The Northeast Arc Users Group (NEARC) proudly celebrates the achievements of our community, who have shown outstanding dedication and innovation in the field of GIS.
About the Peter S. Thacher AwardThe Peter S. Thacher Award is a memorial to Peter Shaw Thacher of Stonington, Connecticut. Mr. Thacher, a retired diplomat with the United Nations, and Distinguished Fellow with the World Resources Institute, lived the phrase "Think Global, Act Local." He was a Founder and Deputy Executive Director of the UNEP, the United Nations Environmental Programme. Locally, Peter Thacher was a pioneer in using modern computer mapping technologies to assist Stonington in the developing environmentally-sound planning policies. He was an active member of NEARC and an outspoken advocate for GIS.
Annual nominations are sought for the Peter S. Thacher Award. The award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated commitment and excellence in using Geographic Information System Technology to achieve success in natural resource management and conservation at the local level. The Award is presented each year during NEARC's Fall Conference. |
2025 Recipient: Anne Reynolds
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Anne Reynolds is the GIS Director for the Cape Cod Commission, Cape Cod’s regional land use planning and regulatory agency. Anne specializes in strategic information, innovation, and geodesign.
Anne’s career has spanned a period of notable technological change in the industry, including the emergence of cloud-based GIS, which broadened access to spatial data and information for both professionals and the public.
“Everything is somewhere” is a guiding philosophy that captures both Anne's curiosity and her conviction. For Anne, maps aren’t just tools for analysis; they’re instruments for understanding how people, places, and policies intersect. Over nearly two decades at the Commission, she has helped shape how Cape Cod’s communities visualize their environment, plan for the future, and connect through data.
During her time at the Commission, Anne has worked on numerous innovative and collaborative projects. From developing tools like Large Scale Solar Siting and the Cape Cod COVID-19 dashboard to leveraging StoryMaps and stormwater visualization projects, Anne’s team has consistently used technology to make complex planning data accessible and actionable. One of the team's most significant accomplishments has been leading the effort to obtain large-scale planimetric data for all fifteen Cape Cod towns multiple times in recent years by demonstrating the regional importance and securing continued county support. This work exemplifies how geospatial tools can bridge the gap between science and storytelling, helping communities see the data behind the policies that shape their lives.
Anne joined the Cape Cod Commission in 2005 as a GIS Analyst, became GIS Manager in 2008, and has served as GIS Director since 2013. Before joining the Commission, she was the Information and Technology Coordinator at the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. She holds a B.A. in Geography from Humboldt State University in California.
Anne’s career has spanned a period of notable technological change in the industry, including the emergence of cloud-based GIS, which broadened access to spatial data and information for both professionals and the public.
“Everything is somewhere” is a guiding philosophy that captures both Anne's curiosity and her conviction. For Anne, maps aren’t just tools for analysis; they’re instruments for understanding how people, places, and policies intersect. Over nearly two decades at the Commission, she has helped shape how Cape Cod’s communities visualize their environment, plan for the future, and connect through data.
During her time at the Commission, Anne has worked on numerous innovative and collaborative projects. From developing tools like Large Scale Solar Siting and the Cape Cod COVID-19 dashboard to leveraging StoryMaps and stormwater visualization projects, Anne’s team has consistently used technology to make complex planning data accessible and actionable. One of the team's most significant accomplishments has been leading the effort to obtain large-scale planimetric data for all fifteen Cape Cod towns multiple times in recent years by demonstrating the regional importance and securing continued county support. This work exemplifies how geospatial tools can bridge the gap between science and storytelling, helping communities see the data behind the policies that shape their lives.
Anne joined the Cape Cod Commission in 2005 as a GIS Analyst, became GIS Manager in 2008, and has served as GIS Director since 2013. Before joining the Commission, she was the Information and Technology Coordinator at the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. She holds a B.A. in Geography from Humboldt State University in California.
Past Recipients
Click on a name below to learn more.
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2024: Jarlath O'Neil-Dunne
2023: Shane White 2022: Rick Chormann 2021: No award was given this year 2020: No award was given this year 2019: Tom Eastler 2018: Sam Wear 2017: Peter August 2016: David Weaver 2015: Caroline Alves 2014: Dr. John Harmon 2013: Fay Rubin 2012: Robert G. Marvinney, Ph.D. |
2011: Eileen B. Allen
2010: Lyn Malone 2009: No award was given this year 2008: Christian Jacqz 2007: Gary Smith 2006: Sandy Prisloe 2005: No award was given this year 2004: John Barge 2003: Jim McLaughlin 2002: Lyman Orton 2001: Glenn Hazelton 2000: Howard Sternberg III 1999: Don and Dorothy McCluskey |
About the Esri Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) Awards
Each year Jack Dangermond, president and founder of Esri, announces the Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) Awards at the Esri User Conference. We are proud to recognize the accomplishments of the NEARC community in the industry.
Take a look at a storymap of the State and Local Government award winners who are part of NEARC: State and Local Government Winners
Full list of awards winners can be found on the Esri Website.
Take a look at a storymap of the State and Local Government award winners who are part of NEARC: State and Local Government Winners
Full list of awards winners can be found on the Esri Website.
