIS concepts, tools, or resources, or to the GIS profession. 

Mike was one of a small number of professionals who helped lay the foundations for GIS beginning in the mid-1960s and continued to make significant contributions in the development and the use of GIS technology throughout his professional career of almost 50 years. He has been a leader of URISA since its very early years and served on its Board of Directors and contributed in many ways to URISA’s work to support GIS education and networking. His many contributions to the development and effective use of GIS technology are too numerous to mention in entirety but some key highlights are mentioned below:

• Early work (1962 to 1967) in developing tools for mainframe computers for data analysis in regional planning for the LA County Regional Planning Commission establishing the value of automation of spatial data as a foundation of analysis and regional planning
• In 1967, he was a member of a team with Census Bureau employees in the New Haven CT “Census Use Study” which tested and refined the DIME (Dual Independent Map Encoding) file system to ready it for use in the 1970 Census creating a foundation for future advanced GIS technology use for demographic data 
• In the early 1970s, he led a team for the HUD-sponsored Urban Information System Inter-Agency Committee (USAC) initiative prototyping “integrated municipal information systems” (IMIS)--considered an important conceptual foundation for later GIS implementations    
• As a GIS consultant (from the late 1970s) for a wide range of government, utility, and other organizations. In the early years of GIS, Mike developed practices and tools for GIS planning and design that provided a foundation for successful GIS programs throughout North American and Europe.
• Mike was a principal author of the 1991 book, Geographic Information Systems: A Guide to the Technology and is the author of many other GIS publications that have contributed greatly to growth in understanding of practical GIS concepts and applications.
• Served as a mentor and co-consultant to a number of Individuals who have left their own mark on the GIS industry including Rich Gooden, Shawn Wampler, Neil McGaffey, Stu Davis, Cy Smith among many others in federal, state and local government organizations)
• While leading a team from the PlanGraphics supporting GIS implementation and operation for the City of NY GIS Program he helped put in place GIS operations to support response and recovery from the 9/11/2001 World Trade Center attack.

URISA President, Ashley Hitt and URISA GIS Hall of Fame inductee, Mike Kevany.

URISA’s Hall of Fame laureates include:

• 2005 Inductees: Edgar Horwood, Ian McHarg, Roger Tomlinson, Jack Dangermond, Nancy Tosta, and the Harvard Lab
• 2006 Inductee: Gary Hunter
• 2007 Inductees: Don Cooke and Michael Goodchild
• 2009 Inductees: Will Craig and Carl Reed
• 2010 Inductee: C. Dana Tomlin
• 2011 Inductees: William Huxhold and Barry Wellar
• 2012 Inductees: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Natural Resources Canada, Statistics Canada, United States Census Bureau and United States Geological Survey
• 2014 Inductee: Charles Croner
• 2016 Inductees: Alex Miller, Mark Monmonier, and Waldo Tobler
• 2018 Inductees: Peter Burrough and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
• 2020 Inductee: URISA’s GISCorps
• 2022 Inductee: Nancy von Meyer

Mike was recently recognized for this honor during the URISA GIS-Pro 2023 annual conference in Columbus, Ohio.

Visit  URISA's GIS Hall of Fame to learn about the path-breaking accomplishments of all inductees.

Wendy Nelson
Executive Director – URISA
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