March 6, 2007

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Level: Introductory/All Levels

How does a federal executive’s field visits arrive at a revelation, lead to a Presidential Executive Order, and to a decade old federal program that spans the country and influences the World? The journey had ups and downs and encountered curves and rocky roads. Obstructionists and “nay-sayers” were plentiful. How does a small program overcome the inertia to covet, protect, and internalize data. This presentation shares the progression of the program from duckling to fledgling stage and focuses on the program’s activities that result in successes in the federal, state, local, academic, and Tribal sectors.

• The why of and what is the Executive Order?
• “Corporate” metadata support
• “Don’t duck Metadata” - the program
• Stumbling blocks
• Program successes
• Performance strategies
  

Sharon Shin is the mother duckling to a flock of metadata enthusiast representing multiple governmental levels, academia, private sector, and non-governmental agencies. Eight years in two federal geospatial programs has provided Sharon with many experiences, challenges, and successes. Sharon’s current role is Metadata Coordinator for the Federal Geographic Data Committee Secretariat. The FGDC is a program which spans across departments of the U.S. Governments Executive Branch, the military service branches, state, local, academia, Tribal governments, as well as the private sector. Metadata elders told her “train metadata and see the world” and that it has. Spanning the U.S., partnering with federal Canadian agencies, and counseling international organizations; metadata has presented her with a passport of enriching encounters while training geospatial metadata.