Let the Sun Shine In: BRI Receives IMAGIN Award

Marisa Laderach, GIS Specialist at Beckett & Raeder, Inc. has just accepted an award on behalf of the firm at the IMAGIN conference in Traverse City. The IMAGIN (Improving Michigan’s Access to Geographic Information Networks) conference is the statewide GIS conference held in Michigan each year. Alongside longtime client Acme Township, the two were recipients of the GIS Innovation award, which is presented to an organization that finds innovative ways to use geospatial solutions.

In particular, a solar suitability analysis in Acme Township to determine the best and least suitable lands for solar development was the recipient for its innovation as both a GIS workflow and its contribution to the emerging renewable energy sector in Michigan. Marisa hopes that other clients, particularly in northern Michigan, will see the value in this analysis and want to discover their own suitable lands for solar development. She believes that solar development, when guided properly, can benefit local communities and the state of Michigan as a whole. Congratulations to Acme Township and Beckett & Raeder for another award-winning project together! (The first received from the Michigan Association of Planning for the Acme Township Master Plan).

In addition to accepting this award on the company’s behalf, Marisa also passed her GISP exam this last week and will be certified as a Geographic Information Systems Professional (GISP) after six long months of studying and a minimum of four years of experience. She has been working in the GIS field since 2013.