Throughout January xyHt.com will feature the young geospatial professionals who are making a name for themselves in everything from surveying to geographic information systems. xyHt featured all of them in the January issue. Here we will spotlight one each day.

Name: David Grafton

Company: Bad Elf

Current Position: GIS Analyst

Age: 27

Education: MA in Geographic Information Science and Cartography from Arizona State University

Biography: David Grafton enjoys expanding his knowledge on GNSS technology and the Esri ecosystem every day. He has worked for the state of Arizona in the Arizona Game and Fish Department and the Center for the Future of Arizona to provide useful and reliable spatial information for the public’s benefit.

As an intern, David was immersed in high-accuracy field data collection. His work required him to develop tools and training practical for both GIS professionals and professional land surveyors. Using modern software tools and technologies, he gained advanced insights into practical combinations of bring-your-own-device (BYOD) and GNSS receivers. Getting outdoors and meeting with a variety of customers provided an opportunity to understand the unique challenges associated with collecting spatial data.
As a full time “Elf,” David’s role expanded to immersing himself in all aspects of geospatial data collection. Given his drive to share knowledge, David has helped redefine the Bad Elf Pioneer Package, a training system for primary field data collection. Learning to train other professionals with diverse needs and requirements elevated his responsibility to build and conduct trainings for users with limited experience or for those learning new tools.

Immersing himself with the team and customers, he has experienced many facets of field data collection. Emphasizing on CAD/GIS integration, augmented reality, and survey techniques, David presented novel techniques for leveraging these tools in everyday use. Building upon customer interaction with the U.S. Forest Service, he develops tools for managing and recording laser offset data in Esri’s desktop and online platforms.