About Liz
Liz works with researchers and community partners to transform spatial data into meaningful insights that support research, planning, and decision-making. She provides consultation and training in geospatial analysis, data management, web mapping, and cartography to help others address complex questions through spatial thinking.
Liz's experience spans a wide range of projects involving land use and zoning, flood susceptibility, social vulnerability, and health and human services.
She holds a bachelor's degree in Finance from the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse and a master's degree in GIS from the University of Central Arkansas. Prior to her current role, she worked at the Minnesota Geospatial Information Office (MnGeo), collaborating with state agencies on a variety of geospatial initiatives.
Key Projects and Initiatives
Minnesota Zoning Atlas
Part of a nationwide initiative to make zoning data accessible and actionable. The resulting spatial datasets enable researchers, policymakers, and community advocates to identify patterns in land use regulations and support more informed decisions related to housing, economic opportunity, environmental health, and community development.
Minnesota Restorative Justice Resource Directory
A centralized, interactive, map-based directory of restorative justice programs and practices across Minnesota, helping users identify and connect with services throughout the state.
Areas of Expertise
- Designing accessible, user-friendly maps and data visualizations for researchers and community partners.
- Developing custom geoprocessing tools and automating workflows with Python and Arcade to streamline complex data pipelines.
- Building interactive web mapping applications using ArcGIS Experience Builder, Dashboards, and StoryMaps to share spatial data insights and support decision-making.
- Providing GIS consultation and training to support spatial thinking and advance research initiatives.