2026 WA GIS Conference: Full Schedule

2:00pm PDT

Drone to map, Now What? – KC Wastewater Drone Program to Support Sustainable Infrastructure

Wednesday May 20, 2026 2:00pm - 2:30pm PDT

The King County Wastewater Treatment GIS Drone Program utilizes drones to collect high-resolution aerial imagery. This imagery is processed to generate detailed 3D models, which are then integrated with the wastewater treatment's capital project layer to spatially align field conditions with planned infrastructure work. The combined data is converted into Esri 3D Scene Layers, enabling optimized 3D rendering within the ArcGIS platform.
The 3D Scene Layers are loaded into a Scene Viewer and embedded within an ArcGIS Experience Builder application, hosted on the King County Esri Portal (ArcGIS Enterprise). This provides project managers and engineers with a centralized, interactive tool to monitor and visualize capital project progress in real time.
GIS/Drone Specialists from WTD will present an end-to-end workflow illustrating how public utilities can harness drone technology and GIS to improve infrastructure visibility, streamline project oversight, and enable data-driven decision-making.

Speakers

Joseph Geigel, GISP

GIS Specialist, King County Wastewater Treatment Division

Joe Géigel is a GIS Specialist with the King County Wastewater Treatment Division, where he has worked since 2023. He earned his GISP certification that same year. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Geography from the University of Puerto Rico (2016) and a Master’s degree in GIS for... Read More →

Peter Keum

Drone Program Lead/GIS Analyst, King County

Peter Keum, M.S., GISP, King County Wastewater Treatment Drone Program Lead/GIS Analyst:. Peter is a Drone Program Lead and GIS Analyst for the King County Wastewater Treatment Division, where he merges his passion for maps with advanced drone technology. With over 28 years of GIS... Read More →

Jason Celeste

GIS Specialist, King County Wastewater Treatment Division

Jason Celeste is a GIS Specialist with King County Wastewater Treatment Division, bringing over 20 years of experience in geospatial technology and analysis to wastewater infrastructure management. Jason holds a BA in Geography/GIS from the University of Buffalo.

Throughout his career, Jason has provided geospatial support to government clientele including USGS, US Air Force, FEMA, as well as many Tribal government agencies to support transportation asset management. This body of work includes field data collection, spatial analysis, web ap... Read More →

Wednesday May 20, 2026 2:00pm - 2:30pm PDT
409

Remote Sensing, Drone

1:30pm PDT

Drone Panel - We Came, We Flew, We Mapped

Thursday May 21, 2026 1:30pm - 2:30pm PDT

407-408

Drone pilots and GIS-drone enthusiasts, come together to share real-world experiences across the full drone-to-data workflow. Panelists will cover flight planning, data capture, processing, and GIS integration — with open discussion on best practices and lessons learned.

Speakers

Jim Mudd

GIS Director, Puyallup Tribe of Indians

James Mudd is the GIS Director for the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, where he leads enterprise GIS services supporting Tribal programs, planning initiatives, and data-driven decision-making. With over two decades of geospatial experience, he specializes in enterprise GIS architecture... Read More →

Peter Keum

Drone Program Lead/GIS Analyst, King County

Jesse Alton

GIS and Data Project Manager, Environmental Services Office WSDOT

Jesse Alton serves in WSDOT’s Environmental Services Office as the GIS and Data Project Manager, bringing more than 20 years of experience in geospatial technology and environmental data systems. He maintains essential GIS data, GPS equipment, and custom online web applications... Read More →

Keisha Chinn

Environmental Information Program Manager, Environmental Services Office WSDOT

Keisha Chinn is the Environmental Information Program Manager for the Washington State Department of Transportation. She graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences and a focus on Environmental Studies and GIS. Keisha has worked... Read More →

Ben Delyea

UAV Coordinator & GIS Analyst, Cowlitz PUD No. 1

Ben Delyea is the UAV Coordinator and GIS Analyst for Cowlitz PUD No. 1 in Southwest Washington. With six years in the public utilities sector, he specializes in integrating spatial analytics, remote sensing, and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into utility operations. Ben launched... Read More →

Alex Arams

GIS Analyst, Fish Biologist, South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group

Alex Arams is a GIS Analyst and fisheries field biologist with the South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group (SPSSEG) in Olympia, WA. With nine years of experience in salmonid habitat assessment and restoration, he integrates drone mapping, UAV photogrammetry, RTK GNSS surveying... Read More →

Thursday May 21, 2026 1:30pm - 2:30pm PDT
407-408

Remote Sensing, Drone