2024 Board Nominees

Samantha Allen - Tennessee Tech University

 Samantha Allen is faculty at Tennessee Tech University in the School of Environmental Studies. She has been attending TNGIC for seven years, first as a student and now as a faculty member. She teaches spatial analysis and remote sensing courses, and much of her research is focused on finding innovative ways to use remote sensing and environmental variable data to make more informed watershed management decisions. In serving on the board, Samantha hopes to contribute back to the organization of TNGIC, which has been an invaluable resource for networking and personal development over the years. 

Randal Hale - North River Geographic Systems

Randal Hale is owner operator of North River Geographic Systems, Inc in Chattanooga TN. He’s been in the Geospatial Industry for far too long. He also hates talking in the third person. I’m currently on the board for a few organizations around the US (Georgia Geospatial, OSGEO US, and whatever QGIS US currently looks like). In my spare time I tend to go canoeing, possibly map something in OpenStreetMap, or go for increasingly long walks. We should go canoeing sometime. 

Danielle McClanahan - Stantec

Danielle is a project manager and GIS team lead at Stantec in the Nashville office. She supports their FEMA Risk MAP program as a project manager, GIS lead, quality advocate, and FEMA tools lead. Her favorite part of her job is going to various parts of the country to meet with communities to discuss flood risk data. When she is not working, she spends her time gardening, reading, and trying to convince her husband to let her keep the stray animals she finds.

 Sarah Sweat - LJA Engineering

Sarah Sweat has over 10 years of experience working in Environmental Sciences, Hydrology, Freshwater Ecology, and Public Works utilizing GIS. Previously, she worked for the Tennessee Aquarium as a GIS Analyst for 8 years where she focused on spatial analyses of freshwater turtles, salamanders, fishes, and crayfishes. She also previously served as Treasurer for the Southeastern Fishes Council and as a member Advisory Board for the Georgia Environmental Protection Division’s Georgia Adopt-A-Stream Program. She graduated in 2012 with her B.S in Environmental Sciences and in 2014 with her M.S. in Biology from Georgia College & State University. She received her GISP certification in 2022. Currently, Sarah is a GIS Professional at LJA Engineering in Chattanooga, TN where she focuses on data management and application building for the Public Works sector. Sarah also currently organizes meet ups for the Chattanooga GIS User Group quarterly and enjoys making new connections in the GIS community. She also helped organize the Eastern Fall Forum in 2023 in Chattanooga, TN. Outside of work Sarah likes to craft and spend time with her family exploring Chattanooga.